LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
C5OLO GI
Florida Geological Survey Tallahassee
Governor Jeb Bush
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Tallahassee, Florida 32304-7700
Dear Governor Bush:
The Florida Geological Survey, Division of Administrative and Technical Services, Department of Environmental Protection is publishing two papers: "Seasonal variation in sandy beach shoreline position and beach width" and "Open-ocean water level datum planes: Use and misuse in coastal applications".
The first paper identifies a methodology for predicting seasonal shifts in Florida's shorelines. A number of practical uses emerge from the research, two of which are the analytical assessment of long-term shoreline erosion data, and determination of the seaward boundary of public versus private ownership.
The second paper is a companion paper to "Open-ocean water datum planes for monumented coasts of Florida" published by the Florida Geological Survey as a separate work. It identifies erroneous applications made when considering mean sea level (MSL), mean high water (MHW), mean low water (MLW), etc., tidal datum planes, illustrating why they are erroneous using practical examples, and details how proper applications should be determined.
Respectfully yours,
Walter Schmidt, Ph.D., P.G. State Geologist and Chief Florida Geological Survey
Hi