Lagoon access to remain open when $500K stormwater project ends, Lake Worth Beach officials say
Eden Place drainage improvements, expected to be done in August, aim to reduce chronic flooding, erosion on 16th Avenue North
LONG NEEDED DRAINAGE improvements are coming to a neighborhood on the Lake Worth Lagoon.
And when the $500,000 project is done later this summer, the public will still have access to the waterway at the eastern terminus of 16th Avenue North, Lake Worth Beach officials say.
For decades, the tiny patch of waterfront land in Eden Place, next to the north end of the municipal golf course, has been a popular spot to fish, launch kayaks and watch sunrises.
“It was kind of a secret. Nobody else knew you could go down there. There was a little beach. It was really nice,’’ longtime resident Jeannie Hoban said.
But storms and sea level rise have caused severe shoreline erosion and chronic flooding along the eastern stretches of the road.
“I walk the dogs there and I’ve been watching it disappear,’’ said Eden Park resident Janet Kanai, who remembers efforts by city crews over the years to “jerry-rig” the shoreline with sandbags and concrete blocks.
In May, the city launched what it hopes will be a permanent fix. New stormwater catch basins, underground piping, a retaining wall and an outfall with a tidal check valve are being installed.
(A tidal check valve acts like a trapdoor, letting rainwater and runoff flow out into the lagoon but automatically swinging shut to stop rising water from backing up and flooding the streets.)
“The goal is to significantly improve flooding conditions while preserving and enhancing public access to the Lake Worth Lagoon,’’ the city said in a social media post.
The work, with $300,000 covered by a Resilient Florida grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection, is supposed to be completed in August.
The retaining wall will be “modest in height’’ and set back about 50 feet from the water, the city said.
The wall will not block access to the water and will not resemble the large concrete headwalls built a few years ago at the ends of 18th Avenue North and Wellesley Drive, where residents today can enjoy water views but can no longer access the water.
“We also want to reassure residents that public access to the water will remain open and improved’’ after the work at 16th Avenue North is completed, the city said in a statement.
But the city’s original plans for the Eden Place improvements would have blocked public access to the water.
After securing the first Resilient Florida grant, water officials determined that enhanced flood protection with a seawall would be needed. They applied for another grant, for $491,000 in 2023, but the request was rejected.
The city shared information about the project on social media last month after Vice Mayor Mimi May said she had been received inquiries from residents when the work started.
As it turned out, the city said, a pre-construction drainage study “indicated that, rather than a full large seawall like the ones that can be seen on Wellesley and 18th Ave N, a smaller retaining wall could be used to mitigate flooding from king tides in conjunction with the planned underground stormwater infrastructure.
“The construction cost of this tailored design was significantly less expensive than the seawall concept.’’
Thanks for your dedication to our quirky city. My late husband and I snuck down there to get married on 3-21-21, the day before lockdown. I always loved stopping there for a little water therapy on my bike rides.