Airport Rd. is badly damaged in Hurricane Hermine, as has happened before in other storms. Though not scientific, it seemed as though the areas of the road that were damaged lined up with areas that did not have oyster reefs or vegetation in front of them.

The University of Florida forms a project team to discuss the issue of erosion along and damage of Airport Rd. and commence stakeholder workshops.

• Mark Clark - UF IFAS Soil and Water Science Department
• Savanna Barry - UF IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station
• Christine Angelini - UF Environmental Engineering
• Scott Wasman - UF Environmental Engineering
• Jon Dain - Florida Natural Resource Leadership Institute (UF IFAS)
• Wendy-Lin Bartles - Florida Natural Resource Leadership Institute (UF IFAS)

The University of Florida project team presents four draft designs to a group of 15 stakeholders. Stakeholders discussed many important issues and concepts and provided the project team good feedback. However, few landowners were able to attend and this prevented the group from reaching a clear decision.

View the workshop summary and project design materials: Airport Rd Workshop Summary - 11-3-2017 (pdf)

Focused effort to work with Airport Rd. landowners to increase engagement in the process and move ahead with project planning and design. 

Landowners on Airport Rd. participated in a focused workshop to discuss the project. Landowners unanimously voted on one project design to refine with the project team.

View the workshop summary and project design materials Airport Rd. Homeowner Focus Group (pdf)

Final formal workshop where stakeholders will discuss the final design one last time and outline a process for moving toward implementation.

Read the workshop summary (pdf): Wrap-up Workshop Summary 3-29-2018

The project team begin to seek external funding and permits for the project. Stakeholders will continue to be involved going forward, as community and landowner buy-in are essential to project success.