County relocates first sea turtle nest found near project area
The $28-million multiphase project to restore storm-eroded dunes along about 12 of Flagler County’s 18 miles of coastline entered a new chapter this week.
The main nesting season for sea turtles across the state began Tuesday and the endangered sea creatures have already begun returning to Flagler’s shores to lay their eggs. Environmentalists found and relocated the first nest Thursday, according to Flagler officials.
Volusia/Flagler Turtle Patrol is a volunteer-based nonprofit that surveys beaches searching for “turtle crawls” in the two-county area. It is the only local organization commissioned by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to relocate sea turtle nests.
According to a county spokesperson, the volunteer group found and relocated a loggerhead nest with about 100 eggs.
“The nest was not located in today’s work area, but within an area we will be working in the next 90 days,” said Alex Spiller, a county project administrator who is overseeing reconstruction of the dunes.
Sea turtle nesting season continues through Oct. 31 in Flagler County and Florida environmental regulations generally prohibit beach construction projects during the six-month period. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has granted Flagler a countywide permit to work through the nesting season as long as all nests that could be impacted by the dunes project are safely moved.
Flagler also is contracting with Atlantic Ecological Services, a St. Augustine marine consultant, to work with the Turtle Patrol on surveying the beach and relocating nests.
County crews started dumping sand on an 11-mile stretch of Flagler’s shoreline north of Flagler Beach on Jan. 22. The project began at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park and officials expect to progress south one mile each month.
This marked the 15th week of work to rebuild emergency berms battered by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016 and worsened by Hurricane Irma 11 months later.
The county plans to add nearly 790,000 tons of sand to portions of the coast between River to Sea Preserve Park and the Flagler Beach Pier. That’s about seven tons of sand for each of the county's 110,000 residents.
A 10-man crew of Flagler employees has refortified 3.25 miles of the county’s dune line so far and this week completed temporary repairs of walkovers in Varn Park, which are now open for use. Permanent repairs to the county’s destroyed beach walkovers won’t come until after next spring, when the dune project is expected to be completed.
The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1.
In April, Flagler hired EarthBalance, a North Port ecological company, to plant dune vegetation along 11.4 miles north of Flagler Beach. Flagler County spokeswoman Julie Murphy indicated in a new release Friday that the county will install “Dodge the Dunes” signs and lay down “mobi-mats” at eight different beach access points.
The signs will urge beachgoers not to walk directly on the refurbished dunes. Instead, visitors will be directed to the mats, which the county will begin placing later this month or in early June.
Five-foot wide mats will be laid over dunes at the end of residential streets at Ocean Street, Moody Drive, Atlantic Drive, Flagler Drive and Rollins Drive. Wider mats to accommodate emergency vehicles, trailers, power-skis and dune buggies will be used at the access points for MalaCompra Road, Old Salt Park and Jungle Hut Road. Those mats will be 50 to 100 feet long.
“Those wider mats will be a little uncomfortable on bare feet,” said Heidi Petito, the county's General Services director. “Wearing shoes to protect your feet is always a good idea, but it will be especially important in these three areas.”