Marina Seawall Repair in the Keys: Sanctuary, Corps & Leases
A Keys marina wall carries boats, fuel, power and a lease. Plan the work around operations first, then line up the state, sanctuary and Corps approvals that set the real schedule.
Start with slips, fuel and the busy months
Write down what has to keep working while the wall is rebuilt.
- Slips, fuel docks, pump-outs and haul-out areas, by wall section.
- Power, water and data lines in or along the cap.
- Charter departures, liveaboards and peak months.
- Where a barge, crane and materials can stage.
- Spill reporting: DEP’s State Watch Office is (800) 320-0519 and the National Response Center is (800) 424-8802. DEP spill contacts
In unincorporated Monroe County, a permit with work from barges or boats needs a Work Over the Water Notice. It warns that Longshore coverage may be needed. Monroe County Work Over the Water Notice
Florida’s contractor rule names the Longshore Act for marine specialty contractors. Rule 61G4-15.100(4), F.A.C. Ask for the certificate before mobilization.
Design questions for a working Keys waterfront
Key West’s own marina walls show one way to deal with old concrete T-pile walls. Key West capital plan FY 25/26
- New wall in front of the old one? Charter Boat Row at Garrison Bight plans a sheet pile wall without tie-backs, waterward of a 50-year-old T-pile wall that stays in place. Key West capital plan FY 25/26
- What does that do to state consent? On state-owned bottom, a letter of consent covers walls no more than 3 feet waterward of mean high water. Rule 18-21.005, F.A.C.
- Vertical or sloped? County code allows new vertical walls only on manmade canals, channels and basins. Monroe County code 118-12(k)(3)
- Patch or replace? Key West’s 2026 Navy Mole repair used steel panels welded underwater and foam grout behind the wall. Key West ITB 26-002
Irma damaged or destroyed more than 1,300 boats in the Keys, many moved by surge. Hurricane Center Irma report Ask the engineer how docks and pilings will ride a surge, and start with a full seawall assessment.
State leases and what they cost
Revenue-generating use of state-owned submerged land needs a lease. Shoreline protection built as part of a leased docking facility falls under that lease. Rule 18-21.005, F.A.C.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
Annual fee, standard term | The greatest of 6% of annual income, the base fee or the minimum fee Rule 18-21.011, F.A.C. |
Public slips | 30% off when at least 90% of slips are open to the public, first come, first served Rule 18-21.011, F.A.C. |
Clean Marina | 10% off while the designation is kept current Rule 18-21.011, F.A.C. |
Monroe County docks | A lease for any dock designed or used to moor ten or more vessels Rule 18-21.005, F.A.C. |
Clean Marina is voluntary: meet every DEP rule and adopt at least 60% of the best practices. DEP Clean Marina Program DEP’s Marathon office, (305) 289-7070, handles Keys submerged land authorizations. DEP Marathon branch
Common questions
Will the whole marina have to close?
Not necessarily. Ask for a section-by-section schedule that shows which slips, fuel points and walkways close, and when. Build it around your peak months.
Does the sanctuary review marina wall work?
It can. Sanctuary rules allow dock, seawall and small-marina seabed work under valid permits, but marinas with ten or more slips and work that may affect coral need sanctuary review. 15 CFR 922.163 NOAA nearshore activities
Which Corps permit covers Keys marina work now?
SAJ-82, the Keys minor-work permit, expired June 24, 2026, and no reissue was found. Call the Keys Permits Section at (305) 526-7181 to ask what applies to your project. Army Corps permit SAJ-82 Army Corps Keys Permits Section
Does Clean Marina status lower our lease cost?
Yes. Keeping a current Clean Marina designation earns 10% off the state submerged land lease fee. Rule 18-21.011, F.A.C.
Will FEMA pay to rebuild our wall after a storm?
Not for a private marina. FEMA Public Assistance pays public and certain nonprofit applicants; Key West’s City Marina received it after Irma. OpenFEMA Public Assistance data
What license should the marine contractor hold?
Florida certifies marine specialty contractors and narrower seawall, bulkhead, dock and pile-driving categories. Check the exact category and the insurance, including Longshore coverage. Rule 61G4-15.100, F.A.C. Rule 61G4-15.100(4), F.A.C.
What Keys public marina walls cost
Key West’s public waterfront projects are the best-documented seawall budgets in the Keys. They are commercial walls, not a quote for your marina.
| Project | Scope | Budget or bid |
|---|---|---|
Charter Boat Row, Garrison Bight | Sheet pile wall waterward of a 50-year-old T-pile wall, new cap | $4,970,000 budget Key West capital plan FY 25/26 |
Angelfish, Garrison Bight | About 650 feet of sheet pile, new cap and a marginal dock | $3,625,000 estimate Key West engineering projects |
LAB seawall, City Marina | 1,180 feet of T-pile wall replaced with sheet pile and a cap | $5,225,000 budget Key West capital plan FY 25/26 |
Spencer’s Boat Yard | Full seawall rebuild with work platforms | $1,986,444, lowest of five bids, 2024 Key West ITB 24-014 |
Marathon City Marina, Boot Key Harbor | New canal seawall on a 2019 Irma recovery list | $900,000, proposed only Marathon CDBG-DR list, 2019 |
Engineering and permits come on top. Charter Boat Row’s environmental permitting task order alone was $160,952. Key West Legistar records
Bids spread widely. Eight bids for Key West’s 2025 Southernmost seawall ran from $946,266 to $2,643,017. Key West ITB 25-010 Get several bids and compare scopes line by line, using the cost guide.
Federal review in 2026: sanctuary and Corps
Keys marinas sit inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, whose shoreward boundary is the mean high-water mark. 15 CFR 922, sanctuary boundary
- Marinas with ten or more slips, riprap and work that could affect coral are on NOAA’s list needing sanctuary authorization. NOAA nearshore activities
- A complete sanctuary file has plans, the state approval, a seafloor (benthic) survey if needed and the federal approval. Incomplete files are not queued. NOAA sanctuary submission guidance
- Submit at least 90 days before the date you need. NOAA sanctuary permits
- The Corps’ Keys permit SAJ-82 expired June 24, 2026. The state programmatic permit, which excluded most Monroe work, expired July 27, 2026. Army Corps permit SAJ-82 Army Corps SPGP VI
- A proposed emergency permit, SAJ-116, would not authorize new vertical seawalls. Its final issuance is unconfirmed. Army Corps SAJ-116 notice
Call the Corps’ Keys Permits Section, (305) 526-7181, early in design. Army Corps Keys Permits Section
Key West and Stock Island: the local layer
Inside Key West, dock and marina improvements need proof of federal and state compliance, plus an environmental review of seagrass, hardbottom and manatees. Approval may be tied to restoring past impacts. Key West Code 110-186
- Key West protects seagrass and reef communities out to 600 feet into tidal water next to the city limits. Key West Code 110-183
- A 2024 marina redevelopment on Eisenhower Drive bundled seawall repair into a Major Development Plan heard by the Planning Board. Key West Planning Board, Aug. 2024
- The south side of Stock Island has Key West addresses but is unincorporated. Monroe County’s Stock Island office is at 5503 College Road, (305) 295-3990. City of Key West floodplain page Monroe County building offices
See the Stock Island and Marathon guides for local detail.
Show sourcesHide sources
- City Marina at Garrison Bight Capital Projects (FY 25/26 CIP Project Detail, GB75511701)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Engineering Projects in Progress (Angelfish Pier)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- City Clerk Interoffice Memorandum: ITB 24-014 Spencer's Boat Yard Seawall (bid opening)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- CDBG-DR Infrastructure Marina (Rebuild Florida/Long Term Recovery list)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- City of Key West Legistar matters with "seawall" in the title (2012-2026)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Memorandum: File ID 25-3925 - Award of Phase One Southernmost Seawall Project, ITB #25-010, to BDI Marine Contractors, LLCSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- 15 CFR 922.161 and Appendix I to Subpart P (Sanctuary boundary)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Nearshore Construction PermitsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- PermitsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Regional General Permit SAJ-82Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- State Programmatic General Permit (SPGP) VISource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Public Notice: Proposed Issuance of Regional General Permit SAJ-116 (SAJ-2025-01920)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Jacksonville District Regulatory Office LocationsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Code of Ordinances, Subpart B Land Development Regulations, Ch. 110 Resource Protection, Art. IV Coastal ResourcesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Planning Board, August 15, 2024 - Item 6, 24-6098 Major Development Plan and Landscape WaiverSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Floodplain Management (FEMA)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Building and PermittingSource reviewed 2026-10-28
Discuss a waterfront business project
Record the affected shoreline and the decision you need to make. Use the notes when discussing scope with the appropriate professional.