Florida CCL Glossary: Key Terms & Definitions for Developers and Consultants

Florida CCL Key Terms & Definitions

Armoring: The placement of man-made structures or devices in or near the coastal system for the purpose of preventing erosion caused by wave or current action. Examples include seawalls, bulkheads, revetments, and breakwaters. (Rule 62B-33.002(5), F.A.C.)

Beach: The zone of unconsolidated material that extends landward from the mean low water line to the place where there is a marked change in material or physiographic form, or to the line of permanent vegetation, usually the effective limit of storm waves. (Rule 62B-33.002(8), F.A.C.)

Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL): The line established by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) pursuant to Section 161.053, Florida Statutes, which defines the landward limit of the state's regulatory authority over coastal construction activities. (Rule 62B-33.002(12), F.A.C.)

Coastal System: The littoral zone and adjacent uplands, including all dunes and hammocks, which exerts a significant influence on the coastal waters. (Rule 62B-33.002(15), F.A.C.)

Dune: A mound or ridge of loose sediments, usually sand-sized, lying landward of the beach and extending inland to the landward toe of the dune which intercepts the 100-year storm surge. (Rule 62B-33.002(18), F.A.C.)

Dune Restoration: The placement of sand or other suitable material on an eroded dune to restore its pre-existing configuration. (Rule 62B-33.002(19), F.A.C.)

Frontal Dune: The first natural or man-made mound or bluff of sand which is located landward of the beach and which has sufficient vegetation, height, continuity, and configuration to offer protective value. (Rule 62B-33.002(24), F.A.C.)

Littoral Zone: The area extending seaward from the mean high water line to the water depth where sediments generally remain stable. (Rule 62B-33.002(30), F.A.C.)

Major Structure: Houses, mobile homes, apartment buildings, condominiums, motels, hotels, restaurants, towers, other types of residential, commercial, or public buildings, and other construction having the potential for substantial impact on coastal zones. (Rule 62B-33.002(31), F.A.C.)

Minor Structure: Pile-supported, elevated dune and beach walkover structures; beach access ramps and walkways; stairways; pile-supported, elevated viewing platforms, gazebos, and boardwalks; lifeguard support stands; public and private bathhouses; sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, shuffleboard courts, tennis courts, handball courts, racquetball courts, and other uncovered paved areas; earth retaining walls; and sand fences, privacy fences, ornamental walls, ornamental garden structures, aviaries, and other ornamental construction. (Rule 62B-33.002(33), F.A.C.)

Nonhabitable Major Structure: Swimming pools; parking garages; pipelines; piers; canals, lakes, ditches, drainage structures, and other water retention structures; water and sewage treatment plants; electrical power plants, and all related structures or facilities, transmission lines, distribution lines, transformer pads, vaults, and substations; roads, bridges, streets, and highways; and underground storage tanks. (Rule 62B-33.002(34), F.A.C.)

Beach Nourishment: The placement of sand on an eroded beach for the purposes of restoring it as a recreational beach and providing storm protection for upland properties. (Section 161.021(3), Florida Statutes)

Coastal Armoring Structures: Structures designed to protect upland properties from erosion and wave forces, including seawalls, bulkheads, revetments, and breakwaters. (Section 161.053(1)(b), Florida Statutes)

Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS): A collection of coastal barriers and associated land identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that are protected from development to minimize loss of human life, wasteful expenditure of federal revenues, and damage to fish, wildlife, and other natural resources. (16 U.S.C. § 3502(1))

Coastal Construction: Any work or activity which is likely to have a material physical effect on existing coastal conditions or natural shore and inlet processes. (Section 161.021(6), Florida Statutes)

Coastal High Hazard Area: The area below the elevation of the Category 1 storm surge line as established by a Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) computerized storm surge model. (Section 163.3178(2)(h), Florida Statutes)

Coastal Protection Structures: Structures designed to protect upland properties from erosion and wave forces, including beach nourishment, sand dunes, and coastal armoring structures. (Section 161.053(1)(b), Florida Statutes)

Coastal Zone: The area encompassing Florida's coastal counties, including their waters and lands within their boundaries. (Section 380.24, Florida Statutes)

Construction Setback: A line landward of the Coastal Construction Control Line, established by the FDEP or a local government, which defines the landward limit of construction activities. (Rule 62B-33.002(16), F.A.C.)

Dune Crossover: An elevated structure designed to provide pedestrian access over a dune without causing erosion or damage to the dune. (Rule 62B-33.002(20), F.A.C.)

Erosion: The wearing away of land or the removal of consolidated or unconsolidated material from the coastal system by wind or wave action, storm surge, tidal or littoral currents, or surface water runoff. (Rule 62B-33.002(22), F.A.C.)

Existing Armoring Structures: Armoring structures which have been previously permitted or have been determined by the FDEP to not require a permit. (Rule 62B-33.0051(1)(a), F.A.C.)

Fifty-foot Setback Line: The line of jurisdiction established pursuant to the provisions of Section 161.052, Florida Statutes, in which construction is prohibited within 50 feet of the line of mean high water at any riparian coastal location fronting the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic coast shoreline. (Section 161.052, Florida Statutes)

Frontal Dune Feature: The first natural or man-made mound or bluff of sand located landward of the beach which has sufficient vegetation, height, continuity, and configuration to offer protective value, as determined by the FDEP. (Rule 62B-33.002(25), F.A.C.)

Habitable Major Structure: Any major structure designed primarily for human occupancy or use. (Rule 62B-33.002(26), F.A.C.)

Inlet: A coastal feature where tidal currents flow between the ocean and inland water bodies or between barrier islands. (Rule 62B-33.002(28), F.A.C.)

Mean High Water Line (MHWL): The intersection of the tidal plane of mean high water with the shore. (Rule 62B-33.002(32), F.A.C.)

Native Salt-tolerant Vegetation: Vegetation which is naturally adapted to coastal conditions and can tolerate salt spray, periodic saltwater inundation, and other environmental factors associated with coastal areas. (Rule 62B-33.002(35), F.A.C.)

Nonconforming Structure: Any major habitable structure which was not constructed pursuant to a permit issued by the FDEP pursuant to Section 161.052 or 161.053, Florida Statutes, on or after March 17, 1985. (Section 161.54(6)(a), Florida Statutes)

Sand Dune: A mound or ridge of loose sediments, usually sand-sized, lying landward of the beach. (Rule 62B-33.002(42), F.A.C.)

Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat: The sandy beaches and dunes adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, from the Volusia/Flagler County line southward to the Broward/Miami-Dade County line, used by sea turtles for nesting during the period from March 1 through October 31 of each year. (Rule 62B-33.002(44), F.A.C.)

Substantial Damage: Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its pre-damage condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred. (Rule 62B-33.002(52), F.A.C.)

Substantial Improvement: Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement. This term includes structures which have incurred substantial damage, regardless of the actual repair work performed. (Rule 62B-33.002(53), F.A.C.)

30-year Erosion Projection Line (EPL): The projected location of the seasonal high water line 30 years from the date of the most recent CCCL survey. The 30-year EPL is used as the baseline for the state's 30-year erosion protection program, which requires that new structures be located landward of this line. (Rule 62B-33.024(2), F.A.C.)