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History of Sebastian Inlet, 1885-1940 |
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Sebastian Inlet History, 1940-1970
Sebastian Inlet History, 1970-1990's
Current Events and Future Plans for Sebastian
Inlet
T he first
recorded attempt to establish a man-made inlet in the vicinity of the present
Sebastian Inlet was made in 1885-86. "Gibson's Cut" (also known as
"Gibson's Folly") was started by Captain David O. Gibson, a local pioneer/turpentine
operator from Georgia who wanted an inlet to serve his land holdings on
the west bank of the Indian River, near Malabar. He and a band of
volunteers made the attempt using shovels approximately 3 miles south of
the present day inlet, at a spot where the ocean frequently washed over
the dunes. By 1895, a channel was completed but it was closed by a tropical
storm during October 13-17 and a Category
3 Hurricane between October 12-26 of the same year. Other attempts
using shovels were made between 1896 and 1918.
A Category 2 Hurricane crossed Florida from the Gulf Coast between October 7-16, 1896.
Tropical Storm #3 crossed over Florida between September 20-25, 1897. Tropical Storm #4 followed closely behind during October 9-22, 1897. Both storms had maximum sustained winds of 40 knots.
On August 2-3, 1898 a Category 1 Hurricane made landfall near West Palm Beach and crossed over to the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm #8 occurred between October 2-14 of 1898. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 knots.
Between August 3-24, 1899, a Category 3 Hurricane grazed Florida's east coast. Later that same year, a Category 2 Hurricane passed just offshore.
Hurricane #8, a Category 4 hurricane, most likely affected Florida’s entire eastern seaboard, due to the fact that it crossed the Florida peninsula twice between October 11-22, 1906.
During 1909, three tropical storms affected the east central Florida coast. Tropical Storm #2 occurred between June 26-July 1, 1909. Tropical Storm #6 occurred between August 27-September 1, 1909. Tropical Storm #8 crossed the Florida peninsula from the west between September 22-30, 1909. Each of these storms had maximum sustained winds of 45 knots.
Between 1916-18 the first excavation using a dredge was made. The operation was lead by Mr. Roy D. Couch, a Melbourne civil engineer. The project was protected by jetties of local rock on the ocean side and by a bulkhead of palmetto trunks on the river side. The result was a channel that was 200 feet long, 40 to 60 feet wide and 4 to 5 feet deep. This channel closed within hours due to a northeaster. In 1919, the Florida legislature passed a law creating the Sebastian Inlet Tax District Commission to manage the inlet (Special Acts Chapter, 7976). Initial financing was a $100,000 bond issue.
Between 1919-1924, land was purchased from a Mr. Hardee and construction was begun on re-cutting the inlet and building protective jetties. During October 20-30, 1921, a Category 4 Hurricane crossed the Florida peninsula to the north of Sebastian Inlet. By 1924, dredging of a 100 foot wide by 6 feet deep channel was nearly accomplished. A total of 66,000 cubic yards of sand and 500 cubic yards of rock were removed. On August 29, 1924 a Category 4 Hurricane opened the inlet. Two local rock jetties 600 feet apart on the ocean side and 400 feet apart on the landward side were also completed in 1924. The north jetty extended 400 feet seaward and was 6 feet high. The south jetty extended 150 feet into the ocean and was 2 feet high.
Fairchild Aerial Survey took the oldest known aerial photo of Sebastian Inlet in 1926. (Coming soon, I need to re-scan...) Hurricane #1 made landfall between July 22-August 2, 1926. This was a Category 4 hurricane.
In 1927, an attempt was made to deepen the channel by blasting rocks that had previously hindered dredging operations. However, the rock fragments remained in the channel. The height of the south jetty was raised to 6 feet. An extensive inner shoal (flood shoal) was reported at this time.
Hurricane #1 occurred between August 3-12, 1928. This was a Category 2 hurricane. The following month, between September 6-20, 1928, a Category 5 Hurricane made landfall to the south of Sebastian Inlet.
The rocks obstructing the inlet were partially removed in 1929 and were used to reinforce the jetties and extend them landward.
The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey surveyed the inlet in 1930 and in 1931 a steel bulkhead (sheet pile) extending 1,500 feet westward from the west end of the south jetty was constructed. The purpose of this bulkhead was to direct tidal currents in such a manner as to cause the erosion of the inner (flood) shoals.
Hurricane #5 (Category 1) made landfall south of the Sebastian Inlet area between July 25-August 5, 1933. Later that same year, between August 31 and September 7, a Category 4 Hurricane (Hurricane #12) also made landfall to the south of the area.
Late 1930's, previous inlet configuration.
An early season Tropical Storm during May 27-31, 1934 crossed the Florida peninsula from the west to the south of Sebastian Inlet. Also, in 1934 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers surveyed the inlet and found no evidence of shoaling in the channel adjacent to the bulkhead. One year later, USACE re-surveyed the inlet and found some shoaling along the bulkhead.
1937, Fishing from the north jetties
The USACE surveyed Sebastian Inlet once again in 1938 and found significant shoaling near the bulkhead. The eastern end of the bulkhead was noted to be in bad condition. Sebastian Inlet was cited as an example of an engineering failure due to shoaling within the inlet.
Late 1930's, previous inlet configuration
Sebastian Inlet History, 1940-1970
Sebastian Inlet History, 1970-1990's
Current Events and Future Plans for Sebastian
Inlet
Page created and maintained by Michelle P. Snyder
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