May 2024
FACT SHEET
Fort Pierce St. Lucie County, FL
Investigations (I)
Congressional District: 21
1. DESCRIPTION
In accordance with Section 203 of Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986, St. Lucie County prepared a Section 203 integrated feasibility report and environmental assessment to evaluate alternatives to improve the Fort Pierce Shore Protection Project (SPP) from a 2-year renourishment cycle to a 4‑year nourishment cycle by the introductions of shore protection features along the 2.4-mile portion of the Ft Pierce SPP. The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (OASACW) conducted two Washington-level review cycles for the study. The first review was conducted on March 2017 where the revised Section 203 Report provided OASACW in June 2018. Section 403 of WRDA 2020 (P.L. 116-260) conditionally authorized the Section 203 study, on the condition that unresolved comments by the OASACW to be addressed in the form of a Letter Report prepared by the Jacksonville District (SAJ). The study recommended a beach nourishment with a vegetated dune feature from Fort Pierce Inlet 1.3 miles southward to Surfside Park but also includes the construction of shoreline stabilization structures (six T-groins and a detached breakwater).
2. FUNDING
| Estimated Total Cost |
$900,000 |
| Estimated Federal Cost |
$450,000 |
| Allocation thru FY23 |
$450,000 |
| Allocation for FY24 |
$0 |
| President’s Budget FY25 |
$0 |
3. SPONSOR
St. Lucie County Erosion District
2300 Virginia Avenue
Ft. Pierce, Florida 34982-5652
4. STATUS
A 50/50 cost share agreement was finalized on 18 May 2023 so that SAJ can conduct a feasibility analysis on Section 203 study as well as summarize and resolve the outstanding issues identified by OASACW as well as verification of the non-federal Sponsor’s conclusions where relevant. Lastly, as requested by OASACW, an Environmental Assessment is currently being prepared by SAJ that evaluates the final alternatives considered in the revised June 2018 Feasibility Report so that NEPA requirements are met; such as potential environmental impacts to nesting sea turtles. Expectation is the Letter Report with final EA and Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI) to be provided to OASACW by November 2024.