06/16/2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

which includes looking at trip tickets from commercial fisheries to understand the numbers, sizes, and types of commercial fish. Fisheries need to be studied in order to better understand population dynamics between organisms within the Lagoon, and to show impacts identified in the types of fish present. The County may consider partnering with FWC, other local organizations, and local fishermen to understand current fish populations and their preferred habitats in order to track the status and population trends of species, especially species of concern. Identification of these habitats would assist in water quality and habitat restoration strategies for projects in the Lagoon. It may be helpful to study zooplankton populations and ecology within the Lagoon as well, since these are important food sources for many fish populations. 5. Sea Level Rise Sea level rise plays an important role in the health of the Lagoon in our area due to its direct connections to manmade and maintained inlets. Our portion of the Lagoon is directly influenced by two inlets, the Sebastian Inlet to the north and the Fort Pierce Inlet to the south, both of which are considered tidal inlets. A rise in sea level will increase the water level in the Lagoon. As sea level rises, tides will also become more extreme, with higher rates of ocean water being exchanged within the Lagoon. Another lesser understood impact to the Lagoon from sea level rise is the infiltration of saltwater into the freshwater aquifer below the land's surface. The relationship of the aquifer to the Lagoon will be researched at a greater extent during the hydrology and hydrodynamics update. Seas in our area have been rising at approximately 3.54 mm/year since the 1970's, which is equivalent to 1.16 feet in 100 years. These measurements are based off of NOAA's sea level monitoring station at the Lake Worth Pier. After discussing this topic with Dr. Randall Parkinson, a climate change expert and professor at Florida International University (FIU), he concluded that the Lake Worth Pier was an appropriate representation of conditions for the County for sea level changes. Specific County measurements of sea level rise on the Lagoon -side versus the barrier -island side were not readily available, and these data would be influenced by other factors such as rainfall and inputs from channelized surface flows. Sea level rise impacts to the Lagoon will not only be felt within the system itself, but also impacts the overall health of the ecosystem, critical infrastructure, and development. The general land form of the County is a coastal low land, which means that most of the coastal areas are less than 25 feet above sea level. This puts these coastal areas at a greater risk for potential flooding and inundation from sea level rise. Based on the Intermediate United States Army Corps of Engineers Projection Summary, it is anticipated that 7 of the 50 stormwater outfalls to the Lagoon which drain the County will be under water by 2040. These outfalls not only include County outfalls, but also include Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) outfalls. As for ecological functions, rising sea levels will have impacts on the health and distribution of seagrasses. As water levels rise, the areas of optimal light transmittance for seagrass and other keystone species survivorship will change. Mangroves and marshes will naturally try to retreat landward, but with development or hardened structures on the landward side of these natural buffer habitats landward recruitment is minimized, making natural protection from such features sparse or weak. It is important for the Lagoon and areas landward of the Lagoon to have natural protection to act as a buffer against excess energy from events such as storms and wave action. Without that protection, the shoreline will erode away at far faster rates, which will be detrimental for infrastructure built along the shoreline. This 98