Regional Coastal Monitoring Data
 

About Regional Coastal Monitoring Data Files

The regional data collection and processing plan includes establishment of four coastal quadrants or regions within the State where physical data is to be collected annually on a cyclical, recurring schedule as shown in the figure below. The data collection from region to region generally occurs in a counter-clockwise manner around the state.

Regional Coastal Monitoring Data Collection Cycle

Technical specs are provided for acquisition, processing, and rectification of aerial photography, acquisition of conventional topographic and bathymetric survey data, as well as, airborne laser survey data (LIDAR), aerial videography, and aerial photo control point targeting and acquisition. 

The initial regional data collection was conducted in the southwest monitoring quadrant in 2001 and included predominantly aerial photography and conventional beach and nearshore profile surveys on FDEP survey lines. Also considered as part of the physical monitoring data collection is oblique aerial videography and wave data acquisition. The aerial videography was obtained in 2006 for the entire coast of Florida.

Airborne topographic laser surveying and mapping through the use of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology was integrated into the regional monitoring program in 2002. Bathymetric LiDAR surveys using the Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) system were obtained for Palm Beach and Dade Counties as part of the Southeast Regional Monitoring effort in 2002. Upland LiDAR surveys were obtained for the Northeast region in 2003 and will be included for all regions in the future.

A wave data collection and analysis program, with associated weather information, was initiated in August of 2000 and consists of two major concurrent elements; first, installation and operation of a nearshore wave gage system, and second, wave transformation modeling to establish shallow water wave hindcast information at regular alongshore intervals of approximately one mile around the state. The plan is to locate at least one gage in each of the 4 monitoring regions. 

Coastal Monitoring Documents 

• Regional Monitoring Plan (contains Regional Monitoring Standards)

• Monitoring Standards for Beach Erosion Control Projects

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 Profile Survey Data

Each zipped file contains survey files in two different horizontal datums (NAD83/90 and NAD27/79) and NGVD1929 vertical datum. 

The beach profile data provided on this site has been reviewed for quality control by FSU Beaches and Shores Research Center (BSRC) engineers. Also included is an 8 Code file with comments organized by profile location. (Note: the links below open in a separate window)

Region	Counties
Northeast	Nassau, Duval, Flagler, St. Johns, and Volusia
Southeast	Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Dades
Northwest	Escambia, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf and Franklin
Southwest	Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier

Note: Shareware programs Winzip or pkunzip  can be used to unzip files.

Aerial Photography and Aerial Videography Now Available Through Our C.O.A.S.T.S. Search Page.For more information please e-mail Gary Cook (Gary.Cook@dep.state.fl.us) or call (850) 413-7719.

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 Range Monument Tabulation

Each zipped file contains range monument locations, elevation and azimuth information used to reference beach profile surveys. The locations are used as reference marks and do not necessarily correspond to physical monuments found in the field. All location information is provided in NAD83/90 horizontal datum and NAVD1988 vertical datum. (Note: the links below open in a separate window)

Region	Counties
Northeast	Nassau, Duval, Flagler, St. Johns, and Volusia
Southeast	Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade
Northwest	Escambia, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf and Franklin
Southwest	Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier

Note: Shareware programs Winzip or pkunzip  can be used to unzip files.

Explanation of file extensions:

• RTB= ASCII text file 
• DXF = Digital Exchange Format Drawing
• DWG = Autocad 2000 Drawing

 For more information about range monuments, please e-mail  Tom Watters. Phone numbers can be found on our Staff Contacts page.

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Control Monument Tabulation

Each zipped file contains "A" Monument location information used to control beach profile surveys. These 2nd order monuments are maintained by the Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems and recorded in the county in which they are located. All information is provided in NAD83/90 horizontal datum and NAVD1988 vertical datum. (Note: the links below open in a separate window)

Region	Counties
Northeast	Nassau, Duval, Flagler, St. Johns, and Volusia
Southeast	Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade
Northwest	Escambia, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf and Franklin
Southwest	Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier

Note: Shareware programs Winzip or pkunzip  can be used to unzip files.

Explanation of file extensions:

• ATB= ASCII text file 
• DXF = Digital Exchange Format Drawing
• DWG = Autocad 2000 Drawing

For more information about control monuments, please e-mail  Tom Watters. Phone numbers can be found on our Staff Contacts page.  

Supplemental Control

High Precision Vertical Control Network Model

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) has published draft standards for achieving two and five-cm Accuracies for GPS derived heights.

It is the intent of the Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems in cooperation with University of Florida to apply these standards to develop and implement a GPS-derived vertical control network with improved vertical accuracies along shore for all coastal permitting and project monitoring activities. As part of this effort, University of Florida researchers, in collaboration with the Bureau of Beaches and Coastal System (BBCS) staff members, collected and adjusted GPS L1/L2 observations for the four established Coastal Regions Southeast Atlantic Coast (Brevard .Indian River, Saint Lucie, Martin, Broward, Dade Counties), Northeast Atlantic Coast (Nassau, Duval, Saint John, Flagler, Volusia Counties), Northwest Gulf of Mexico Coast (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin Counties), and the Southwest Gulf of Mexico Coast (Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, Collier Counties). The four provided reports give the results of the GPS observations and adjustment results and provides a supplemental horizontal and vertical control network along Florida’s coastline for use with Coastal Construction Control Line permitting and project monitoring activities.

Network Design And Adjustment Strategy

The strategy for the development of this high-accuracy elevations network along the coastline hinges on GPS Observations for two networks: Tier-1 aims for a 2 centimeter ellipsoid height accuracy and all Stations are tied directly to the CORS network.

Tier-2 consists of a dense network of stations whose target is 5 centimeters of ellipsoid height accuracy, tied to the Tier-1 stations. Tier-1 stations are observed over multiple sessions of at least two hours each while Tier-2 stations are observed along shorter baselines using shorter sessions, forming many independent and redundant interconnections.

Positions of Tier-1 GPS network were processed using the Online User Positioning Service (OPUS), which is a web-based static GPS processing engine built around the PAGES software.

Tier-2 network observations were processed by FDEP using Ashtech Solutions Software, and then adjusted by a least-squares method using Ashtech GNSS software suite. Only NAD83 ellipsoid heights are adjusted, final orthometric heights referenced to NAVD88 are computed using GEOID03 – the latest geoid model available from NOAA/NGS .

For a copy of the above Supplemental Control Information, please see the High Precision Vertical Control Network Model document.

Region	Counties
Northeast	Nassau, Duval, Flagler, St. Johns, and Volusia
Southeast	Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade
Northwest	Escambia, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf and Franklin
Southwest	Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier

Note: Shareware programs Winzip or pkunzip  can be used to unzip files.

Explanation of file extensions:

• ATB = ASCII text file 
• DXF = Digital Exchange Format Drawing
• DWG = Autocad 2000 Drawing

For more information about supplemental control, please e-mail  Tom Watters. Phone numbers can be found on our Staff Contacts page.

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  More Information 

For more information about Regional Coastal Monitoring Data, please e-mail Tom Watters. Phone numbers can be found on our Staff Contacts page.