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.

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:
One part of CBA’s Coastal Dune Lake Program for Walton County is to develop a management plan for the dune lakes. The Phase I Report of the Citizen’s Issues is now available. Click here to download the Citizen's Issues Report (pdf: 1 MB).

The next step is to compile all the scientific data, list the pro and con arguments, and provide recommendations for each of the identified issues in the Phase I Report. A draft of the management plan will be presented to all participants when it is completed.