Subject:
Title
Staff Direction: Muck Removal from the Grand Canal (District 4)
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Fiscal Impact:
$8 million to $19.9 million of Save Our Indian River Lagoon Sales Tax (Fund 1260) and up to $5.1 million of state grant funds, depending on the option chosen
Dept/Office:
Natural Resources Management Department (NRM), Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) Program
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners consider options and provide direction to staff for continuing muck removal in the Grand Canal Muck Removal Project Area and authorize the County Manager to execute contracts or change orders to implement the Board’s chosen option, upon approval from the County Attorney’s Office and Risk Management.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
The Grand Canal project is in the unincorporated portion of the Grand Canal system, stretching from the Pineda Causeway to the northern edge of Samsons Island (Attachment A). In August 2019, the County contracted for the removal of 485,600 cubic yards (CY) of muck, which was the estimated volume of muck based on pre-project design surveys. Actual dredged volumes in the completed areas have been greater than the original estimated volume, resulting in the contractor achieving their contracted volume before completing the entire geographic area. This additional muck volume is attributable to: 1) hundreds of homeowners signing waivers that allow dredging to reach closer to their docks and seawalls than the original estimate assumed, 2) permit revisions that allow adding the Berkeley Canal to the project, 3) permit revisions that allow deeper dredging to get to the bottom of the muck instead of leaving 6” behind, and 4) new muck accumulating from algae blooms, fish kills and upland sources.
The contract to remove 485,600 CY removed muck from most of the unincorporated Grand Canal area. Attachment B highlights the areas dredged to date in green, utility corridors in orange, and the areas yet to be dredged in yellow. A change order was executed in May to add muck removal from the Berkeley Canal, which was excluded from the original state and federal permits due to high manatee use. Areas yet to be dredged include Lake Shepard (about 53,117 CY) and two entrance channels located north (8,296 CY) and south (5,887 CY) of the bridge over the Grand Canal. On June 24, 2025, the County received cost proposals from Gator Dredging for completing these areas.
Approximately $5.1 Million of state grant funds remain available to offset additional project costs. The SOIRL Project Plan, most recently approved by the Board on February 11, 2025, allocates funds to continue muck removal in the remaining areas. The entire Grand Canal project area is fully permitted, with dredging equipment on-site and a contractor ready to proceed. Board approval of a change order will allow the remaining work to proceed.
Large-scale muck removal is most cost-effectively accomplished via hydraulic dredging. Hydraulic dredging uses water and suction to lift and transport material through a pipeline to a dewatering site. Water and sediment are separated at the dewatering site and the water is returned to the lagoon. The dried sediment is then hauled to a disposal site. To date, dewatering has occurred at the Pineda Causeway Dredge Material Management Area (DMMA) authorized by the County Commission for temporary use through July 9, 2028. However, neighbors of the DMMA have asked the County to find an alternative dewatering site.
The Florida Inland Navigation District’s (FIND) BV-52 DMMA dewatering facility has been identified as the most viable alternative site, however it is not likely to be available before 2034. FIND has already approved use of BV-52 for the Eau Gallie Muck Removal Project which is anticipated to begin in August and proceed for approximately 2.5 years. The Cities of Satellite Beach and Indian Harbor Beach are next in line with projects already permitted to use BV-52 for dewatering. The estimated time to complete the city projects is 6 years following Eau Gallie.
The scenarios listed below compare options for completing the Grand Canal Project, with dewatering at the Pineda DMMA, at BV-52, or a hybrid combination of using the Pineda DMMA for the remainder of the 2025 dredging season and completing the remaining dredging with a pipeline to BV-52 in 2034. The proposed costs and details for each option are outlined below and in Attachment C.
Options:
• Pipeline - Pipeline muck from Lake Shepard and the two entry channels to the BV-52 DMMA in Palm Bay ($18.05M + CPI)
o Stops use of the Pineda DMMA earliest (dredging stops by 9/13/25 and site is restored by 12/12/25)
o Dredging resumes via pipeline when BV-52 becomes available around 2034
o State grant funds are set to expire in 2027 before work resumes (~$5.1M)
• Pineda - Continue using the Pineda DMMA to remove muck from Lake Shepard and the two entry channels ($13.1M)
o Completes use of the Pineda DMMA prior to 2028 deadline (dredging stops by 11/30/25 and site is restored by 2/28/26)
o Expends the remaining state grant funds (~$5.1M)
• Hybrid - Continue using the Pineda DMMA to remove muck from Lake Shepard ($9.9M) and pipeline muck from the two entry channels to BV-52 ($10M + CPI). (Total cost $9.9M + $10M + CPI = $19.9 + CPI)
o Completes use of the Pineda DMMA prior to 2028 deadline (dredging stops by 10/30/25 and site is restored by 1/28/26)
o Dredging via pipeline to BV-52 resumes in 2034
o Expends the remaining state grant funds in 2025 (~$5.1M)
• Other Board direction
o Up to $5.1M of work completed by July 31, 2027 may be reimbursed by the state
Considerations for the Pipeline Option ($18.05M + CPI)
• Provide relief to the neighbors of the Pineda Dredge Material Management Area (DMMA) by stopping its use as soon as possible
• Stop dredging by September 13th, remove temporary facilities and restore vegetation at the Pineda DMMA by December 12, 2025, 2.5 years in advance of the July 9, 2028 deadline approved in a Public Hearing.
• Seek permits to include a 13.7-mile pipeline from the Grand Canal to BV-52 in Palm Bay
• Extend the Cities’ pipeline to BV-52 to dewater the remaining Grand Canal areas
• Pricing for work delayed to 2034 is subject to cost escalation that may exceed the approved budget for the project
• It may be possible to share pipeline mobilization costs with the Cities
• Risk loss of approximately $5.1 Million in State grant funds due to grant expiration date of July 31, 2027, approximately seven (7) years before dredging could resume
• Delivery of project benefits to the IRL ecosystem will be delayed by about 9 years
Considerations for the Pineda Option ($13.1M)
• Complete muck removal from all unincorporated areas using the Pineda DMMA
• Finish dredging by November 30, 2025, before the winter manatee closure season
• Remove temporary facilities and restore vegetation at the Pineda DMMA by February 28, 2026, 2.5 years in advance of the July 9, 2028 deadline approved in a Public Hearing.
• Avoid loss of approximately $5.1 Million in State grant funds for the Grand Canal
• Meet the county’s obligations, per the grant contract
• Lock in pricing and avoid the risk of cost escalation during the time it would take to pursue and procure an alternative DMMA
• Prevent project delays and deliver project benefits to the IRL ecosystem as soon as possible, including improved water quality, water clarity, oxygen levels, circulation, reduced risk of fishkills, harmful algae blooms and other environmental and economic harm posed by decomposing accumulations of muck pollution in the lagoon
Considerations for the Hybrid Option ($19.9 + CPI)
• Provide relief to the neighbors of the Pineda Dredge Material Management Area (DMMA) by stopping its use a month earlier than the Pineda option
• Complete the Lake Shepard area by October 30, 2025 using the Pineda DMMA ($9.9M)
• Remove temporary facilities and restore vegetation at the Pineda DMMA by January 28, 2026, 2.5 years in advance of the July 9, 2028 deadline approved in a Public Hearing.
• Expend the State grant funds ($5.1M) and meet the county’s grant contract obligations for the Grand Canal
• Lock in pricing and avoid the risk of cost escalation for the Lake Shepard area
• Deliver project benefits to Lake Shepard as soon as possible, including improved water quality, water clarity, oxygen levels, reduced risk of fish kills, harmful algae blooms and other environmental and economic harm posed by decomposing muck pollution
• Seek permits to include a 13.7-mile pipeline from the Grand Canal to BV-52 in Palm Bay
• Extend the Cities’ pipeline to BV-52 to dredge and dewater the two Grand Canal Entrance Channels ($10M + CPI)
• It may be possible to share pipeline mobilization costs with the Cities
• Pricing for Entrance Channel work delayed to 2034 is subject to inflationary cost escalation that may exceed the approved project budget
• Delivery of project benefits near the Entrance Channels will be delayed by about 9 years
If completed, the entire unincorporated Grand Canal project is expected to remove approximately 3,646,683 lbs of nitrogen and 364,367 lbs of phosphorus from the IRL system. Left in place, the ongoing decay of this muck annually releases approximately 34,187 lbs/year of nitrogen and 6,601 lbs/year of phosphorus. Attachment D presents pre-dredge and post-dredge data demonstrating the positive impacts of dredging, including trash and debris removal, reduced turbidity and algae blooms in open water areas, and increased dissolved oxygen levels at depth within canals.
When stirred up by waves and currents, muck clouds the water and prevents sunlight from reaching seagrass beds which are critical to dolphins, manatees, and 70% of the sportfish species found in Florida waters. Removal of muck significantly improves lagoon water quality and helps to achieve pollution reduction targets essential for restoring lagoon health.
Grand Canal Funding:
The Grand Canal Muck Removal Project was identified as one of five priority muck removal locations funded by the Florida Legislature in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Years later, in the absence of sufficient Legislative Funds, the Grand Canal project was added to the SOIRL Project Plan. With dedicated SOIRL funds as local match, additional funding was secured from St Johns River Water Management Grant ($983,180 in 2020 and $321,777 in 2022), a State Legislative Appropriation ($9,000,000 in 2023), and a State IRL Water Quality Grant ($10,053,228 in 2024).
Clerk to the Board Instructions: