Feasibility Report on Navigation Improvements for Mexico Beach Inlet, Mexico Beach, Florida

The purpose of the study was to investigate the feasibility of the Federal government adopting, improving, and maintaining an existing navigation channel at Mexico Beach Inlet. Mexico Beach Inlet is located on the western edge of the City of Mexico Beach, Florida. It provides gulf access to a channel maintained by the city that extends inland north of Highway 98 and winds through residential neighborhoods. The city tries to maintain the channel to average dimensions approximating 5 Feet deep by 40 feet wide at an average annual cost of about $50,000. Because of rapid shoaling in the entrance channel, clear access to the gulf can be maintained less than half of the time. Shoaling in the channel prevents many recreational and commercial boats from getting in and out of the channel. This results in lost recreational opportunities, lost fishing time, reduced revenues to charter craft, and reduced catches. A number of alternative plans were considered but none proved to be economically feasible, primarily because of the large volume of littoral drift, 181,000 cubic yards per year, that must be handled to keep the channel open. It was recommended that no Federal action be taken at this time to adopt, improve, and maintain the existing navigation channel at Mexico Beach, Florida.