Within the confines of Walton County lie many ecological treasures which attract visitors from all over the world creating the 33rd fastest growing county in the nation (U.S. Census Bureau). While the beaches may receive the majority of attention among these treasures, it could be argued that local residents value the Coastal Dune Lakes as the County’s most prized possession. Strung like watery pearls, this series of lakes adorn 26 miles of our world-famous white, sandy beaches. The lakes have been identified as globally rare and imperiled (S1/G2) by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI). The 15 named Coastal Dune Lakes in South Walton County are rare, natural systems (listed below). Similar ecosystems can only be found in the Florida Panhandle, Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand and the Northwest Pacific Coast of the United States.

The uniqueness of these lakes is most recognizably defined by their intermittent connection with the Gulf of Mexico. Upon favorable conditions through storm or tidal events, water is fed into the Sand and Gravel Aquifer filled lakes until the damming sands can no longer contain them. In one of the most majestic displays of nature, the lake water bursts through the dunes emptying into the Gulf. In return, salt water from the Gulf fills the void left behind by the lowered water levels of the lake. This exchange forms not only a brackish estuarine water-body, but creates a dynamic ecosystem that can change at a moment’s notice -- sometimes before your very eyes. For many residents and visitors, it is the Coastal Dune Lakes that are the aesthetic staple of the area. When you witness the lake’s connecting outfall snaking its way through the dunes and spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, there is absolutely no doubt that you are in Walton County.

WFSU Dimensions Video on the Coastal Dune Lakes

WALTON COUNTY CURRENTLY RECOGNIZES 15 COASTAL DUNE LAKES:
        • Fuller
        • Morris
        • Campbell
        • Stallworth
        • Allen
        • Oyster
        • Draper
        • Big Red Fish
        • Little Red Fish
        • Alligator
        • Western (Grayton)
        • Eastern
        • Deer
        • Camp Creek
        • Powell

Go to CBA’s online Photo Album to view more photos of the coastal dune lakes.

CBA Tasked to Develop a Management Plan for the Dune Lakes:
We have been working with Walton County on the development of a Coastal Dune Lakes Management Plan for Walton County’s coastal dune lakes since 2006. Stakeholders and citizens have come together and identified, defined, and prioritized the issues that concern the future management of each and all of the coastal dune lakes.

In developing this plan, we have followed the TEAM process, which originated at the University of Florida. The TEAM process is a three-phase process for developing comprehensive and integrative lake management plans and water resource policy. It involves "stakeholders," lay citizens, and technical "experts." In Phase One, individuals identify, define, and prioritize their concerns and potential courses of action concerning water resource issues. Next, in Phase Two, "pros" and "cons" are developed for each issue. Once a summary is provided to everyone involved, they come together to discuss and ultimately vote on a course of action deciding on a lake management plan or water resource policy, Phase Three.

Together, we have made it all the way through the TEAM process in Walton County! Each successive phase of the process has led us to the cooperative development of the comprehensive Coastal Dune Lakes Management Plan available for download below. If you would like a hard copy of the report mailed to you, please contact the CBA office at 850-729-6456 or cba@nwfsc.edu to request one.

CBA and LAKEWATCH will present the final management plan on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Coastal Dune Lakes Advisory Board (9 am at the Coastal Branch Library). We are confident that the CDLAB will take the plan to the Board of County Commissioners who will hopefully accept it as written. We encourage you to remain involved as the county moves forward with this management plan for its coastal dune lakes.

Please click on the following links to download the Coastal Dune Lakes Management Plan:
                         Appendix I - Pros and Cons Document - August 2008 (pdf)
                                            Pros and Cons Document - Appendix 1 (pdf)
                                            Pros and Cons Document - Appendix 2 (pdf)
                                            Pros and Cons Document - Appendix 3 (pdf)
                                            Pros and Cons Document - Appendix 4 (pdf)
                                            Pros and Cons Document - Appendix 5 (pdf)
                                            Pros and Cons Document - Appendix 6 (pdf)
                                            Pros and Cons Document - Appendix 7 (pdf)
                                            Pros and Cons Document - Appendix 8 (pdf)
                         Final Coastal Dune Lakes Management Plan - October 2008 (pdf)