Lakefront Seawalls & Revetments in Winter Park

Why Winter Park Favors Revetments Over Seawalls

Winter Park's Lakes Division counts 26 lakes and 34 ponds in the city, with four lakes linked by navigable canals and two more in neighboring Maitland. Chapter 114 of the city code, as amended by Ordinance 3231-22 (opens in a new tab) in January 2022, sets the rules for building anything that stabilizes those shorelines.

The core rule is short. Retaining walls, seawalls and revetments on any lakefront, canal front or streamfront are prohibited unless built lawfully with a city permit, and applications should be considered favorably only when the structure is a dire necessity to stem erosion that is markedly different from what the shoreline generally experiences. On lakefronts, vertical seawalls are disallowed in favor of sloped riprap revetments that let wave energy dissipate and shoreline plants grow.

• Revetment slope: at least 2:1, horizontal to vertical.
• Hybrid option: vertical sheet pile with a sloped riprap face may be allowed case by case to limit turbidity or vegetation disturbance, if the riprap covers the entire vertical face, the finished face meets the minimum slope and the vertical part is no higher than natural ground.
• Canals and altered waters: vertical seawalls may be allowed case by case where a slope could interfere with navigation or is impractical.
• Not a reason: construction for cosmetic reasons is not sufficient justification.
• Scale: approvals are to be the minimum necessary to allow relief.

The code defines a seawall as any stone, brick, concrete, metal or wood structure intended to stabilize the shoreline, treats a retaining wall the same as a seawall, and defines a revetment as a sloped structure of rock, other aggregate material or geotextile fabric with a slope of 2:1 or greater, horizontal to vertical.

What Changed in 2022

Before Ordinance 3231-22, the code required revetments at a 3:1 slope. The ordinance's recitals say the Lakes and Waterways Board reviewed that rule on July 13, 2021, and found that the state requires 2:1, that most municipalities follow the state, that the 3:1 slope was hazardous to boats and that it made the city's plant code hard to meet. The City Commission adopted the 2:1 minimum in January 2022, after a second reading on January 26.

Repairing an Existing Seawall

Many Winter Park lots already have vertical walls that would not be allowed today. The city's shoreline permitting guide (opens in a new tab) says new construction or repair of seawalls or revetments requires a Shoreline Alteration Permit, and it sets a limit for walls that do not meet current code:

That makes an early, honest assessment important. If a wall needs more than a limited repair, the realistic choice may be a revetment rather than a new wall. See repair vs replacement and riprap revetments.

The Shoreline Planting Condition

Every seawall, revetment, dock or boathouse permit carries a vegetation condition: a shoreline that does not already meet the city's vegetation standards must be planted so that no more than 50 ft or 50 percent of it, whichever is less, stays clear. When a shoreline is replanted, the guide lists the city's standards:

• At least 70 percent of the shoreline must have native emergent vegetation.
• No more than 30 percent can be lilies and other floating-leaf plants.
• Submerged plants such as eelgrass and pondweed do not count toward compliance.
• Removing or chemically treating any shoreline vegetation needs a Shoreline Alteration Permit from the city.

State rules apply too. On freshwater bodies that are not aquatic preserves or Outstanding Florida Waters, FWC rule 68F-20.0035 (opens in a new tab) lets riparian owners physically or mechanically clear an access corridor of up to 50 ft or 50 percent of frontage, whichever is less, without an FWC permit. The exemption does not cover chemicals; the city guide says state rules require an FWC permit (opens in a new tab) for any chemical control and that turbidity curtains are required for mechanical control such as jet pumps or power rakes.

How Applications Are Reviewed

The guide lists what a seawall or revetment application needs: current and proposed surveys, profile and aerial plans showing dimensions and elevations, and shoreline photos. Revetment applications must show an existing erosion problem; the guide's sample sketches show historic and existing shoreline contours and warn that no reclamation of lost land is allowed. Its summary of state requirements lists a DEP Environmental Resource Permit, no reclamation of lost land and no filling. The guide predates the 2022 slope change, so confirm the state permit path with DEP.

Board records show seawall and revetment requests heard by the Lakes and Waterways Advisory Board, and the code says review by the city's advisory boards and City Commission covers the environmental effects, the request's relationship to the ecology of the lake or stream, and the shoreline at that property. The records also show how conditions are set. In September 2019, staff recommended approving a Howell Creek revetment only if no fill went beyond the property line, which would have encroached into the creek (agenda (opens in a new tab)). In October 2019 the board approved it with conditions (establish the property line, no fill past it, start the revetment at the property line, other agency approvals as needed) and tabled a Lake Maitland request pending a high-water mark determination and information on cypress knees (October minutes, in the December 2019 agenda packet (opens in a new tab)).

Before You Hire Anyone

Florida Bulk Head is building a network of licensed regional marine contractors, and no participating contractor is confirmed in the Winter Park area yet. We accept project inquiries and connect owners with a qualified participating contractor when one is available, subject to availability. Barefoot Marine Construction does not perform work in this region. See the Central Florida Lakes guide for county rules nearby.