PHOTO VIA CAPE CANAVERAL WEBSITE
Cape Canaveral (Website) has installed ten massive, honeycomb-shaped reef arches just offshore in the Indian River Lagoon to protect its wastewater treatment plant from coastal erosion and storm surge. Each concrete arch weighs about 1,200 pounds, acts as a wave-break, and, thanks to its perforated design, lets sunlight through to promote seagrass growth and create marine habitat.
Cape Canaveral is the first U.S. city to deploy this reef-arch technology for infrastructure protection. The structures sit adjacent to the plant’s oxidation ditch, which typically holds about 1.4 million gallons of wastewater and has been vulnerable to erosion in past storms.
Behind them, crews placed 100 tons of granite riprap over a geotextile membrane to further enhance shoreline stability. The reef arches are seen as a low-maintenance, environmentally friendly stopgap and are believed to be disruptive than traditional seawalls. The measure is a temporary one, while the city works with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a long-term solution.
That plan, backed by a $13.6 million budget, will include a 30-foot sheet pile wall, a coquina revetment, and native shoreline plantings like red mangroves. The Army Corps will cover 65% of the cost, with the city footing the remaining $4.76 million via state appropriations. Design and construction are expected over the next two to three years. During that time, the reef arches may be temporarily removed and reinstalled afterward.
