Stopped Singer Island Breakwaters

Since 2006, Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management (ERM) had been requesting a permit to place 11 rubble-mound breakwater segments 200 feet offshore from Singer Island. Individual breakwater segments would have measured approximately 100 feet by 350 feet and extended one foot above the water. The overall project purpose was to stabilize the Atlantic shoreline of Singer Island by trapping nearshore sediment and allowing accretion of beach quality sand. According to the information provided, 18.9 acres of submerged bottom, including 9.4 acres of hard bottom would have been covered by sand. The initial determination by the Jacksonville District was that the proposed project would have a substantial adverse impact on essential fish habitat (EFH) or federally managed fishery species. It is also likely that the project would have increased erosion on downdrift beaches and adversely impacted sea turtles . On March 22, 2011 at a “Breakwater Workshop” the County Commission voted 5-2 to no longer pursue the project due to the cost to taxpayers and the fear that the project would not be successful.