SEBASTIAN — The Sebastian Inlet District has announced the re-opening of the Tide Pool at the Sebastian Inlet State Park on March 1, 2011. Over 10,000 cubic yards of sand were removed from the tide pool area which had filled in so much over the past 20 years, that the water was only ankle deep at low tide.
The material that was removed from the tide pool is being used to build a berm for the District’s Dredged Material Management Area (DMMA) currently under construction. Construction of the management area will enable the District to stockpile sand and eventually truck to critically eroded beaches as projects are identified and permitted. The facility also provides a location to receive sand dredged from shoals that form, jeopardizing safe navigation in the inlet channel.
The deepened tide pool can be accessed from the main north parking lot as Cove Road will remain closed due to construction on the DMMA. The tide pool has a sloping grade that goes from 1 foot deep at the shore to 7 feet deep at the inlet connection and is ideal for families who want to swim and snorkel.
While water temperatures have been rather cool for swimming, wildlife activity was seen immediately upon reopening the tide pool as Bluefish, Trout, Jack Crevalle and a few Redfish have been landed by anglers fishing from the rocks or wading. Fish have quickly discovered the deepened area that provides refuge from the swift inlet currents.
The project was engineered by PBS&J of Melbourne and Tampa and the construction was conducted by Barco-Duval of Jacksonville. The Inlet District’s projects are a joint cooperative effort with the Florida State Park and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems who are providing a 50 percent cost share.
