# inshore reefs



## toro (Oct 1, 2007)

I am interested in the idea of making inshore reefs for inshore species. Is this a crazy idea and can it be done. Would inshore reefs in the pensacola orange beach area be worth the effort or is there already enough for the inshore bait and game fish to thrive on. It seems like to me there needs to be some more structure to attract inshore species just as there is for offshore seeing we have limited natural grasses and bottoms comparable to south west florida and louisiana . I have tried to find info on this but cannot find any


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

No can do legally.


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

It simply is not allowed in Escambia County.

One of the RFRA's base missions though is to create artificial habitat inshore (Pensacola Bay).

We have the deepest natural bay in the state and we are the only one that does not allow reefs in the bay.

We've offered to work on solutions such as mooring buoys that would allow transient vessels a place to tie up while in town for events such as Blue Angles, sail boat races and what not that would be anchored with 5,000-pound concrete structures. 

No dice.


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## Flounderpounder (Oct 3, 2007)

JoeZ,

I assume that is a local decision? I'm sure you guys (RFRA, etc.) have tried hard. Is there any way (or is it even worth trying?) that we can help, such as contacting local officials? If so what would be most effective?


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

Unfortunately, it's not a local decision.

All local entitites are behind 100%. We have full support of the Escambia County Commission, Pensacola City Council, the mayor, the trash man and the dog catcher.

The problem lies within the permit for our area.

Robert Turpin is in charge of drafting our permits and submitting them to the Army Corps of Engineers. They in turn tell what we can and cannot do.

Turpin has tried a few times to get small areas of inshore waters opened to public reefs (not private) with little to no success.

Some say Turpin isn't trying hrd enough because he thinks artificial reefs are simply slaughter houses for fisherman to anchor over and kill everything that swims. Others say he has other things to worry about like getting our offshore permits expanded to within one mile of the beach and fighting to keep the current restrictions the way they are.

There will be a general membership meeting of the RFRA July 17 at 6:30 p.m. at 1007 Pine Street and if you'd like I can add this the agenda and invite Mr. Turpin to brief us on the progress if we can get enough people there that are interested.


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

If a small barge full of concrete rubble just happened to flip overin about 35-40' of water behind the old coast guard station, who would know? Iwould think 2:00 AM on a weekday would be a good time for such an accident to occur.

The idea of a large"private" reef in bay is comical. Put it out, and it won't take long for everyone to figure out were it is.


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

Accidents do happen.


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## toro (Oct 1, 2007)

check this web site out that I found http://www.reefmaker-ecosystems.com/, these are constructed with addition to piers for property owners. I also found a general contractor in orange beach who offers the service http://mnalabama.com/artificialreefs.html. these seem to be less like sinking something that could be hazardous and more like optimizing on something that is already in place. most piers have to rebuilt every so often anyway regardless of H-canes

joe z I would love to see what the permit guys would say about these reefs


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

I know those reefs.

David Walters brought a video and we showed them on the show back in December or january.

They are nice and produce fish fast. But they cost $$, lots of $$, as do all pier contructions. If you can do it, by all means make it happen.

I know those are permitable down south, Mr. Walters took them all over the state last year and everyone loves them -- except Escambia County.


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## biggamefishr (Oct 26, 2007)

joe...if the ACOE will allow inshore reefs in other areas (mobile bay, orange beach), why won't they allow them here? 

not to derail the thread, but how's the laars expansion going?


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

We're under a different region of the ACOE than Alabama.

They got Mobile and Mobile governs our land issues but not the water. For that we go to Jacksonville.

They traded us off years ago and we've been pretty screwed ever since.

On the expansion, Turpin was asked for an endagered species impact assesment. What will the expansion mean to this that and the other 1,000 endangered species that we have around here.

The good news and bad news is it could months or years to get it completed because it is the most complicated thing I've ever heard of. that means it could be al ong time before we have reasonable reef deployment distances but also a long time before we suffer unreasonable reef mandates (500 pounds and 1/4 inch steel).


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## Diverdan (May 22, 2008)

It's not a problem with Escambia County, it's not a county thing at all. Just look at Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, walton, Bay... hell if the army corps and the dep would let it happen, there'd be reefs all over the panhandle. Look at where the reefs are and where they aren't, then look at where dep and army corps changes. THERES the problem right there. Look at what they have done to the other permits. They took away the county permits where the Delverence and the PeteTide are 10 years ago.


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## reefmaker (Jul 12, 2008)

Hi, I've been reading your comments. I believe the Corps will approve a dock reef in Florida. In fact if you know someone building a dock, I will give you a dock reef free and help you with the permitting. David Walter, Reefmaker/EcoSystems.


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

Now that's a quality offer!

Wish I was building a dock.


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## Cobiacatcher (Sep 30, 2007)

so R.Turpin is trying to get the lars area expanded up to a mile from the beach? that would be awsome to have a bunch of public reefs a mile from the beach, exp since gas prices are so high. some artifical reefs on the beach would be a great tourist attraction. if we had a buch of places off the beach to go snorkling and to teach new divers it would be a boost for the local economy. look how many people snorkle and dive on the old peir rubble on pensacola beach and navarre. not to mention how many juvinile snapper hang out around those shallow inshore spots.


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