Brevard County Gets Permit To Dredge Muck In Indian River
By Space Coast Daily // May 20, 2015
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — The Brevard County Natural Resources Management Office has received a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit to allow muck removal from the mouth of Turkey Creek.
With this permit in hand, the Turkey Creek project will be the first muck removal funded by the Florida Legislature to benefit the Indian River Lagoon.
The Lagoon is suffering from the cumulative impacts of more than a century of various types of pollution. There is no quick or simple solution.
Sustainable lagoon restoration is possible but requires a multi-faceted approach that includes Reducing current sources of pollution, Removing old deposits of pollution, and Restoring the lagoon’s natural filters.
The specific actions we take to Reduce, Remove and Restore should be based on Research.
Old pollution deposits can be removed by dredging out the muck. Due to the regional and national importance of this estuary, the County continues to seek financial assistance from outside Brevard County for dredging costs.
After successfully obtaining the federal permit, the first muck dredging project is anticipated to begin in July at the mouth of Turkey Creek, funded by the Florida Legislature. Up to 240,000 cubic yards of muck will be removed, subject to available funding.
Muck dredging in Cocoa Beach will begin a bit later, pending federal permits.
Dave Netterstrom, Mayor of Cocoa Beach said, “the City of Cocoa Beach is looking forward to partnering with Brevard County and the Florida Legislature to help the Indian River Lagoon through muck removal.”
The city continues to work diligently toward acquiring the necessary federal permit. Additional funds are being sought through the state legislature to assure completion of the Turkey Creek project and also remove muck from other priority sites throughout the lagoon.
Beyond the muck dredging efforts, Brevard County has embarked on an aggressive restoration strategy for the lagoon to reduce excess nutrient inputs, restore the filtration system (oysters, clams and wetlands) and ensure that sound research is the basis of the effort.
As part of this restoration strategy, the removal of the legacy load (muck) is critical to overall success.
