Project Summary

1. Project ID
Name	Stormwater Management Demonstration Project, Pensacola Bay
Region	Gulf of Mexico Region
State	FL
Location	Escambia County
Date of this update	8/17/00

2. Problem(s) addressed (check one or more)

Habitat Restoration/Protection
Wetlands
River systems
Beaches/Dunes
Offshore areas
Mangroves
Assisting Species at Risk
Pollution Mitigation
Non-Point Source Pollution
Other (describe)

3. Project description (100 words or less)

Problem Statement

According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, urban stormwater is the largest source of water quality damage in bays and estuaries. In Pensacola Bay, there are almost 400 older stormwater discharge pipes that discharge directly into the bay with no stormwater treatment at all. Some of the larger stormwater discharge pipes are located along Bayfront Parkway, and every time it rains, these pipes discharge tens of thousands of gallons of contaminated runoff that contains heavy metals, oxygen-robbing nutrients, and fecal coliform bacteria. Just as important, this polluted stormwater discharge contains suspended sediments that increase the turbidity in the bay and shade out the necessary light required by seagrass beds. Pensacola Bay has lost over 80% of its seagrass beds over the past 30 years. This proposal offers a stormwater treatment demonstration project that will improve the water quality in Pensacola Bay, reduce the suspended sediments and turbidity, and provide improved water clarity for seagrass recovery while creating critical habitat. This demonstration project will serve as the model for additional future stormwater treatment projects that can be utilized to retrofit older stormwater discharge pipes that continue to contribute to decreased water quality and the resultant loss of seagrass beds.

Proposed Project

Offshore breakwaters are frequently used for shoreline protection, and recently, these types of breakwaters have been utilized to protect newly created emergent marshes. This proposal requires the construction of an 800-foot long offshore breakwater to create a 4-acre protected wetland that will be vegetated with native emergent marsh vegetation and seagrasses. The breakwater, which will be composed of rip-rap, will be placed in approximately 4 feet of water, about 200 feet offshore, directly in front of one of the large stormwater drainage pipes. The area protected by the breakwater will then be filled with clean sand to create a large intertidal-flat that will be vegetated with native emergent salt marsh vegetation and seagrasses. This created emergent marsh wetland will filter the stormwater runoff, improve water quality, reduce turbidity, and improve water clarity for seagrasses by providing an area for sedimentation and nutrient uptake. Additionally, this created marsh will provide critical habitat for many species of fish, birds, invertebrates and other wildlife. It should be noted that the City of Pensacola owns the submerged lands located at the proposed project site. Also, to emphasize the high potential for success, a nearby mitigation project that has a similar design to this project has been a huge success. Incorporated in the construction design is a sedimentation basin that will be maintained on a regular basis.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

Cash

Federal

Non Federal

State government
Local government
Private industry
Public interest groups

Total


In-Kind Services (hours, equipment, or other forms of assistance and estimated dollar value)

Volunteers (number of people and hours, and estimated dollar value)

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

9. Project Status

• Initiation date:
• Completion date:
• Current stage (Initiated - I, Underway - U or Completed - C)

10. Contacts

11. Any additional information/comments