Overview of Deadmans Island Restoration Project

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Overview of Deadmans Island Restoration Project

• Prepared for the City of Gulf Breeze and Coastal
  Aquatic Managed Areas
• by Project Manager- Heather Reed

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Deadmans Island
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Historical Cultural Resources

• Identification and assessment of four magnetic
  anomolies-2003
• Identification of other structures by FDEP
  Geological Survey-2008
• Historic unmarked cemetery
• Shipwrecks
• pottery
• Other historic evidence presented in the archives
  of the States Historic division

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18th Century

• Used by the Spanish and British throughout the
  18th century as a careening ground
• George Gauld 1764- west end of Island was used as
  a wharf for careening but became in bad shape and
  had to be moved.

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19th Century

• 19th Century used to quarantine ships during
  yellow fever epidemics
• 1888 work started on construction of a marine
  slip on the island capable of lifting 2000 lb
  Marine Rail Slip (brick boat slips which are
  slowly being uncovered to this day).
• 1891 Quarantine station was built

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20th Century

• Hurricane 1906 obliterated the effort
• 1906 Remains were used to build a glue factory
  then a fish fertilizer plant
• Partnership of Coe and Gilmore bought the Island
  from the Lewis Bear estate and remained private
  until 1977
• 1977 City purchased part of it and then was later
  donated the rest in 1978

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Erosion problems and proposed restoration

• Bridge construction, dredging, sea walls and
  revetment are making the sediment budget out of
  balance- James Morgan 1992, Chris Houser 2007 and
  DEP Beaches and Coastal Engineer, Ralph Clark
  2007.
• 1973 The council asked the State of Florida Dept
  of Natural Resources to purchase the land under
  the Endangered Land Act. State monies ran out
  before Deadmans could be considered. Concerned
  residents tried to raise money to save the
  Island.
• The USACOE began the restoration effort and
  permit. Held up in DEP Permitting in Oct
  2003-April 2005 It was withdrawn due to low
  funding.
• 2005 Hurricane exposed historic archaeological
  artifacts. The City did not have the funding to
  restore the Island.
• The City and Coastal Aquatic Managed Areas of
  FLDEP have partnered to restore Deadmans Island
  and achieve the 1992 Aquatic Preserve mission to
  make Deadmans Island an Aquatic Preserve to be
  protected by the State.

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Dead Mans Island Restoration

• Permit 1 Placement of innovative wave barrier
  made from recycled oyster shellalong 1340 linear
  feet of shoreline and restoration of 1.04 acres
  of productive emergent salt marsh habitat and
  0.046 acres of coastal dune vegetation
• Permit 2 (Told by DEP to wait a year) Fill and
  cover the historic cultural resources and along
  the shoreline using beneficial use of dredged
  material and coir logs, stabilization geofabric
  and planting emergent and upland vegetation for
  soil stabilization.
• This cannot wait a year! Erosion rate increasing
  due to protective peat mat breaking apart.

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Hurricane Dennis
Coffins dated from the 1800s were unearthed by
erosion from Hurricane Dennis. It is unknown what
other artifacts have been lost to shifting tides
and other storms which cause further erosion.
Courtesy of the University of West Florida and
State Archeologist, Ryan Wheeler
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Location 2005
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Structure locations
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New Design
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10 months of growth
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2006
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DeadMans Island 1940
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Deadmans Island 1946
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Dead Mans Island 1968
Dredging and construction began and exposure of
the historical anomalies are apparent.
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1976
Seawalls have been erected causing more erosion
the island.
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1982
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1992
Seawalls have extended all around the peninsula
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1989 Shoreline of Deadmans Island
2007 Lost 216 feet of current shoreline
notice the structure is now tilted from
undermining
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2005
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2006
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Future Projects not yet permitted

• Permit to sand bag and bring in fill to create
  slopes with support and vegetation to support the
  unearthed trees on the north end of the unmarked
  Cemetery. Geomesh and coir logs will be used for
  additional support but will be covered with fill
  and planting vegetation.
• Permit to plant upland and emergent vegetation
  for stabilization all around the island as
  needed. Planting can begin now.
• Permit to bring in fill to cover the shallow
  historic structures, that are hazards to boaters
  and swimmers, for preservation and plant wetland
  plant for stabilization and further protection of
  the area.

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Cover and protect underwater structures and
create wetland
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Emergency permit request
Modification by
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Test plots
Future planting test plots according to funding
available- Plant types vary.
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Sand
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Monitoring and Maintenance

• Maintenance Dredging
• Water Quality
• Benthic
• Fish (presence and absence)
• Oysters (recruitment- mortality and disease)
• Plants (survival and coverage)
• Debris (City)
• Legislative Process of becoming an Aquatic
  Preserve

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Hydrographic

• Shallow 3-5 ft MHW for miles
• Hurricane stabilization
• Easy construction requiring no dredging an access
  channel for construction materials
• Reduce wave energy to provide shoreline
  protection
• Promote vegetation growth along shoreline
• No hydrographic objection to the project and
  approves it (2003 and 2008)

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Access
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In accordance with guidelines of

• Chapter 161 F.S. Beaches and Coastal
• Coastal Zone Management Act
• National Environmental Policy Act
• Endangered Species Act (Biological Assessment
  2003) 62B-41.0055
• Essential Fish Habitat

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Threatened or Endangered Species

• Mr Ziewitz USFWS- no adverse impacts to any
  threatened or endangered species
• National Marine Fisheries (Glen Harbin and Sharon
  Rolfes) - minimal adverse effects on marine and
  anadromous fisheries.
• NEED BIOLOGICAL OPINION (Consult Section 7 still
  in review)- ACOE

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The benefits outweigh the costs

• Is on the agenda to become a future Aquatic
  Preserve
• Cause of erosion- permitted activities
• Cost placement of structures on SSL
• Cost placement of sand over historic anomolies
  on SSL
• Benefit- prevents further erosion protecting the
  pristine marsh and endangered tern and other
  birds
• Benefit- Preservation of history
• Benefit- Ecological production and biodiversity
• Benefit- increased habitat and shelter
• Renourished shoreline provide food and shelter
  for more coastal species

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Additional benefits

• Contributes to the science restoration projects
  through monitoring, documentation and reports for
  further protective management issues.
• Proposed comparison of two oyster materials
• Document the stability of the anchored breakwater
• Visual fish assessments
• Invasive species hunt and removal

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Community Involvement

• Community has shown support for many years
• Educational outreach and community efforts- Gulf
  Breeze High School, Boyscouts troops,
  professional clubs for planting and monitoring
  assistance.

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Tribute to the history of Deadmans Island

• Upon completion of the project a plaque will be
  placed on the highest brick structure in memory
  of those who died on Deadmans Island.

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Heather Reed Project Manager 850-346-2073
hreed_at_ecoconsultingservices.com
The City of Gulf Breeze Edwin Eddy, City
Manager Steve Milford, City Administration Partne
rs Coastal Aquatic Managed Areas Shelley
Alexander, Aquatic Preserve Manager Funding
Agencies US Fish and Wildlife Five Star
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Other
Empire Land Survey, Jeremy Hebb Matt Ingram,
Professional Engineer Mark Gagliano, Coastal
Environments Inc.
Project Team
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Questions?Heather Reedhreed_at_ecoconsultingservi
ces.comVisit http//deadmansisland.br33z3.com/