Posted on July 12, 2021
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — St. Lucie County plans to dredge Taylor Creek.
Mobilization of this project will begin on Monday, July 12. Actual work to dredge will begin in August and last nine-12 months.
The last time Taylor Creek was dredged was in July of 2004, and roughly seven feet of muck and silt has built up in the navigation channel. This project will contribute to the overall health of the Indian River Lagoon and restore safety to the navigation channel.
According to the county crews expect to remove roughly 76,000 cubic yards of muck sediments. The dredge material will be placed next to the site in a spoil area on Treasure Coast International Airport property. Once it is dried out, the spoil site will be emptied for future re-use.
Nearly 60-80 gopher tortoises need to be relocated from the spoil area, and the county is working with the Environmental Resources Department to do so. Also, no dredging will take place between Nov. 15 and March 31, 2022 to comply with manatee migration patterns.
The $2.7 million project is entirely funded through grants from the South Florida Water Management District, Florida Inland Navigation District and a Legislative appropriation.
