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MRC Opposes Lagoon House's Impacts on Lagoon
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The Lagoon House is dedicated to preserve our natural, recreational, scenic, cultural and historical resources. Unfortunately on Nov 7th, 2003 the shoreline was completely denuded of vegetation by heavy equipment by a city of Palm Bay contractor and the 18 foot slope of sediment was allowed to erode into the Indian River Lagoon without any silt fencing or turbidity barriers. 6 to 12 foot tall mangroves planted by MRC were found toppled over, their roots broken
in places. The City failed to get a permit from St. Johns or the Army Corps of Engineers for the 60 feet of sediment they filled into coastal wetlands. The City was ordered to remove the 60 feet of fill and erect a silt fence, but were not required to remove the rock and plastic covering the shoreline, because the St. Johns Water Man. Dist. says that armoring is upland of the shoreline.
Palm Bay claims that the destruction of the native plants and the burying of the shoreline in rock and plastic were intended to protect the Lagoon House from hurricanes. Unlike much of Palm Bay, the Lagoon House is not in the 100-year flood plain. Studies indicate the site has been in close proximity to the lagoon and used as a fishing site by Native Americans for over 3,000 years without rocks or plastic to stabilize it.
MRC's position is that armoring the shoreline is detrimental to the ecological, recreational and scenic resources of the Indian River Lagoon and inconsistent with the mission of Lagoon House, The National Scenic Byway Program and the MRC. The shoreline just north and south of the site has weathered thousands of years of storms and continues to provide vital fishing and birding resources with only native vegetation stabilizing it. The primary source of funding for the building of Lagoon House was $800,000 from the National Scenic Byway Program. The site itself was purchased primarily through state funding through a grant written by the MRC. The grant was awarded points for committing to restore the shoreline. The management plan for the site states: "Shoreline vegetation at the toe of the bluff line will be protected and appropriate vegetation
replanted." It also states "Every facet of the Lagoon House and its environs will be designed as a demonstration model of good practices for homeowners to protect their natural resources." Natural shorelines filter pollution, provide homes for birds and nurseries for fish. If left covered in rock and plastic, the shoreline will never recover its value as a natural resource, will never provide water quality and habitat benefits to recreational fishing and bird watching.
Palm Bay's Comprehensive Plan states: "The City will develop and adopt Land Development regulations which encourage natural means of shoreline stabilization over shoreline hardening where shoreline alteration is needed." So the armoring is likely inconsistent with the city's own policies.
If the plastic and rock were removed,
native planting could again stabilize a shoreline that has served as a natural resource to inhabitants for generations.
The site itself was purchased primarily through state funding through a grant written by the MRC. The grant was awarded points for committing to restore the shoreline. The management plan for the site states: "Shoreline vegetation at the toe of the bluff line will be protected and appropriate vegetation replanted."
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