City of Fernandina Beach
October 5, 2021
The City has begun construction of Phase 1 of the long-awaited Amelia River Waterfront Stabilization Project to provide flood protection from storms and sea level rise to the downtown areas. This is the culmination of a multi-yearlong Resiliency/Hurricane Protection Study that identified current riverfront protection systems and development of methods to protect the downtown historic area.
The Phase 1 work focuses on the waterfront area from the southern end of the City’s Parking Lot D northward to the existing Boat Ramp near Ash Street and involves the installation of a “Living Shoreline” comprised of a protective reef system using oyster shell filled bags, precast concrete block mattress system to armor the existing embankment and planting of various wetland-type grasses. When completed, this shoreline system will provide protection to the uplands from waves and storm surge erosion. In addition to the shoreline protection, construction of a sheet pile seawall with concrete caps with a top elevation of 9.0 (existing ground elevation is approximately 6.0) will be installed to prevent flood waters from the river reaching the low-lying downtown area. As part of the seawall, the existing timber walkway along the river’s edge is being replaced with a more durable coquina-shell concrete walkway for pedestrian use.
This project will not impact the existing open space and parking areas landward of the flood protection system currently in progress.
won’t the water just go around this construction? Seems that one would have to raise the entire shoreline to protect any land inward from rising water.
Chuck, that is why this is called Phase 1 although this area is the one least likely to flood, or if it did, cause any damage. As you note, water will always seek to flow to the lowest point and the lowest point along Front Street is in front of the Simmons/Vuturo properties to the north side of Lot A. But you have to start somewhere and this section is the least expensive to do. Climate change theater at its best.