Seawall Tips for Florida Properties: Preventing Waterfront Erosion

When you have waterfront property in sunny Florida, the last thing you want is for your property to erode away. Fortunately, there are measures you can take to prevent water erosion from reducing the size of your property and compromising the stability of docks and boat ramps.

Identifying erosion issues

Although the goal is to prevent water erosion, it’s important to be able to recognize the signs of erosion issues so you can deal with them as soon as they occur. Waves on oceanfront properties or those caused by passing boats in canals can wear away at the soil gradually. This is a natural process and sediment finds its way into surface water, but to prevent water erosion, the best idea is to leave shore land vegetation and rocks in place to avoid increasing the runoff that accelerates erosion. If this isn’t possible, the next course of action is to invest in a seawall.

Helping a seawall perform optimally

Runoff from rain erodes the soil and can diminish your property if you don’t take certain precautions that can help a seawall perform its task more effectively. Ways to help a seawall prevent water erosion include:

  • Diverting surface runoff from rain gutters away from seawall
  • Limiting flow of groundwater toward seawall
  • Placing drain fields and septic systems a fair distance from seawall
  • Having minimal paved areas near seawall
  • Avoiding installation of pools, sheds and other outbuildings near seawall as they add weight to the area

The above measures can help your seawall and property maintain integrity.

Benefits of seawalls

Even in the best natural conditions, the combination of high water levels, wind and pounding waves can severely erode your property line without proper protection. The installation of a seawall helps prevent water erosion and maintains the integrity of your property. Investing in a seawall is worth the cost because it’s a proven solution to managing coastal areas. Designing a seawall with the shape of your property and various features in mind ensures that it’s the best fit as it prevents water erosion. It defends your waterfront property without minimizing your view or affecting your water access and with professional, experienced installation, a seawall can last for the lifetime of your property. By controlling soil erosion of your waterfront property, a seawall keeps you safe and protects your property from becoming part of the water you enjoy living near.