Stormwater

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant Projects

Grant Funding: $3.5 million
Grant Focus: To improve water quality within the city and reduce pollutant loads in Destin Harbor, Joe’s Bayou, Indian Bayou, Marler Bayou, Choctawhatchee Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Project Locations

  • Calhoun Avenue - Complete
  • Indian Bayou Subdivision -  Complete
  • Sandalwood Drive - Complete
  • Maltezos Street - Complete
  • Juanita Avenue and Snapper Drive (Kelly Street) - Complete
  • Spring Lake Drive - Complete

This project involves roadway and right-of-way construction (heavy in some areas). Residents of affected areas can expect detours, traffic delays and digging in the rights-of-way in front of their homes. Our goal is to leave each affected area in as good a shape or better than it was found. If you have questions or concerns, please use our Help Desk to submit your inquiry and one of our staff will respond. 

CalhounPicture12 Avenue

Status: Complete
Expected Completion: 
Spring 2018

This is the final phase of the grant and includes three separate underground exfiltration systems.  This phase will utilize rights of way to install six new shallow sump storm structures that will be placed below existing sidewalks.  The new piping for the system will be connected and allow for underground treatment of runoff and collection of settleable solids within the shallow sumps.  Normal pollutants for this area are road grime, silts, hydro carbons, settleable solids, and litter.  

IndiPicture2an Bayou Subdivision

Status: Complete
Expected Completion:
Spring 2017

This phase of the grant resulted in installation of upgraded sewer system as well as installation of stormwater retention swales.  The installation of stormwater retention swales allows for multiple benefits including collection of first flush or the initial inch of rainfall, which contains the most pollutants.  This water is retained in the roadside swale and perks through the soil to allow for a reduction of direct discharged pollutants into Indian Bayou.  Normal pollutants for this area of Destin include high nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, as well as road grime and siltation. 

SandaPicture3lwood Drive

Status: Complete
Expected Completion:
Fall 2017

This phase of the grant resulted in the installation of underground exfiltration system and new storm structures to convey runoff from the roadway and adjacent properties.  The benefits of this type of system are it utilizes the drainablity of the soils to allow for underground storage and percolation of the stormwater runoff.  The water is conveyed from the drain structures into new piping to a gallery of perforated HDPE piping which is encapsulated with gravel and geotextile filter fabric.  Normal pollutants for this area include road grime, siltation, and other debris normally found in a high density area.

Picture5Maltezos Street

Status: Complete
Expected Completion:
Fall 2017

This phase of the grant resulted in the installation of underground exfiltration system and new storm structures to convey runoff from the roadway and adjacent properties.  The benefits of this type of system are it utilizes the drainablity of the soils to allow for underground storage and percolation of the stormwater runoff.  This phase of the project was unique due to the existing sanitary sewer mains and water mains that had to be worked around to allow for successful installation of the new storm sewer piping.  The water is conveyed from the drain structures into new piping to a gallery of perforated HDPE piping which is encapsulated with gravel and geotextile filter fabric.  Normal pollutants for this area include road grime, siltation, and other debris normally found in a high density area.

Picture9Juanita Avenue and Snapper Drive (Kelly Street)

Status: Complete
Expected Completion:
Fall 2017

This phase of the grant resulted in the installation of underground exfiltration system as well as a new hydrodynamic separator.  Additionally, the contractor was required to work along one of the city’s most heavily used roadway and most highly utilized rights of way.  This phase required substantial coordination between the city, Cox Communication, CentruyLink, Okaloosa Gas, Gulf Power, Destin Water Users, Project Design Engineer Dewberry, and the Contractor RBM.  While this was the largest phase of the grant, the major items include; a new 24” HDPE storm truck main that had to be installed parallel to an existing 12” sanitary sewer force main and 10” water main.  Also constructed was the largest of the four underground exfiltration systems, however, the original plan was to construct a large retention pond located at the Destin Elementary School Football Field.  Due to the substantially steep grades and significant depth that would have been required , as well as the proximity to Destin Elementary School, this original plan was modified to add a new exfiltration system within the large swale.  This modification allowed for much more gradual slopes and the swale to be significantly similar to the original site before construction.  

The third major item is the city’s new hydrodynamic separator which is located just west of Spring Lake “the duck pond”.  The separator is engineered to pretreat and remove pollutants from the storm system before the water is discharged into Spring Lake, and finally into Joe’s Bayou.  This system utilizes a deep sump to allow settleable solids to be collected as well as a vortex system to collect floatables.

Due to the significantly higher volume of traffic and proximity to the Joe’s Bayou Boat Ramp, normal pollutants for this area include road grime, siltation, bilge residue, nitrogen, phosphates, potassium, litter, hydrocarbons, and other debris normally found in a high volume roadway.

Spring Lake Drive

Status: Complete
Expected Completion:
Fall 2017

This phase of the grant resulted in a connection from Spring Lake Drive into the existing storm swale system along the south side of Kelly Street.  This is to allow for runoff from Spring Lake Drive to be pretreated through the existing swales to allow for a reduction in hydrocarbons and other settleable solids.  

Emergency Projects

Calhoun Avenue Emergency RepairPicture13

Status: Complete
Expected Completion:
Fall 2017

During the summer of 2017 it was noticed that the roadway along Calhoun Avenue began to form a sinkhole in the northbound lane.  The Destin Public Services Department monitored the sinkhole for potential hazards, during this period it was evident that there was a significant issue with the existing road culvert and that a complete replacement of the existing culvert pipe was needed.  The city utilized its continuing services provider to perform an emergency culvert replacement before any catastrophic failure could occur.  The old stormwater piping was replaced with new HDPE piping allowing a reduction in total pipe joints and should result in a long term solution for this issue.