JACKSONVILLE Fla. (Feb. 28, 2025) Hurricanes and other coastal storm activity have repeatedly decimated the shoreline of Manasota Key in Charlotte County, FL. Damages to private property and public infrastructure, loss of recreational space and environmental habitat, and economic loss have been widespread, especially following the 2024 hurricane season. These impacts are worsened by rising sea levels, which a projected to increase by one to three and a half feet over the next 50 years.
Enter the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) with a coastal storm-risk management (CSRM) study under its South Atlantic Division (SAD), with team members from Savannah, Mobile, and Jacksonville Districts, as well as the Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC) collaboratively contributing expertise in engineering solutions to our nation’s toughest challenges.
“The united effort that the USACE and our non-federal sponsor Charlotte County are bringing in the Charlotte CSRM Study is important for the residents of Charlotte County primarily for the ultimate goal of storm damage reduction and providing a lasting and sustainable shoreline,” said Summer Wright, Water Resources Planner, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District. “We’re going to determine the problems that the community of Manasota Key faces from coastal storms and identify solutions that aim to provide benefits by reducing storm damage to homes, improving the environment, and increasing resiliency to the local economy that relies significantly on recreation and tourism,” she continued.
While coastal storm-generated surges, flooding, wind-driven waves, and erosion, exacerbated by sea level change, have resulted in damages to structures and infrastructure, and the loss of lands and personal and public property, the challenges for Charlotte County don’t stop there. Accessibility to critical emergency services and the health and life-safety of the residents is a critical concern. Local businesses, wages, employment, and future economic growth due to decreased recreational access have also been limited by past storms.
The Charlotte County CSRM study aims to improve community resilience and recovery following storm events, maintain, and in some cases improve, the quality of tourism and recreational experiences, improve community understanding of coastal storm risks, and improve the local economy on the Key, which is heavily dependent on tourism.
“The local community has recently faced detrimental impacts from Hurricanes Helene and Milton; this study and the work that USACE and Charlotte County are conducting aims to address those same problems that afflicted Manasota Key this past fall,” noted Evan Jonson, an Economist from the USACE Jacksonville District. “I’ll be avidly involved in our comprehensive benefits analysis,” he notes, “…which utilizes a wider range of benefit categories beyond reducing damage to structures, such as regional economic effects, environmental quality, and other social effects, prioritizing life safety. My goal is to help the team develop a project that is effective, economically efficient, and technically feasible”.
The Savannah District heads this study and utilizes a multi-district team across SAD, including Jacksonville and Mobile Districts. The study team consists of specialized disciplines with significant experience, such as the coastal engineer and economist, and relatively new team members who can develop and acquire the skills and knowledge to execute CSRM studies in the future.
The wealth of experience through multiple disciplines across districts is a boon to both the public served and internally within the South Atlantic Division. Elizabeth Godsey, from the Mobile District, with almost 24 years of coastal engineering experience with the USACE, provides mentoring opportunities to other study team members. This strategic study team allows for the development of more knowledgeable team members, increased capacity, fostered collaboration, and shared institutional knowledge across SAD.
The study will have developed a comprehensive plan to address the need for coastal storm risk management for Manasota Key. The study addresses an array of structural, nature-based solutions, and formulates nonstructural alternatives.
Alternatives… engineer-speak for options under consideration as part of the study could include beach berms and dunes, bulkheads, revetments, groins, structure elevation or relocation, structure floodproofing, public education, and beneficial use of dredged material to include sand placement for risk management.
To familiarize the public in Manasota Key, the SAD team, along with Charlotte County Public Works, held two public meetings, one virtual and the other in-person. During these sessions, an overview of the study considerations and benefits was provided, and questions from Charlotte County residents were answered.
“The USACE staff has been great to work with,” said Matthew Logan, Engineering Division project manager for Charlotte County’s Public Works. “Each member of the project team has brought critical insight into the development of the plan; While the USACE staff is specialized they all have a great understanding of the process and procedures, which leads to focused and productive dialogue”.
This SAD fab collab is targeting the summer of 2027 to deliver a Chief’s Report! The report outlines the Chief of Engineers’ final recommendation for a water resources project authorized by Congress.
For more news, updates and information visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District district’s website at www.saj.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Jacksonvilledistrict, and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JaxStrong.