Barge at Lauderdale by the Sea

[ermaclob]

Anyone know what's up with this barge that's anchors over the reef at Lauderdale by the sea? From what I can tell its been there for some time now. Does it effect diving in the area in anyway, are they doing something in particular there?

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

I was there Monday for a Force Blue event and spoke with representatives of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. The barge is sinking a large number of concrete structures as an artificial reef just north of the pier.

 

[NothingClever]

It definitely interferes with doing a long dive from the Datura Avenue entry point (south of the pier) to the Copenhagen wreck. You have to do a horseshoe around the barge and that uses a big chunk of air or battery power.

 

[Texasguy]

Is Copenhagen wreck even recognizable nowadays? I'd think it is now just a some junk spread over the area.

PS: One good thing is that there is less boat traffic over the 2nd reef.

 

[NothingClever]

I'd think it is now just a some junk spread over the area.

There’s still a mass there but yes, it’s pretty torn up.

 

[Jaan]

Interesting. Does anyone know more about this artificial reef project?

 

[Texasguy]

This is what I was able to google: Broward County Building Artificial Reef Off Town Just South Of Washingtonia | Lauderdale By The Sea

The reef will be located 1,500 feet offshore in about 20 feet of water just south of Washingtonia Park. It will be comprised of more than 4,000 individual concrete blocks and limestone rocks specifically designed for the project. The units are 3-feet tall and will partially settle into the sea floor, leaving the limestone rocks exposed. The reef will encourage the colonization of corals, tropical fish and other marine life in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.

More than 600 reef units were manufactured. The new reef is a mitigation project related to the the 2016 beach renourishment effort that placed 650,000 cubic yards of sand along the beach in Pompano Beach, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea and Fort Lauderdale to restore the shoreline that had eroded due to storms, hurricanes and sea-level rise.

The barge will become a familiar site this summer and fall to beachfront condo owners and beachgoers. The project is expected to be completed by the end of October or possibly mid-November, depending on the weather. The plan is to deploy 300 reef units at a time. Once completed, the barge will need to travel back to the Port of Palm Beach to be reloaded with additional reef material until the project is completed.

Broward County has contracted with Resolve Equipment, Inc., a Fort Lauderdale firm, to build and install the reef.

AND PICTURES OF THE CONCRETE BLOCKS: https://www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov/ImageRepository/Document?documentId=1810

Point to remember: A planned man-made mitigation reef isn’t meant to attract recreational divers. But if it grows the way county officials hope it will, divers and the town could benefit.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

This is what I was able to google: Broward County Building Artificial Reef Off Town Just South Of Washingtonia | Lauderdale By The Sea

The reef will be located 1,500 feet offshore in about 20 feet of water just south of Washingtonia Park. It will be comprised of more than 4,000 individual concrete blocks and limestone rocks specifically designed for the project. The units are 3-feet tall and will partially settle into the sea floor, leaving the limestone rocks exposed. The reef will encourage the colonization of corals, tropical fish and other marine life in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.

More than 600 reef units were manufactured. The new reef is a mitigation project related to the the 2016 beach renourishment effort that placed 650,000 cubic yards of sand along the beach in Pompano Beach, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea and Fort Lauderdale to restore the shoreline that had eroded due to storms, hurricanes and sea-level rise.

The barge will become a familiar site this summer and fall to beachfront condo owners and beachgoers. The project is expected to be completed by the end of October or possibly mid-November, depending on the weather. The plan is to deploy 300 reef units at a time. Once completed, the barge will need to travel back to the Port of Palm Beach to be reloaded with additional reef material until the project is completed.

Broward County has contracted with Resolve Equipment, Inc., a Fort Lauderdale firm, to build and install the reef.

AND PICTURES OF THE CONCRETE BLOCKS: https://www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov/ImageRepository/Document?documentId=1810

Point to remember: A planned man-made mitigation reef isn’t meant to attract recreational divers. But if it grows the way county officials hope it will, divers and the town could benefit.

Thanks. Was wondering what the barge was also..

 

[edwants2dive]

Is Copenhagen wreck even recognizable nowadays? I'd think it is now just a some junk spread over the area.

PS: One good thing is that there is less boat traffic over the 2nd reef.

Yes it is still recognizable but very scattered in parts. I dive it every so often and play what part of the ship am I looking at. It is also surrounded by a reef that has a lot of juvenile sea life hence the nick name "the nursery"it has been given.