Posted on April 23, 2026
By Greg Pallone
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A project is underway to help restore the health of the struggling Indian River Lagoon and remove decades of old pollution from the waterways.
In a spot near the Eau Gallie Causeway, work is ramping up to remove a big issue plaguing the lagoon for decades.
Muck, organic-rich sediment that has built up because of development for more than 60 years, clouds the water and reduces oxygen, which can kill seagrass and marine life.
“This material has to be placed on land so it can de-water, lessen the weight of it, (be) tested for what’s in it,” Marine Resources Council Executive Director Laura Wilson said.
Crews will begin the project by dredging, sending the muck through a 7-mile pipeline south to a management area near Robert J. Conlan Boulevard and U.S. 1 in Palm Bay.
The pipeline will both float and be submerged in some areas along the route. Boaters along the route will need to use caution when navigating the waterways.
The project is expected to improve water quality and boost oxygen levels to help restore seagrass, the primary food source for marine life like manatees. Officials said they also hope the work will prevent harmful algae blooms.
The project was funded through the Save Our Lagoon program and Florida Department of Environmental Protection grants since its inception 10 years ago.
“What’s being taken out of the lagoon is complementing the septic-to-sewer, the stormwater infrastructure changes, things like that we are seeing on land,” Wilson said.
Save Our Lagoon has completed 128 projects since voters passed the half-cent sales tax referendum in 2016.
Right now, 100 projects are in progress, and 403 are planned overall.
Work began in mid-April and is expected to wrap up in 2027.
