The Marine Sanctuary Committee has changed the Marine Sanctuary Plan to replace the Phase III observation pier with a more realistic and promising set of projects.  The projects have already been documented, and submitted for funding consideration with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) which is administering funds associated with the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill disaster.  The projects  are referenced within the DEP project system as  SR 26 and SR 27 and already have county concurrence.  Both projects  and the updated sanctuary  plan are summarized on the Plans and Documents page of our website.  SR 26 provides for additional beach dune walkovers and equipment wash down stations to encourage and  increase access and ease of transportation for park visitors with scuba equipment, kayaks, or other similar beach equipment. SR 27 is a project to permit and fully populate a 1 mile by 2 mile near shore artificial reef area approximately 1 mile south of the Navarre Beach shore.  Costs for the projects are estimated at approximately $1.8 Million.

Bob Boston will be spearheading the effort for both permitting and funding of the projects.  The Marine Sanctuary Committee has already committed $6,000 to develop permit applications and that work is currently underway with our Environmental Consultant.

Here’s to  keeping Navarre Snorkelicious!

Tune into the Weather Channel to see footage of the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary  reef system being installed among other reefing tales.

Links to the Placements for  the Runners and Walkers  (Male and Female) Categories  have been posted.  Please use the links below to access the various .pdf files.  If your name is listed in the Run for the reef placements file and you did not receive a medal on the pier deck, you can pick up your medal Monday Oct 15 thru Saturday Oct 20 at the Navarre Visitor Information Center (Highway 98 just west of the Navarre Beach Bridge).

Run for the Reef Placements   –  Overall, Masters Category and Age Catgory placements for Male and Female Runners and Walkers

Female Runners Times – Overall Placement and Times for Female Runners

Male Runners Times - Overall Placement and Times for Male Runners

Female Walkers Times - Overall Placement and Times for Female Walkers

Male Walkers Times - Overall Placement and Times for Male Walkers

Note Medals are provided for places 1 thru 3 of Male and Female Runner Overall  and Age Category.  Maters, Grand Masters and Senior Grand Masters are awarded medals for first place only.   All Walkers Medals are awarded for 1st place in the listed category.    Additional places are listed for information only.

We apologize for the delay in posting the results and appreciate your support in Making Navarre Snorkelicious!

After many weeks of waiting and watching for a good window of weather and sea state, the Reef Maker of Orange Beach installed the last of the Marine Sanctuary Eco System Reefs in the Gulf off of Navarre Beach County Park.   This deployment of reefs completes the set of three reef sites that make up the Marine Sanctuary at Navarre Beach County Park.  Two additional sites  are in Santa Rosa Sound just off the north shore of the park.

The newest reef addition  provide a great snorkel opportunity…and a fun way to cool off  after the October 13th Run for the Reef 5K

All three pavilions on the sound at  Navarre Beach County Park have new walkway improvements and showers thanks to  Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation  funding and a solid partnership with Santa Rosa County.   The Foundation provided the funds from monies raised by their Marine Sanctuary Committee and reserved for Marine Sanctuary and related program use.   The monies were used to purchase material and the county provided the sweat and muscles to get it done.     Sand fences  will also be installed  near two of the pavilions to mark a clear path through the sand from the pavilions to the shore near the reef areas, which will help direct foot traffic and  minimize damage to the natural vegetation.

Signs identifying the sound side reef areas as snorkel reefs where no motorized vessels are allowed have also been deployed on all  the sound side reef marker pilings

Local Navarre professional artist, Kelley Grace has done it again – designing and creating another fantastic Run for the Reef Race Logo for this year’s October 13th event.

This is the second piece of art Kelley has created in support of the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary.  Last year several lucky participants were able to get signed copies of their Run for the Reef race shirt when she was on hand at the Awards Ceremony after the race.  Don’t miss your opportunity to own one of these Navarre originals.  Race registration is open at active.com or via download and drop off  the registration form from the Run for the Reef 5K page here on our website.

A crowd was on hand for today’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary.  Commissioners Jim Melvin, Don Salter, and Lane Lynchard and Roger Blaylock (county engineer),  along with Representatives of the Navarre Chamber of Commerce, the Navarre Chamber Foundation, the TDC,   the Marine Sanctuary Committee and David Walter  of Walter Marine  (the reefing contractor) were present as snorkelers immediately took to the water.

Here’s a Channel 3 News Item on the ribbon cutting.  

Our next meeting for the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary Committee is Monday, May 21 at 6:30PM at the Best Western in Navarre.

We will be focusing on the ground breaking event and firming up sponsor signage.  The kiosks are being built now and will be completed by Friday.  Sign and plaque design will be discussed at the meeting
Snorkelers are welcome at the ribbon cutting event on Tuesday May 22 at 11:30PM.  Please contact Mandy Evers  (nwfevents@gmail.com)   if you would like to be part of a group snorkel at the ribbon cutting.   Volunteers are also  needed  to man the table with information about the sponsorship program and Run for the Reef.

More volunteer opportunities are available for Thursdays in the Parks which start May 24th.  The Foundation is using  VolunteerSpot (an online sign up and reminder tool) to schedule volunteers for upcoming community awareness activities.   Please sign up – here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot:
http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/1032345634189984080

2) Enter your email address. (No registration required!) Please note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone or send spam emails.

3) Sign Up!

If you have trouble accessing the site or prefer not to enter your email address – please email nasandler@bellsouth.net

The barge you see doing work in Santa Rosa Sound just north of Navarre Beach County Park is the county’s contractor installing the sound side reefs.

The public is invited to attend a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of two of three Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary snorkeling reef projects on Tuesday, May 22 at 11:30 a.m. at the Sandpiper Pavilion located sound side in Navarre Beach Park. The installation of the two Navarre Beach Park sound side tiered reef modules, also known as Walter Eco-System Reef Modules, began May 15 and is expected to take four days to complete.

For more pictures and the full press release check out the Santa Rosa County Website

The Navarre Chamber Foundation  will have an informational booth at Fun Fest (Fri & Sat – Apr 27 & 28) to inform the community about the Marine Sanctuary progress,  sell nature walk bricks and promote the Run for the Reef.    We’ll also  staff the beer booth Saturday night.  The Foundation will get to keep tips received during the beer booth shift.

Additional volunteers are needed, particularly Saturday evening at the beer booth  from 4 pm to 7 pm.  Please contact Nancy Sandler (nasandler@bellsouth.net)  if you wish to help.

Thanks to those who have already volunteered and a big thank you to the Navarre Chamber for donating part of the Fun Fest 5K Proceeds to the Marine Sanctuary program.

Fun Fest will be in the Navarre Beach County Parking Lot next to the Pier.