Lake bank erosion repair in Broward County

Shoreline Erosion Control rebuilds eroding lake banks for HOAs, condominium associations, golf communities and institutions in Broward County. We are based in Boca Raton, a short drive from most Broward communities, and we do every foot of the work ourselves. We rebuild the slope from the waterline up so the grass roots into the bank and holds, and residents keep their lawns while we work.

Why do lake banks fail in Broward County?

Much of western Broward was built in the 1980s and 1990s around lakes that hold the community's stormwater. Those banks are now 30 to 40 years old. Many have lost the soil under the grass line, and the slope that was graded at construction has slumped toward the water.

The causes are the same across Broward. Sandy soil washes out easily. Heavy rain from May through October runs off roofs and lawns and down the bank. The water level drops in the dry season and comes back up in the wet season, which wears away the strip of bank at the waterline. Where the grass dies back at the edge, the bank undercuts, and the fences and patios above it are next. If your board has tried regrading and new sod, our guide on why regrade and sod fails explains why it slid back.

What rules apply to lakes in Broward County?

Broward lakes can answer to the South Florida Water Management District, Broward County's surface water licensing, a drainage or water control district, and the city. Before we write a scope, we check which apply and confirm who is responsible for the bank.

The South Florida Water Management District

Most community lakes in Broward are part of a permitted stormwater system. Section 5.3.2(e)(1) of the district's Environmental Resource Permit Applicant's Handbook, Volume II, requires wet detention side slopes no steeper than 4:1 (horizontal to vertical) from the top of bank out to at least 2 feet below the control elevation. Section 5.3.2(e)(2) treats slopes built steeper than 3.5:1 as a substantial deviation, and Section 5.4 calls for a 20 foot perimeter maintenance easement at slopes no steeper than 4:1. An eroded bank is usually steeper than the permit allows. Our guide on the lake bank slope rule covers how boards use this standard.

Broward County surface water licensing

Broward County runs its own Surface Water Management Program, with design standards in Chapter 27 of the Broward County Code of Ordinances. The City of Coconut Creek explains that Broward County requires drainage systems to be inspected by a Professional Engineer under the 5 year Surface Water Management License. Your lakes are part of that drainage system. A board that already has a current bank report is in a better position when the engineer arrives.

Drainage and water control districts

Many Broward communities also sit inside a drainage or water control district. Broward County's Water Management Division is responsible for the secondary canal systems of Water Control District 2, Water Control District 3, Water Control District 4 and Cocomar in the northern part of the county, and the county lists bank restoration among the maintenance those systems need. In the south, the City of Miramar's embankment program notes that work on eroded embankments west of University Drive requires a permit application to the South Broward Drainage District. If your lake connects to a district canal, the district's permit may apply.

Who maintains the bank

Coconut Creek states that canal and lake banks along public waterways are maintained by the adjacent property owner, while dredging stays with the public agency that owns the waterway. Our guide on who is responsible for lake bank erosion walks through how to check.

State rules

Under Senate Bill 7040, signed June 28, 2024, Florida now requires periodic stormwater inspections reported to the permitting agency, with a qualified inspector requirement effective June 28, 2025. Rule 62-330.051(12)(e) exempts shoreline restoration with native plantings up to 500 linear feet, within 10 feet waterward of the water line.

Where do we work in Broward County?

We work across Broward, including Parkland, Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Margate, Tamarac, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Sunrise, Plantation, Weston, Davie, Cooper City, Pembroke Pines, Miramar and Fort Lauderdale.

We work with HOAs, condominium associations, active adult communities, golf and country club communities, special districts that own their lakes, and campuses with lakes on their grounds.

What does a free lake bank walk cover?

A free lake bank walk is a visit where we walk every lake with the manager or a board member. We measure and photograph each section of bank, note how far the edge has cut back and how close it sits to fences, patios, pool decks and drain pipes, and check which permits and districts apply to the lake.

After the walk, the board gets a written report and a scope it can put out to bid, whether it hires us or not. If you need to compare approaches first, our guide on lake bank repair options compared sets them side by side.

To get started, book a free lake bank walk, take the Lake Bank Risk Score, or call (561) 309 9603.

Questions boards ask

Does our Broward community need a permit to repair a lake bank?

It depends on where your lake sits. Your South Florida Water Management District permit, Broward County's surface water licensing and any drainage district, such as the South Broward Drainage District, may each have conditions. We check which apply to your lake before we write a scope.

How does the 5 year Surface Water Management License affect our lake banks?

Broward County requires drainage systems to be inspected by a Professional Engineer under the 5 year Surface Water Management License. Your lakes are part of that drainage system. Getting a bank report before that inspection gives the board time to plan the repair instead of reacting to a finding.

Is the city or the drainage district responsible for our lake bank?

In many cases, no. Coconut Creek states that banks along public waterways are maintained by the adjacent property owner, and in many communities that is the association. Dredging stays with the public agency that owns the waterway, so check your plat and governing documents for the exact line.

Our banks are 30 years old. Can we fix them in phases?

Yes. Phase the work by lake, starting with the sections closest to fences, patios and pool decks. A written plan in the minutes shows the board acted, and it gives the engineer something to review at the next inspection.

Sources: SFWMD ERP Applicant's Handbook Volume II, City of Coconut Creek Canal and Lake Bank Stabilization, City of Miramar Embankment Restoration Program, Broward County Drainage and Floods, Broward County Surface Water Management License Application, Florida DEP ERP Stormwater Resource Center, Rule 62-330.051, Florida Administrative Code