The Fort Walton Beach City Council will discuss plans for a potential mooring field at its Regular Meeting on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, following a detailed memorandum from city attorneys outlining the project’s requirements and timeline.

• The proposed mooring field would create a designated area in the Santa Rosa Sound or near Garniers Beach Park where up to 100 vessels could be securely moored to permanent anchors using mooring buoys. The project says it aims to improve vessel mooring regulation and protect local marine habitats.

While the field would allow for regulated mooring within its boundaries, city attorneys note that Florida statute prevents the city from regulating vessel anchoring outside the mooring field, except for live-aboard vessels.

The project requires multiple regulatory approvals, with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) permit being the most demanding. The FDEP requires evidence that the mooring field complies with public navigation rights and sovereign submerged lands regulations.

• The city must provide land-based support facilities including parking, restrooms, showers, and pump-out services. These facilities must be located near the mooring field itself – the memo specifically notes that a facility in Cinco Bayou could not support a mooring field in Santa Rosa Sound.

Required engineering studies include bathymetric surveys, geotechnical analysis, benthic inventory, vessel class determination, and navigation assessment. The project timeline estimates 8-12 months for planning and public engagement, followed by 12-18 months for permit acquisition.

The council will consider the recommendation at its January 28 meeting at 6pm.