Wave Attenuation Device Installation Underway at Max Brewer Memorial Parkway, Will Curb Erosion in Titusville

By Space Coast Daily // December 28, 2024

$4.2 million Wave Attenuation Device initiative is First Line of Defense

Construction crews have started installing massive concrete pyramids along the Indian River Lagoon to curb the relentless waves that have eroded the Max Brewer Memorial Parkway in Titusville over the years. These Wave Attenuation Devices (WADs) are being positioned about 400 feet from the shoreline in the lagoon.

BREVARD COUNTY • TITISVILLE, FLORIDA – Construction crews have started installing massive concrete pyramids along the Indian River Lagoon to curb the relentless waves that have eroded the Max Brewer Memorial Parkway in Titusville over the years.

The erosion has gradually diminished the space enjoyed by anglers, rocket launch spectators, and Space Coast wildlife.

This $4.2 million initiative, designed by Gainesville-based engineering firm DRMP, is being executed by aquatic restoration specialists Sea & Shoreline.

The project involves removing existing shoreline riprap and replacing it with nearly 2,000 feet of Wave Attenuation Devices, developed by Living Shoreline Solutions.

These robust concrete structures are designed to dissipate wave energy before it reaches the causeway’s shore.

Brevard County is promoting this initiative as Florida’s first project to integrate shoreline protection methods across multiple habitats to combat erosion exacerbated by rising sea levels. Federal data reveals that over the past 20 years, sea-level rise has tripled to nearly 1 centimeter annually due to warming temperatures.

Beyond the concrete wave breakers, the project will involve planting four acres of seagrass, releasing one million clams, and regrading 4,150 cubic yards of sand along the shoreline.

Additionally, new palm and mangrove trees will be planted. Once completed, the project will be monitored for three years to evaluate the durability of the shoreline, seagrass, and shellfish.

Over the years, the now weatherworn Max Brewer Causeway shoreline shows erosion and destabilization caused by frequent and significant south winds driven by wave energy. The erosion has gradually diminished the space enjoyed by anglers, rocket launch spectators, and Space Coast wildlife. (DRMP image)

The Wave Attenuation Devices (WADs) are being positioned about 400 feet from the shoreline in the lagoon.

At high tide, they will rise approximately 1.5 feet above the water, feature gaps to allow manatees to pass, and navigational lights will ensure boater safety.

The Florida Department of Transportation installed similar concrete pyramid structures last year to prevent erosion around Tampa Bay’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

The Max Brewer Causeway project is expected to cost over $4 million. Half of the funding comes from Florida’s Resilient Florida Program, created through Senate Bill 1954, which Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law on May 12, 2021.

This legislation represents the state’s largest-ever investment in preparing for the impacts of sea-level rise, severe storms, and flooding.

Grants have covered most of the project costs, including $2.3 million from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, $1.2 million from the St. Johns River Water Management District, $500,000 from Brevard’s Tourist Development Council, $64,336 worth of sand provided by the Florida Inland Navigation District, and $525,000 from the nonprofit Fish and Wildlife Foundation.