Fort George Island and Northside marsh shoreline planning
Fort George Island and the marshes around Sisters Creek sit inside protected waters. New walls are tightly limited, so start with the preserve rules before the design.
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Get to know your waterfront
Fort George Island and the Sisters Creek and Fort George River marshes lie in Jacksonville’s Northside, within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, where much of the land is privately owned. State map data places the Fort George River, Sisters Creek and Fort George Inlet inside the Nassau River–St. Johns River Marshes Aquatic Preserve.
Timucuan Brochure and Map Text · FDEP Aquatic Preserves (OpenData) point query · USGS GNIS Populated Places, Duval County (National Map geonames service)
Preserve rules come first
Inside an aquatic preserve, no new seawalls may be built waterward of the high-water line, and restoring an existing wall may move at most one foot waterward. These waters are also Outstanding Florida Waters, both as preserve and as Timucuan waters, which lowers the exempt dock size and raises the water-quality bar. Rule 18-20.004, F.A.C. – Aquatic Preserve Management Policies, Standards and Criteria · FDEP Outstanding Florida Waters (OpenData) point query · s. 403.813(1)(b), F.S. (2026)
The state programmatic federal permit is not available in the Timucuan Preserve, so plan for a separate Corps permit. State Programmatic General Permit Excluded Areas
Storm history
In Nicole, surge covered the road at the entrance to Fort George Island at high tide and affected most of Fort Caroline National Memorial. Irma’s storm tide on Clapboard Creek was 3.47 feet above normal high water. Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Nicole (PSHJAX) · Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (PSHJAX), Section E
What could the work cost?
Permitting time and design for protected waters can rival construction cost on small projects.
Published prices are attributed planning context from contractors’ own pages, not a measured Jacksonville average or this website’s quote. Ranges differ about five-fold between publishers; your written, itemized scope decides the real number.
Compare quotes and plan a budget →Find the relevant permits and records
| Starting point | What to resolve | Prepare and look up |
|---|---|---|
City of Jacksonville Building Inspection Division | Building permit through JaxEPICS after zoning, drainage and any flood or historic review; inspections. | Signed and sealed drawings, survey and site plan as unlocked PDFs. 214 N. Hogan St.; 904-255-8500. |
Florida DEP Northeast District (Jacksonville) | State environmental resource permit or exemption, and state-lands consent for work at or below the high-water line. DEP handles single-family docks and shore protection not tied to a larger development. | Survey with the existing wall face and high-water line, the proposed alignment and photos. DEP Northeast District: 904-256-1700. |
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District | Federal authorization for work in tidal and navigable waters, often verified by DEP through the state programmatic general permit or covered by a nationwide permit. | Ask DEP whether its review includes federal verification for your scope, or which nationwide permit applies. |
A Fort George and Northside checklist
Use these steps to prepare.
Ask DEP about preserve status
Confirm whether your shoreline is in the aquatic preserve before designing anything new.
FDEP Aquatic Preserves (OpenData) point query · Northeast District
Pull your permit and parcel history
Search past permits in JaxEPICS (guest sign-in) and look up your parcel with the Duval County Property Appraiser before the assessment.
Services Provided: Violation or Permit Record Search · Duval County Property Appraiser
Ask for your flood zone and elevation certificate
The city’s floodplain coordinator (904-255-8366) provides flood zone determinations and copies of available elevation certificates.
Plan your Fort George Island & Northside Marshes seawall project
Tell us where your Fort George Island & Northside Marshes property is, what you have noticed and what you want to decide. We will help you plan the next step.
Local guidance. A clearer plan for your waterfront.
Fort George Island & Northside Marshes project questions
Can I build a new seawall on Fort George Island?
Not waterward of the high-water line inside the aquatic preserve; restoration of an existing wall is limited to one foot waterward.
Rule 18-20.004, F.A.C. – Aquatic Preserve Management Policies, Standards and Criteria
Does the Park Service issue my permit?
No. The preserve includes private land, and permits come from the city, DEP and the Corps.
Keep planning
Nearby waterfront guides
Show sourcesHide sources
- Timucuan Brochure and Map TextSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- FDEP Aquatic Preserves (OpenData) point querySource reviewed 2026-10-24
- USGS GNIS Populated Places, Duval County (National Map geonames service)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- Rule 18-20.004, F.A.C. – Aquatic Preserve Management Policies, Standards and CriteriaSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- FDEP Outstanding Florida Waters (OpenData) point querySource reviewed 2026-10-24
- s. 403.813(1)(b), F.S. (2026)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- State Programmatic General Permit Excluded AreasSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Nicole (PSHJAX)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (PSHJAX), Section ESource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Online/Electronic Permit SubmissionSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Building Inspection DivisionSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Northeast DistrictSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Operating Agreements ERP Permitting: DEP District Offices and the Water Management District OfficesSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Operating Agreement Concerning Regulation Under Part IV, Ch. 373, F.S., Between SJRWMD and DEP (eff. 07/01/07)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- SPGP VI – 1. Shoreline Stabilization, Activity descriptionSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Reissuance and Modification of Nationwide Permits (91 FR 768, Jan. 8, 2026)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- Services Provided: Violation or Permit Record SearchSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Duval County Property AppraiserSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Floodplain ManagementSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Timucuan Ecological and Historical PreserveSource reviewed 2026-10-24