Bulkheads & Seawalls in Northeast Florida

Northeast Florida's waterfront runs from the Amelia River at Fernandina Beach south through Jacksonville, the Beaches and Ponte Vedra to St. Augustine. Bulkheads here face a different load pattern from the rest of Florida: larger daily tides, strong river and inlet currents, and an exposed Atlantic beachfront. This page explains those conditions and the permitting picture.

The waterfront environment

Tidal rivers and the Intracoastal Waterway

The St. Johns River is the region's defining waterbody. Its lower reaches through Jacksonville carry tide and storm surge well inland from the Mayport inlet. The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway links the Amelia, Nassau, Tolomato and Matanzas rivers behind the barrier islands.

Large tides by Florida standards

NOAA tidal datums for the region show:

For comparison, Fort Myers on the Gulf coast averages under one foot. A wall that sees several feet of water rise and fall twice a day has more water moving through its joints, weep holes and any gaps in filter fabric. That makes soil loss behind the wall and toe scour common inspection topics. The seawall drainage and soil stabilization guides explain the mechanisms.

The Atlantic beachfront

From Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine the ocean shoreline is sandy beach and dune. Florida regulates construction seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line on these beaches through the Department of Environmental Protection's CCCL program, which applies siting and design criteria intended to protect the beach-dune system, adjacent properties and public access.

Storm history

Recent storms have produced damaging water levels along both the oceanfront and the river.

• Hurricane Matthew, 2016. The National Hurricane Center estimated maximum inundation of 5 to 7 feet above ground level along the coasts of Flagler, St. Johns and Duval counties, with 6 to 7 feet near Matanzas Inlet and 3 to 5 feet in Nassau County.
• Hurricane Irma, 2017. NHC reported a storm tide of 4.1 feet above mean higher high water at Jacksonville Beach and peak water levels of 4.0 to 5.3 feet above mean higher high water at gauges along the St. Johns River from Racy Point to Jacksonville. Combined with rainfall, the river reached major or record flood stages in the Jacksonville area, and flood water reached up to 5 feet deep in some streets.

River events like Irma can load bulkheads from both directions: high water over the cap, then saturated backfill pushing outward as the river drops. After a storm, review signs of bulkhead failure and the bulkhead inspection guide.

Permitting in Northeast Florida

State and federal review

Work in surface waters is commonly reviewed under Florida's Environmental Resource Permitting program, handled by DEP or a water management district depending on the project. Work on state-owned submerged lands may need proprietary authorization. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, reviews work in waters of the United States. Oceanfront work seaward of the control line involves the CCCL program.

Emergency armoring on the oceanfront

St. Johns County publishes an Emergency Temporary Coastal Armoring Permit. The county explains that, under Section 161.085, Florida Statutes and Chapter 62B-33, Florida Administrative Code, a local government may authorize emergency measures to protect threatened private residences when a coastal storm erodes the beach-dune system. The county's page notes that a coastal emergency has been declared for a limited portion of its beach, and it links the DEP CCCL application. Temporary armoring is a distinct path from a permanent wall; follow-up state permitting may still apply.

Local building permits

The City of Jacksonville, the Beaches communities, St. Johns County, St. Augustine, Nassau County and Fernandina Beach each issue building permits within their boundaries. Contact the building department for the property's jurisdiction early. Our Permit Navigator lists the agency pages we have verified for Florida.

Planning a project here

1. Identify the water: river, ICW, tidal creek or oceanfront. The permitting path and design loads differ.
2. Have a marine contractor or engineer account for the local tide range when setting cap elevation, drainage and toe protection.
3. For oceanfront lots, confirm the property's position relative to the CCCL before design.
4. Use the bulkhead permit guide and the bulkhead replacement guide to plan timing.

This page is educational and does not determine permit requirements for any property. The agencies and a licensed professional make those determinations.