Deployments of Reefballs in the Indian River Lagoon for the

 

 Establishment of Two Artificial Reefsites in Martin

 

County, Florida during the summer of 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted to:

 

Kathy FitzPatrick, P.E.

Martin County Coastal Engineer

Martin County Administrative Center

2401 SE Monterey Road

Stuart, Florida  34996

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by:

 

Kerry L. Dillon

Sea-Rover Services

7361 SE Seagate Lane

Stuart, Florida  34997

 

 

 

 

 

October 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: October 17, 2005

To: Kathy Fitzpatrick, P.E., Martin County Coastal Engineer

From: Kerry Dillon/Sea-Rover Services

Locations: Indian Riverside County Park @ northeastern section of pier & site A located north of Stuart causeway & west of Florida Oceanographic Society Hutchinson Island shoreline. Both sites are within Martin County, Florida in the Indian River Lagoon

GPS coordinates = 27° 13.498 / 80° 12.576  (center of reef cluster @ Indian Riverside Park) &

27° 12.766 / 80° 11.174 (center of reefsite A)

Team members: Project Director- Kathy Fitzpatrick, PE offsite, vessel captains-Randal Bazemore & Jack Glanville, commercial divers – Kerry Dillon & Jack Glanville, topside support Helen Harralson & Mark Hamilton

Project Months: May  – October 2005

Deployment Dates: July 14 & 22, Aug. 9, Sept. 9 & 16, 2005

 

The following is a field report to document the deployment of concrete reefballs and post-deployment survey results within two newly created artificial river reefs.  During the 5 days of deployment 88 whole concrete reefballs (approx. 4.2 tons) were placed at 2 reefsites in the Indian River Lagoon. Approximately 29 reefball fragments were also placed in unison with the reefs.  Kathy Fitzpatrick of the Martin County Engineering Department spearheaded the project with assistance from the Florida Inland Navigation District, South Florida Water Management, Martin County Board of County Commissioners. Other key groups were the Reefball Foundation, Florida Oceanographic Society, Martin County Environmental Studies Center, Marine Resources Inc., Sea-Rover Services, Sea-Hawk Marine Construction, Research Aquaculture, US Sailing Center, and many Martin County schoolchildren all who assisted at various stages to make this a successful river reef project.

 

Below is a general timeframe of major project events.

 

Dates                          Events & Comments

 

Dec.2001–Jan.2002            Pre-Deployment survey dives completed to verify site chosen is acceptable for artificial reef construction, refer to report submitted to Martin County by Lee E. Harris, Ph.D., PE entitled Investigations for Proposed Artificial Reef Sites in the Indian River Lagoon Martin County, Florida.

 

Jan. 2002 – May 03            Designing, planning, funding proposals, county approvals and other administrative tasks completed prior to startup of deployment phases of project.

 

March 2004                 Deployment of 75 tons of crushed oyster shell at the Indian Riverside Park site to establish a foundation for future reefball deployments.  An area encompassing 3600 sqft of riverbottom was covered with a layer of material to augment future site development.

 

May – June 2005            Logistical planning meetings, notifications, site visits, and interfacing with all project groups in anticipation of startup of summer 2005 deployments.

 

 

 

 

INDIAN RIVERSIDE PARK CONSTRUCTION SITE:

 

 

Dates                          Events & Comments

 

July 14, 2005               First test deployment at Indian Riverside Park site with pertinent support groups prior to schoolchildren field involvement, 3 large reefballs deployed at NE end of pier.

 

July 22, 2005               Deployment of 6 additional reefballs @ IRSP pier site with field assistance from summer camp schoolchildren.

 

August 9, 2005             Deployment of 21 additional reefballs and 14 concrete fragments @ IRSP site at NE end of pier.

 

 

Sept. 16, 2005             Final deployment of reefballs for summer of 2005.  Deployment of 26 whole reefballs and 5 reefball fragments at the IRSP site to add to the other deployments there.

 

Sept. 16, 2005             Conduct underwater inspections at the IRSP site to document accurate GPS coordinates of the site, fish census, depth and profile measurements and map placed reefballs in relation to the nearby Indian Riverside Park pier. This pier extends approx. 700 ft. into the Indian River Lagoon from the western shoreline of the Indian River.

 

October 2005              Gather all data collected, assemble this field report and submit to the Engineering Department of Martin County.

 

                                               

FOS CONSTRUCTION SITE:

 

 

Sept. 9, 2005               Deployment of oyster seeded reefballs that have been utilized for an oyster aquaculture project @ Florida Oceanographic Society.  These units were deployed in the Indian River Lagoon at site A, located north of Stuart causeway & west of the Florida Oceanographic Society Hutchinson Island shoreline. A total of 32 reefballs were deployed there with 2 concrete articulated block sections in 12 ft. of water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 1.  Indian Riverside Park River Reef Site Data

 

Reef Material
 
Data Point #
Data Point Location

Water Depth (ft)

Top Reef Depth (ft)

Latitude/Longitude
(deg/min)
Comments

Concrete Reefballs with several fragments

1

Under pier between last two bents (Southernmost apex of site)

10

6

                           27° 13.493         80° 12.574

 

Some stacked reefballs here

Concrete Reefballs

2

Eastern boundary of site

9

7

27° 13.497         80° 12.573

N/A

Concrete Reefballs

3

Northeast boundary of site

9

7

27° 13.500         80° 12.574

N/A

Concrete Reefballs

4

North boundary of site

9

7

27° 13.501         80° 12.578

N/A

Concrete Reefballs

5

Northwest boundary of site

8

6

27° 13.500         80° 12.578

N/A

Concrete Reefballs

6

West boundary of site

8

6

27° 13.498         80° 12.578

N/A

Concrete Reefballs with several fragments

7

Center of site

10

7

27° 13.498         80° 12.576

Some stacked reefballs here

New concrete pile

8

North pile of easternmost bent of new IRSP pier

10

N/A

27° 13.496         80° 12.574

Newly constructed pier

Old PVC & concrete 5 pile cluster (Dolphin)

9

Northeastern boundary of new IRSP pier

10

N/A

27° 13.496         80° 12.575

Much benthic growth and fishlife

Old PVC & concrete 5 pile cluster (Dolphin)

10

Along north side of new IRSP pier

8

N/A

27° 13.496         80° 12.579

Much benthic growth and fishlife

 

New concrete pile

11

North pile of 2nd to last bent of new IRSP pier

9

N/A

27° 13.495         80° 12.578

Newly constructed pier

 

 

Divers Observations and Measurements:

 

During the dives made during the 4 deployment days at the Indian Riverside Park pier reefsite the following marinelife species were observed around the pier structure and reefballs:

 

n      Porkfish –               Anisotremus virginicus

n      Sheepshead –                   Archosargus probatocephalus

n      Mangrove Snapper-       Lutjanus griseus

n      Common Snook –       Centropomus undecimalis

n      Goliath Grouper (25 lbs) –Epinephelus itajara 

n      Atlantic Spadefish –       Chaetodipterus faber

n      Juvenile Lane Snapper –       Lutjanus synagris

n      Glass Minnow (Bay Anchovy) – Anchoa mitchilli 

n      Southern Flounder -      Paralichthys lethostigma

n      Hermit Crabs & several unidentified species of crabs

 

 

Results of the post-deployment survey dive conducted on September 15, 2005 are:

 

Total footprint of reefsite = 48 ft. from south to north x 30 ft. east to west  (1440 sqft)

Max profile = 4 ft. where some reefballs are stacked underneath the existing pier at the southern end of the reefsite

Average profile = 2 – 3 ft. depending on size of reefball

Total reefballs deployed =  56

Total reefball fragments deployed = 19

Max water depth at site = 10ft.

Min water depth at edge of site = 7 ft.

Water temperature during deployments = 77 – 82 °F

Underwater visibility during deployments = 1 – 3 ft.

 

Now that the reefsite construction phase is complete, a photodocumentation survey will be completed in the spring of 2006 as part of the annual monitoring requirement.  It will include a formal fish census and benthic identification study as well as stability analysis of the site. 

 

 

Table 2.  Reefsite A River Reef Site Data

 

Reef Material
 
Data Point #
Data Point Location

Water Depth (ft)

Top Reef Depth (ft)

Latitude/Longitude
(deg/min)
Comments

6 Concrete Reefballs (1.5  – 4 ft. diameter) & 2 articulated block sections, 1st of  3 deployments

1

At southern apex of scour crater in river bottom

12

7

                           27° 12.768         80° 11.174

 

Some stacked reefballs here

25 Concrete Reefballs(1.5 – 3 ft. diameter) 2nd of 3 deployments

2

At southern apex of scour crater in river bottom

12

9

27° 12.764         80° 11.175

Intermixed with above deployment

1-Large Concrete Reefball (4 ft. diameter)

3

At southern apex of scour crater in river bottom

12

8

27° 12.766         80° 11.174

Intermixed with above deployments

 

 

Divers Observations and Measurements:

 

No marine species were observed during the deployments at this site.  Underwater visibility was very limited so it is possible marine species were nearby but could not be seen. 

During the dives made during the 3 deployments at site A on Sept. 9, 2005 in the Indian River Lagoon the following observations and measurements were documented:

 

 

Total footprint of reefsite = Approximately 32 ft. from southwest to northeast x 25 ft. wide  (800 sqft)

Max profile = 5 ft. where some reefballs are stacked ontop of each other

Average profile = 3 – 4 ft. depending on size of reefball

Total reefballs deployed =  32

Total articulated block sections deployed = 1– 4 block section & 1- 6 block section

Max water depth at site = 12ft.

Min water depth around perimeter of scour hole = 6 ft.

Water temperature during deployments =  82 °F

Underwater visibility during deployments = 6 inches – 1.5 ft.

Overall size of scour crater – Approximately 400 ft. x 250 ft. with north/south orientation

Max depth located this day in center of crater = 14 ft.

 

Now that the reefsite construction phase is complete, a photodocumentation survey will be completed in the Spring of 2006 as part of the annual monitoring requirement.  It will include a formal fish census and benthic identification study as well as stability analysis of the site.  The oyster-seeded reefballs will be inspected to document growth and health of juvenile oyster populations.

 

 

Certification of findings

 

The undersigned certify that the above events as listed occurred as stated and findings are true as written and occurred between May  – October of 2005.

 

 

 

 

Kerry L. Dillon                                                                        

 

Date – 10/27/05

 

 

 

Randal Bazemore of Seahawk Marine Construction, Inc. provided the first 4 photographs below and the remaining photographs were provided by Tom McCrudden of Research Aquaculture, Inc..  The digital photographs are a welcome addition and thanks go out to both photographers for allowing their use in this report.