St. Joseph Peninsula - Response to natural erosion

St. Joseph Peninsula is located in the western portion of Gulf County, Florida on the northwest coast of Florida (Figure 1). The St. Joseph Peninsula is a coastal barrier spit which extends from St Joseph Point (Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) monument R-32) at the northern tip of the peninsula for approximately 17 miles south to Cape San Bias (R-115) (Coastal Tech, 1996). The gulf-front shoreline of St. Joseph Peninsula is predominately undeveloped. The northern two-thirds (R-32 to R-75) of St. Joseph Peninsula is owned by the State of Florida and constitutes the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. South of the park (R-75 to R-107) is private property and County owned beach accesses. The southern end of Cape San Bias (R-107 to R-115) is Federally owned property. The historical erosion rates are among the highest in the State of Florida (Foster, 1991), and are in excess of 20 feet per year along the southern portion of the peninsula in the vicinity of Cape San Bias. A sediment budget is developed for the peninsula in conjunction with formulation of potential improvements to provide for a managed response to shoreline erosion. The following alternatives are presented: 1) no action; 2) road relocation; 3) structural stabilization of the shoreline; and, 4) beach nourishment.