Proposed Dredging Project Concerns

I recently became aware of the proposed C-HAWQ proposal to dredge 70% of Marco Island canals and create a series of islands in our waterways with that material. I was not available to attend the Special Council Meeting on May 5, where this was presented, but I have reviewed the proceedings and associated material available on the City website.

This caused me to be very concerned about numerous aspects of this project and the need for broad public awareness before the next meeting on the subject, given the potential adverse effect on our Island.

Some of my specific concerns are as follows:

• To the best of my knowledge, a project like this has never been done in island waterways with residences close by, with seawalls and docks.
• The “silt/muck” islands (24 proposed) to be created in our waterways could restrict navigation, obstruct views, reduce current water flow and the proposed plantings and shell reefs could produce foul smells, especially the mangroves which emit hydrogen Sulfide, attract insects and would be difficult to remove if needed due to a protected status.
• The proposed islands would also be vulnerable to damage or destruction from hurricanes, which would create major problems to clean up.
• The dredging would create increased turbidity in the water due to stirring up the silt and sludge/muck, and this material could return to the excavated area quickly.
• There could also be significant ongoing maintenance and restoration cost to the City after the first few years.
• This project does not address the source of our pollution, including poor quality runoff, inadequate fertilizer control, and harmful material in our reuse water, all of which should be addressed before such a high-risk project is undertaken.
• This proposed Public Private Partnership is required to demonstrate clear benefits to the public and obtain input through a transparent process, which in my opinion is severely lacking.

It’s imperative that all of our residents learn more about this and express their concerns to City Council. The detailed C-HAWQ proposal can be accessed and viewed on the following link. Pictures of the locations of the 24 artificial proposed islands are shown on pages 18 through 21.:

https://marcoisland.legistar.com/gateway.aspx?M=F&ID=01a9ab64-ac07-417b-b1d6-2b6c98135cf7.pdf

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