Cape San Blas seawall and erosion planning

Get to know your waterfront

St. Joseph Peninsula is a 17-mile barrier spit with the Gulf on its west side and St. Joseph Bay on its east. Erosion peaks near Stump Hole, and the cape’s west shore has lost about 40 feet a year on average. Bay-side lots are exposed too, because Michael’s surge crossed the isthmus from the bay. Check the federal coastal barrier map before you budget a rebuild.

Hurricane Michael Post-Storm Beach Conditions and Coastal Impact Report (April 2019) · Unit P30, Cape San Blas, Florida - Summary of Final Recommended Changes

Know which stretch of the peninsula you are on

The peninsula behaves differently by stretch, so the right question depends on where your lot sits. DEP describes sand moving north along the spit, with erosion peaking to the south at Stump Hole, a drift divide (a point where sand drifts away in both directions). DEP peninsula description

DEP rates the cape’s west shore as the fastest-eroding on Florida’s Gulf coast, about 40 feet a year. Over 40 years, Eglin buildings and the lighthouse complex gulfward of County Road 30E were lost or moved. DEP erosion rate The lighthouse now stands in George Core Park in Port St. Joe. Lighthouse relocation

Table sources: Nourishment record Boulder mound 2016 armoring 2025 permit and 2026 work

What Stump Hole teaches about one-lot walls

County Road 30E at Stump Hole has been under attack since Hurricane Opal destroyed a segment of it in 1995. A rock mound built afterward was overtopped in 1998 and damaged again in 2004 and 2005. DEP beach management plan

The county’s engineered boulder mound largely protected the road in Michael. Its ends were the weak point: 900 feet of road washed out north of it and 300 feet south. DEP Michael findings

When Gulf County allows armoring at all

Gulf County’s plan bars new vertical seawalls in coastal areas. Policy 1.4.5 The one exception is the critical erosion area from the Eglin AFB property to the end of the developed state park. There, the limit lifts only if regulators permit a wall as necessary for emergency property protection. Objective 1.9

Even in that stretch, the plan says the county does not endorse seawalls and favors beach restoration. Critical erosion objective At the state level, emergency permits cannot be used for new permanent armoring, and temporary measures must come out within 60 days unless a permanent application is filed. DEP CCCL guidelines Emergency rule timelines

• Critically eroded: St. Joseph Peninsula from R69 to R106, about 7.2 miles. DEP critically eroded list
• Critically eroded: Cape San Blas from R106 to R111.5, a 1.1-mile segment that includes Stump Hole. DEP beach management plan
• Not critical: the northern state park segment from R41 to R69. DEP critically eroded list

The Gulf-front armoring guide lays out DEP’s eligibility test, and the Gulf County guide covers the county offices.

The 2026 breakwaters and who pays for them

DEP modified the project permit in October 2025 for submerged breakwaters near R102 to R105. Sand placement and dune planting wrapped up in May 2026, and the eight breakwaters were finished that August. DEP project record County bid notices also called for about 118,000 native dune plants. County bid scope

• Cape San Blas voters approved a taxing unit (MSTU) on April 12, 2016 to fund about $4 million of the beach restoration. Gulf County RESTORE plan
• A 1% tourist development tax for beach restoration was expected to raise about $265,000 a year. Gulf County RESTORE plan
• Treasury lists a $2.8 million RESTORE award for peninsula beach restoration dated November 14, 2018. RESTORE award list
• NFWF lists a grant of nearly $5 million for a peninsula dune habitat project. NFWF grants library

How the breakwaters perform over time is not yet known. Keep your own dune and walkover in shape rather than relying on the public project alone.

Check the coastal barrier map before you rebuild

Cape San Blas lies in Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) Unit P30. Revised maps adopted by Congress in 2019 removed about 40 structures in the Cape Breezes subdivision. FWS Unit P30 record

In a CBRS unit, NFIP coverage is available only for buildings built or permitted before the area’s prohibition date. Damage or improvement above 50% of market value can end renewal of that federal policy. FWS flood insurance rule Read the insurance guide, then look up your parcel on the FWS CBRS Mapper.

Bay-side lots take surge from St. Joseph Bay

USGS marks on the isthmus to Cape San Blas reached +10.9 to +11.7 feet NAVD88 (the survey datum) in Michael. DEP traces them to water piling up at the south end of the bay and spilling across, as it did in Hurricane Kate in 1985. USGS and DEP marks Along that isthmus, 21 major structures took major damage. DEP damage counts

The bay side is part of the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve, so a planted marsh edge with a low rock or shell sill usually fits better than a new bulkhead. DEP preserve profile Compare options in the living shoreline guide, the permit guide and the neighboring Indian Pass and St. Joe Beach pages.

What could the work cost?

Public records show what the beach projects cost the county, not what one owner pays for a dune or wall. Ask for separate prices for dune plants, sand fencing, walkover repair and any engineering needed to show DEP a building is at risk. Also ask how turtle nesting season affects the schedule.

No public record found in Bay or Gulf County shows what a private homeowner paid per foot for a seawall. This guide shows real public bids, FEMA worksheets and fee schedules instead, each with its year, place and scope.

Find the relevant permits and records

Prepare the questions for the responsible office.

A peninsula owner’s planning checklist

These steps sort out public projects, federal limits and your own lot before you talk to a contractor.

1. Find your DEP monument range

   Projects and erosion ratings here are described by R-monuments. The critically eroded stretch runs R69 to R106 on the peninsula and R106 to R111.5 at Cape San Blas.

   Critically Eroded Beaches in Florida (June 2026) · Strategic Beach Management Plan: Panhandle Gulf Coast Region (August 2026)

2. Check CBRS status on the FWS mapper

   Unit P30 status decides whether federal flood insurance is available after a rebuild. Cape Breezes left the unit with the 2019 maps.

   Unit P30, Cape San Blas, Florida - Summary of Final Recommended Changes · Federal Flood Insurance and CBRA

3. Plan around nesting and habitat seasons

   Marine turtle nesting season runs May 1 to October 31. Piping plover critical habitat and beach mouse areas can add permit conditions, and work near the preserve faces stricter water-quality standards.

   Strategic Beach Management Plan: Panhandle Gulf Coast Region (August 2026)

4. Document the dune each spring

   Surf from Tropical Storm Bertha in July 2026 washed away beach stairs and fencing on North Cape San Blas. Dated photos help with permit and insurance questions after the next storm.

   Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Tropical Storm Bertha (NWS Tallahassee)

Keep planning

Nearby waterfront guides

Indian Pass & Indian Lagoon, Port St. Joe & St. Joseph Bay, St. Joe Beach, Beacon Hill & WindMark

View the local guide directory.