Aerial square footage of dune system

Staff calculates the dune system area by analyzing aerial photography and Geographic Information System (GIS) maps on an annual basis. This is done through an ESRI ArcMap GIS program by subtracting square footage of sand zones and/or no growth zones from the overall square footage of dune region. Each region is based on Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) R-Monuments, with approximately 1,000 feet between monuments. R-Monuments, or Range Monuments, are coastal survey markers that mark key survey points along the Florida’s coastline. Of the 6.25 total miles of beach in the City, only the 4.25 miles of public beaches are surveyed for dune coverage.  The remaining two miles are privately-owned and are not included in the survey. 

*Some historical figures have been updated to more accurately describe the dune system.

This was a new performance measure in 2018, with no baseline data available.

In 2019, the City’s dune system was 305,703 square feet. The target was determined based on a consistent and conservative growth rate of 5% per year until 2024. There is no industry standard available as dune systems are living shorelines that are unique to their individual coastal areas.

City staff makes the calculations using aerial photographs taken annually by Broward County and Geographic Information System (GIS) maps. The City of Fort Lauderdale’s GIS team houses the previous and current years’ aerial photographs.