# Navarre Formation (SR-27) Update #3



## Stressless

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First -- A YYyuuugeeee (FU) to the admins for blocking third party pictures... {simmer} ... when you let a decent browser position them into the text (almost like we were approaching 2004 or 2005 in tech) -- SMH -- It would be very helpful. 
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So here we are late 2017 after the BP oil spill in late 2009-early 2010. The work is finally getting underway to get some Santa Rosa Nearshore reefs in place for the community to enjoy and "recreate" around. Since I can't put the photos or documents in line to make a cognate description and image I guess I'll just add a summary: 

- moneys here
- design is blessed
- first reef should splash early April 2018, last O/A Oct 2018.
- Design is for three reef clusters with a total of 29 reef patches, ~ 556 +/- reefs spread between the patches
- 22 Very large modules capable of attracting and holding AJ and other structure luv'n fish EXAMPLE of a super reef ONLY final selection of the REEFING contractor will occur in 1 QTR CY2018.






- We're looking for interest in supporting the verification and assessment of the reefs once splashed, coordinates will be public
- Also looking for community support to make more "non-motorized'" walk over/wash downs to the West to access the 2 miles of reefs along Navarre Beach proper.

Thanks for all the support from many members here over the last 7 years to make this a reality. I'll release more as we get the bids out / back and a selection is made.

Best Regards,
Stresslss


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## IWanaGoFishing

There are some areas labeled as hardbottom on the image you posted. I assume those areas exist today. Can you share more information about that? Do you have any numbers?


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## softbutchharley

You got community support for the walkover thingy's  I am in Navarre and been waiting on this and will help in any way I can. Just IM me . Have a great Christmas !!


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## JoeyWelch

Stressless said:


> -----------<snip>------------
> First -- A YYyuuugeeee (FU) to the admins for blocking third party pictures... {simmer} ... when you let a decent browser position them into the text (almost like we were approaching 2004 or 2005 in tech) -- SMH -- It would be very helpful.
> -----------<snip>


What do the letters “SMH” mean?


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## IWanaGoFishing

jlw1972 said:


> Stressless said:
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> First -- A YYyuuugeeee (FU) to the admins for blocking third party pictures... {simmer} ... when you let a decent browser position them into the text (almost like we were approaching 2004 or 2005 in tech) -- SMH -- It would be very helpful.
> 
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> What do the letters “SMH” mean?
Click to expand...

Shaking my head


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## JoeyWelch

IWanaGoFishing said:


> Shaking my head


Ahh. Got it. Thanks


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## Stressless

The hard bottom is nothing more then the 'valleys' in the sand. There are no hard bottom outcroppings or limestone ledges, we lost the ability to put reefs in there due to extraordinary B.S. from FL DEP and FWC oversight. Is there less sand from those areas to the bedrock - YES, are any rocks visible in any of the valleys surveyed, NO. but to keep this moving - it's easier to maneuver around the areas of interest to the DEP and FWC then to fight the bureaucrats.


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## IWanaGoFishing

Interesting. Thanks for the reply!


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## Boat-Dude

Hey Stressless, have you heard anything about where the 3 mile bridge rubble will go?


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## Stressless

Here'a a better bathymetry of those areas, note the other structures I/We found while mapping it. We dropped scuba and cameras at various places along the deeper cuts but no live bottom  which would have been great in conjunction with the reef patches. What may happen in a storm event is the rock does get exposed and them the live bottom ecosystem will take hold.. but that's a fairly large "if".

Best,
Stressless


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## IWanaGoFishing

So I've fished two spots which look like they might be STR 24 and NB 24 on the survey you just posted. 

Did you happen to dive on them? If so, do you know what they are? 

What I think might be STR 24 shows up with some relief on the bottom machine, while NB 24 just seems to hold a bunch of fish in the water column without any visible structure. Of course, I'm just using a Lowrance Elite 4 Chirp, so I'm probably missing some detail.


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## OHenry

Looks like a fantastic plan. It's going to be covered with kayaks. Might have to try it myself.


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## softbutchharley

We'll be hitting it from our boat. cmon march !!!


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## Stressless

NOTE both Escambia and Oakaloosa have Marine Departments and Santa Rosa does NOT: so we got approx 25% of the reefs the other two counties did. They are both putting multiple 1x2 mile and 1/4 mile reefing areas 15+ miles closer to either pass and many many more reefs.

To answer a couple PM's -> no way to keep powered vessels out, but when we planned these, from a former owner of a 23' KeyWest, I'ld fish the SAME reef layouts located and available below - 

Escambia http://myescambia.com/our-services/natural-resources-management/marine-resources/artificial-reefs

and 

Oakaloosa http://www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/pw/fishing-reefs

these are 10-20 GALLONS of gas closer then this formation from East and West pass. 

Also the plan was to put enough reefs into a large(ish) area that the fish will spread out over the area and keep the commercial guys from fishing each reef out. Like they currently do off Navarre....


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## JD7.62

If you see commercial guys reef fishing in state waters please report it.

However, as some one that has been guiding off of Navarre for snapper for 6 seasons now I cant remember seeing one commercial reef fishing boat.

I also have noticed a change off Navarre. Three years ago Id see maybe a handful of boats off Navarre all day. Now, since that Strikelines D-Bag, every Tom, Dick and Harry type are out there. These are the guys RAPING the reefs. I will pass one of these on the way out for a 6hr charter and they will still be on the same reef on my way in!

On the weekends, Navarre is busier than the public stuff almost. 

As for this reef, I plan on hittiting it hard in the spring and fall myself.


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## Stressless

Agree with everything above... I too can't wait, but note that the current deployment window has slipped to Apr-Oct this year. So it'll be next season before this is really cooking. I'm looking forward to drifting 1200' in a yak across an area (3 in this case) that has good potential to get fish. All the best JD and ditto on strikelines D-bag - but then again everybody in a hobie pro angler / monkey boat has a sidescan now which is why I went ahead and posted the high level bathymetry diagram. 

There's very little that hasn't been pillaged, the other problem is the charters/monkey boats that have gotten commercial licenses (not charter) and still take people during the commercial only seasons - I know two Capt's that are doing that now.. 

Cheers,
Stressless


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## softbutchharley

ty so very much for the current info and links folks. You're right about traffic. we'll be part of it  stay safe....


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## snake 166

Commercial fishermen can't take more than the recreational limit in state water. 

Glad to see the spacing is about 1000 ft. The Urchin and Sandflea reefs modules were spaced at 500 ft and most don't hold fish


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## kanaka

snake 166 said:


> Commercial fishermen can't take more than the recreational limit in state water.
> 
> Glad to see the spacing is about 1000 ft. The Urchin and Sandflea reefs modules were spaced at 500 ft and most don't hold fish


Snake, this report kinda what you're talking about?

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19425120.2012.736445

I found that the modules you mentioned hold specific types of fish at certain spots.


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## snake 166

Thanks Kanaka. Not familiar with that particular paper but it does support the idea population is limiting by the spacing between structures. When I was on the GOMFMC red snapper panel I advocated increasing the permitted area as opposed to piling artificial reefs up on small areas. Problem was the CORP wouldn't budge because they claimed the permitted areas were not being fully utilized. A catch 22---reefs placed in permitted areas were quickly found by others. So most---especially the CFH never used the permitted areas


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## Stressless

Agreed with the the above, in the ORM (Operational Risk Management) approaching this layout a number of elements went in to the calculus of how best to utilize the time and $ to maximize the "Proposed" and envisioned Low Impact, Eco Friendly use from the beach, Paddle boards, yaks etc. 

LoL-- the use, benefit, cost models are way outa whack on something like this. The problem with putting a couple reefs to "Consistently hold fish" is that, as anyone that fished off Santa Rosa Island with a Fishfinder GPS can tell you, if only you know about and fish it conscientiously it may continue to produce "the sought after benefits" - i.e., a good fish or two a month. Once that spot is 'Known" the commercial and for hire pillage it. and now that we've got a respectable number of non-motorized folks launching and heading South a "well Known" spot is usually species satisfying -Null-. 

So what and how to try and overcome this. In the Guidelines and Management Practices for Artificial Reefs, June 2011 as well as numerous AR workshops with SeaGrant, UWF, FSU etc Dr.'s of marine biology the problem is forage area + attraction/protection (reefs) + local migration / utilization (or species removal). For simple math the dominate augment is species removal, so how does one put out a public area and try to keep it 'healthy" The answer we're looking into is Local Migration + attraction/protection, we've approached the Navarre Maine Science Station as well for help in monitoring and inventory of species and age classes (and they have their own work they want to do with this design).

The studies and other reports indicate the species will, within a "reef" environment, move about laterally IF the areas are not more then a coefficient of the forage, so we took some numbers, crunched them and it looked like ~500 feet, so we placed the Reef Patches ~350' from each other with multiple reefs in each patch, to encourage migration within the reef patch but also between reef patches, this should spread the species out across the patches and the clusters, making concentrations Much Harder to target - in other words, for our Targeted demographic, the Eco-Friendly, low impact folks you will /may need to fish a bit, hit 10- 15 reefs to get a "limit" but you'll have that opportunity. For the monkey boaters and Commercial guys in Monkey boats it remains to be seen if that's wroth the time to "fish that many reefs and not knowing -if- they'll produce, when they can run 3-4 miles out or further East/West and smash a illegal coop that is ONLY relief in 2500' and holds all the fish in that area.

So that's the plan for Phase III and the thoughts behind this effort. 500+ reefs in a smallish area that a yak can fish from one end to the other in a day. There will be boats and such of course - we'll all get along and there are plenty of spots that even at 3-4 mph you can change up and go hit another within mins if you get pushed or just want to get further away from whatever. 

The next Phase, Phase IV is 1/4 mile reef clusters with 3-4 Reef Patches in them; around and along Navarre Beach to the GINS Navarre Beach boundary.

That's if for now, next update will be in a few moths on Phase III, the contractor and actual reef schematics for the three reef modules.


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## fairpoint

Imho...all the proposed reefs and such are not going to hold much bottom
fish to fish for....But the formation Will hold baitfish, alewife,cigar minnows,herring,and small bottom fish as pinfish,maybe rubylips,sqirrelfish,etc.
In that scenario the pelagics will congregate and feed more in the area....
If the reef was built up yearly and made into a huge formation/dome ,then it would become its own ecosystem that would "hold" bottom fish,amberjack,
out of migration cobia and such....
Don't get me wrong ,I think the formation is a great idea,but the expectations
of the fish holding it will produce is unrealistic.....


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## pfbluedevil91

fairpoint said:


> Imho...all the proposed reefs and such are not going to hold much bottom
> fish to fish for....But the formation Will hold baitfish, alewife,cigar minnows,herring,and small bottom fish as pinfish,maybe rubylips,sqirrelfish,etc.
> In that scenario the pelagics will congregate and feed more in the area....
> If the reef was built up yearly and made into a huge formation/dome ,then it would become its own ecosystem that would "hold" bottom fish,amberjack,
> out of migration cobia and such....
> Don't get me wrong ,I think the formation is a great idea,but the expectations
> of the fish holding it will produce is unrealistic.....


If it holds any fish like urchin or sandflea in Destin, then I think it's a win. There are a few private numbers I've fished from my kayak off Navarre within 2 miles of the beach that hold stud snapper and more triggerfish to shake a stick at.


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## Stressless

BLUF: We're looking to put three or four hexagonal shaped piles of rubble approx 400-800' diameter and rising 20-25' off the seafloor for a ~3.2% -4% slope.

Fairpoint, interesting, one of the reasons I left the large-ish areas to the South of the three reef clusters is to work in some locally funded ( with "BP" money we can only do the pre-fab'd reefs) but within the Counties LAAR we can almost anything. Okaloosa has been experimenting with target rubble from Eglin in one of their areas and I'm working with them to get to some degree of analysis on "how" much for "what" benefit. it comes down to the stability of the material for a "steeper" slope or much much less material for the relief, that's phase III+ and it's exactly for bringing and holding relief sensitive species and pelagics.


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## Stressless

9 Apr 18. Santa Rosa BOCC approved to move forward with the contract bid from Walter Marine. There was no voiced concerns/opposition. The submitted proposal in its entirely can be reviewed  *here**.*

12 Apr 18 Santa Rosa BOCC, _Santa Rosa County Administrative Center Board Room, 6495 Caroline Street, Milton,_ will vote to formally approve the contract, moving the bid to county contracting. The contract stipulates a 6 month window for deployment, no bonus for early completion.

To set expectations, within ~30 days of the vote on the 12th, Walter will have the contract and move out. Note that his vessel (see proposal above) will only take 12 trips to deploy the 500+ reefs in the Navarre Formation. Each trip will fulfill a huge gap in our, read Santa Rosa's, ability to attract and hold marine life within easy access to most shore launched paddle and peddle abilities. 

Please remember the genesis of this effort: Click-> *Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill

*Our Florida beach covered in oil: *








*

It's been a hard process and project from 2010 until now. Only the fun part remains. The next update will have the loads and pics of reefs going into the water for us all to enjoy.

Best Regards,
Stressless


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## softbutchharley

TY so very much for the updates !!! I can't wait for this to become a reality. Stay salty !!!!


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## Yakavelli

Thank you, Stressless. Seriously...thanks. This is awesome!


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## Stressless

Well Folks, we'll figure out what your outlook is on life from your responses to the latest news from the good hard working folks at the non-existent Marine Resources dept in Santa Rosa County . 



It took them almost two months to get a Notice to Proceed done from the BoCC authorizing it. SMDH. "The county issued a Notice to Proceed on June 25, 2018 and was acknowledged by Mr. Walter on 6/26/2018. The 180 days begins on this date, therefore the contract runs through on or about 12/26/2018."


So the Navarre Formation will be place, pending storms etc by Christmas, So 'Merry Christmas Everyone'  Some may say Years Late, Some may say it'll never happen, etc etc... but Look below and see how your emotions fit with this and well, wait some more. 



In the negotiations and other events the SR-26 (snorkeling reef went from 90 to 78 reefs due the 'Beach Renourishment' sand leveling out and raising the seafloor about 4' so the first two rows of 3 on either side of the existing 30 didn't get put in. That money was successfully moved to the SR-27 Navarre Formation project -but- the prices for the reefs has skyrocketed faster then Apple Stock, since about 2012 which made our initial estimate of 700 reefs dwindle to about 500 during the bureaucratic kabuki two-step. 



I'll post up the plans with the changes we made as they stand later this month, with some good visuals - well, I think they're cool/interesting. 



I'll leave with this last thought - A local kayak guide and remarkable fisherman, Matt Vann of Sails and Tails Kayak Charters'  client caught a 34" 24.5# ARS the other day. Many great guides are showing Americans from all over our great nation the fishery we have, just a short Tupperware schooner's float, from the beach. With this deployment and the others we are planning along the Navarre frontage I'm hoping many of you (and I!) can partake in this kind of experience. 



Best Regards,
Stressless


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## softbutchharley

TY for these updates on our reef. I believe.............  And look forward to it's completion.


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