30A coastal dune lakes: no bulkheads, and what is allowed

Get to know your waterfront

Walton County counts 15 named coastal dune lakes along 26 miles of its Gulf coast, including Western Lake, Eastern Lake and Lake Powell. Each connects to the Gulf only now and then, through an outfall that acts as flood control. The water ranges from fresh to quite salty. Because hard armoring is banned near these lakes, planning here is about docks, buffers and lake levels.

Coastal Dune Lakes · Walton County Code of Ordinances, Appendix C Land Development Code, Chapter IV, Sec. 4.02.03

What can you build on a coastal dune lake lot?

Start here: a bulkhead or seawall is not an option. Walton County's code bans seawalls, bulkheads, revetments and riprap in the Coastal Dune Lake Protection Zone. The zone runs 300 feet landward from the lake's high-water line Walton LDC 4.02.03. The county's Comprehensive Plan lists the same ban in its own text Walton Comp Plan CM-1.1.1.

The rules that shape a lakefront lot

• 300-foot zone: no hard armoring of any kind, and any clearing in the zone needs a county land clearing permit Walton LDC 4.02.03.G-H.
• 100-foot setback: no construction or disturbance, including clearing native plants, within 100 feet of the lake. Only boardwalks, docks or other shoreline access and one 10-foot-wide access path are allowed Walton LDC 4.02.03.H.
• Older shallow lots: lots of record created before November 7, 1996 and 200 feet deep or less use 25 feet or 25% of lot depth, whichever is greater Walton LDC 4.02.03.H.
• Outlets: no construction in a lake's natural outlet, and an undisturbed vegetated buffer of at least 50 feet on each side Walton LDC 4.02.03.G.
• Site coverage: at least 60% of the in-zone parcel stays pervious, native clearing is capped at 50%, and stormwater needs an engineer-certified low impact plan Walton LDC 4.02.03.
• Dock lights: off after 10 p.m. or when not in use, security lights on motion sensors, and full-cutoff, low pressure sodium or LED fixtures Walton LDC 5.09.03.

Dock size limits, and Lake Powell's lower cap

A private, pile-supported dock can be exempt from a state environmental permit if it covers 1,000 square feet or less over the water. In an Outstanding Florida Water (OFW), a state class of waters given the highest protection, the cap is 500 square feet s. 403.813(1)(b), F.S..

Lake Powell, Phillips Inlet and all tributaries to Lake Powell are on the OFW list, so the 500-square-foot cap applies there. The list also names Grayton Beach, Topsail Hill and the Point Washington tract, but it does not map which lakeshores fall inside them Rule 62-302.700. Ask DEP about your parcel.

A state exemption does not replace federal authorization USACE. If the lake bottom is state land managed by the state parks division, the no-application state-lands consent does not apply Rule 18-21.005. See dock and boat lift planning.

High water and erosion come from the outfall

• When lake levels threaten septic tanks, Walton County digs a channel to open an outlet to the Gulf early, under a regulatory permit that sets the trigger level DEP Grayton Beach plan.
• Fuller Lake has no direct outfall and drains through Morris Lake. When Morris's outfall is closed, Fuller can rise and flood nearby homes DEP Topsail Hill plan.
• After Hurricane Dennis in 2005, nearly all outlets were flowing, and the county moved the migrating Eastern Lake outlet because it threatened development DEP 2006 storm report.
• In Hurricane Sally (2020), heavy rain pushed large volumes out through the outlets and cut the dunes beside them DEP Sally report.

A wall would not fix lake-level flooding, and the code does not allow one. Call the county's coastal dune lakes coordinator at (850) 892-8108 about outfalls, high water or a bank that is wearing away Walton County. Restoration here has a track record: CBA's partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began in 2000 with wetland restoration around these lakes USFWS/CBA project. Read the Walton County guide and the living shoreline guide before you plant.

What could the work cost?

There is no bulkhead budget to plan on a dune lake, because hard armoring is not allowed. Budget instead for a survey that shows the 100-foot and 300-foot lines and the outlet buffer. Add dock design and permit fees, and native plants if the bank needs care. Ask any dock bidder to design to the setback and lighting rules from the start.

These per-foot figures are 2019 City of Destin bids for a 325-foot public park seawall. They are not a residential quote or a 2026 market average; your written, itemized scope sets the real price.

Find the relevant permits and records

Prepare the questions for the responsible office.

Dune lake lot checklist: what to do instead of a wall

These steps keep a dune lake project legal and keep money off work the county will not allow.

1. Put your lines on a survey

   Ask the surveyor to show the lake's high-water line, the 100-foot setback, the 300-foot zone and any outlet buffer. Get a county land clearing permit before any brush work in the zone.

   Walton County LDC Sec. 4.02.03 · Ordinance 2026-04 amending LDC Chapter 4, Sec. 4.02.03 (Eastern Lake outfall)

2. Check whether your lake is an OFW

   Lake Powell is. Waters inside Grayton Beach, Topsail Hill or the Point Washington tract may be too. The answer sets your state dock exemption at 500 or 1,000 square feet.

   Rule 62-302.700, F.A.C., Special Protection, Outstanding Florida Waters, Outstanding National Resource Waters · 2026 Florida Statutes s. 403.813 Permits issued at district centers; exceptions

3. Report high water or erosion to the coordinator

   Outfall openings are a county job done under a permit. Give the coordinator dates, photos and what is at risk, such as a septic system.

   Coastal Dune Lakes · Grayton Beach State Park Unit Management Plan (approved June 14, 2013)

4. Turn down any wall or riprap quote

   If a bidder offers a seawall, bulkhead, revetment or riprap within 300 feet of a dune lake, stop. A state riprap general permit does not override the county ban.

   Walton County Code of Ordinances, Appendix C Land Development Code, Chapter IV, Sec. 4.02.03 · Walton County Comprehensive Plan, Coastal Management Element (amended 6/18/2018) · 62-330.431 General Permit for Installation of Riprap

Keep planning

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