Subject:
Title
Staff Direction: Disposal sites for muck being dredged from the Indian River Lagoon (Districts 1, 2 and 4)
End
Fiscal Impact:
To be determined by Board direction
Dept/Office:
Natural Resources, Save Our Indian River Lagoon Program
Requested Action:
Recommendation
Direct staff on the Board's preferred approach for disposal of muck removed from the Indian River Lagoon.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
Removal of muck from the Indian River Lagoon significantly improves water quality and helps to achieve pollution reduction targets essential for restoring lagoon health. The positive impacts of muck dredging include trash and debris removal, improved water clarity, reduced nutrient pollution, fewer harmful algae blooms, increased dissolved oxygen levels and reduced risk of fish kills.
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, dewatered muck has been used as a nutrient-rich, organic amendment for agricultural soils, however local interest from suitable agricultural lands is nearing satiety.
Disposal options are needed for the Eau Gallie Causeway muck removal project (District 4), Sykes Creek Phase II (District 2), and the Mims Rim Ditch north of the Jones Road boat ramp (District 1). Grand Canal disposal may also be needed depending on separate Board direction for that project. The best disposal option may differ from one project to the next. Disposal options include the following:
1. Approve a Memorandum of Agreement with St Johns River Water Management District to use their Sebastian River Dredge Material Containment Area for disposal of material dredged from the Eau Gallie Causeway area and the Grand Canal (includ...
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