Anastasia State Park Beach and Dune Restoration Project

Anastasia State Park is one of the busiest state parks.

Anastasia State Park, one of Florida’s busiest state parks, comprises beaches, dunes, and a lagoon, and is home to a variety of native plants, birds, and sea turtles. The past few years have seen a number of improvements to the park, including the design and construction of a beach restoration project. PBS&J was tasked with restoration of the beach, under contract to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), in an effort to link the Anastasia project with a federal shore protection project immediately to the south. However, uncertainty over the federal funding prompted FDEP’s Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems (BBCS) to act independently to ensure restoration of the beach in the state park.

Within a month of notice-to-proceed, the PBS&J team obtained a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Ultimately, FDEP redefined the project objectives to restore the dune system along the three-mile federal project as well as restoring the beach and dunes extending a mile to the north within the state park. The PBS&J team’s responsibilities included beach and dune design, federal and state permitting, development of project plans and specifications, and construction observation.