Emergency dredging of Destin Harbor has been completed, just in time for spring break. The Destin Harbor channel at Norriego Point has been filling in for many months. During Destin’s October Fishing Rodeo, boats were often required to enter and exit the harbor in single file.
The City of Destin declared a coastal emergency on February 13th and committed $150,000 of the $250,000 needed to complete the dredging project. Okaloosa County Commissioners and the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council came to the rescue with a one-time grant in the amount of $100,000 to complete funding of the project. These funds come from Okaloosa County bed taxes and not the County’s general fund.
To help protect Norriego Point and the channel from future erosion, the city is planning to use “increased vegetation, a scour mat, a rubble mound groin and a sheet pile wall” along the harbor side of the point. Additionally, a planned stepped seawall along the tip of Norriego Point should help to further stabilize the peninsula.