Living Shorelines of Cedar Key

Discover how shorelines are restored and protected through working with nature in this self-guided tour.

Living Shorelines of Cedar Key

Cedar Key, Florida 32625, United States

Created By: UF IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station

Tour Information

Erosion is a natural process in coastal ecosystems but becomes an issue when it threatens homes and infrastructure.

Property owners have many options to address coastal erosion, each with benefits and drawbacks. More traditional approaches include beach nourishment & shoreline armoring.

A newer but increasingly popular method of erosion control is a living shoreline. Living shorelines enhance natural habitat to dampen wave energy and accumulate sediment. Living shorelines in Cedar Key are helping address coastal erosion and increase community resilience. This tour will guide you along the living shorelines of Cedar Key's Daughtry Bayou.

Tips:

  • We recommend taking this tour in a golf cart, but the distances are also walkable if you're up for some exercise.
  • You'll see the most if you take this tour when the tide is low. Check the tide in advance to plan your trip.

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement 00D86319 to the University of Florida. The contents of this tour do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document.


Tour Map

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What You'll See on the Tour

The University of Florida established the Nature Coast Biological Station (NCBS) in 2015 to work on natural resource needs in the Nature Coast of Florida. Shoreline erosion is among the greatest issues threatening shorelines globally, and ... Read more
The NCBS is built on a parcel that was developed in the 1950s, well before society understood the negative impacts of seawalls. For decades, shoreline armoring with seawalls or rock piles was the default option. Still today, many shorelines... Read more
The shoreline enhancement project at G Street includes two types of oyster reefs, sand placement, and planting of native vegetation. Oysters: The first type of oyster reef is called a "sill" and functions as a hard edge to break wave ener... Read more
The Joe Rains Beach living shoreline was a grassroots effort to pair dredging and realignment of the Tyree Canal to the north with habitat restoration. The dredging of the canal provided sand to raise the elevation of the area, making it ... Read more
Welcome to Airport Rd., the largest of the living shoreline projects on the tour. This stop showcases the dune enhancement zone and is only about 1/3 of the total project area. In this project area, sands were built up to an elevation suita... Read more
Along this section of the Airport Rd. Living Shoreline, several large reefs were constructed offshore out of a material called reef balls. If the tide is low enough, you should be able to see the dome-like structures. Reef balls are concret... Read more

 

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