A COORDINATED EFFORT
Ayres Associates coordinated with more than a dozen
regulatory agencies for environmental permitting, cost
estimates, and other project matters, including:
Agencies
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission –
Imperiled Species Department
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission –
Aid to Navigation
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection,
Environmental Resource Program Division • Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection, State
Owned Lands Division • Florida Department of Historical Resources
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Program
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
Navigation
• National Marine Fisheries – Protected Resources
Division
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• City of Captiva Island
• Federal Aviation Administration
Other Involvement/Other Interested Parties:
• Seven Seas Plantation (property owner)
• Florida Governmental Utility Authority
• North Captiva Island Home Owners Association
• National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration – Essential Fish Habitat Department
The restoration required filling the blowholes and prop scars with
sediment bags and then monitoring for natural recruitment of the
sea grasses.
“Locating the blowholes and prop scars was very challenging,”
Ash said. The process includes scouring seagrass beds by walking
or snorkeling to find boat damage that was deep enough (greater
than 0.8 feet) and large enough (bigger than 8 feet in diameter).
The first set of 150 blowholes, approved by the regulatory
agencies for restoration, got filled in by sand migration during
Hurricane Irma. Therefore, Ayres had to conduct a second survey
to locate new blowholes that were viable for restoration. Once
restored, Ayres could then begin and is now in the process of
monitoring the seagrass recruitment in the blowholes for the next
five years, or until 80% sea grass coverage is established.
The contractor was extremely environmentally conscientious,
Ash noted, complying with all permit conditions set forth by the
regulatory agencies. During the duration of the construction,
Ayres provided a full-time environmental compliance officer
to monitor turbidity and watch for manatees and small tooth
sawfish.
The project was constructed with expected temporary impacts;
however, all construction projects have their challenges. For
12│ TRENDS