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DEP OKs Delayed Dredging Project

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By GEOFF FOX

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 4, 2008

PORT RICHEY - PORT RICHEY - The Florida Department of Environmental Protection signed off Thursday on plans to dredge 22 canals and four channels, a multimillion-dollar project that has been years in the making.

Before the permit is officially granted, the city must publish a notice of the agency's intent in a local newspaper.

"If nobody objects to the notice after 14 days, then our agency will issue the permit," said Ana Gibbs, a DEP spokeswoman. "But if anyone has a complaint, they can request an administrative hearing with our attorney."

The project will not violate water-quality standards, won't harm fish and wildlife resources, and will not interfere with rights of residents along the canals, according to the notice of intent the DEP issued Thursday afternoon.

City Councilman Perry Bean characterized Thursday's ruling as a "big landmark" for the city, which applied for the DEP permit in 2006.

"It's been a really bumpy road," he said. "Now, the work begins to find the money to pay for it. It will be tremendously expensive, especially with our resources being extremely limited."

Estimates for the entire project range from $8 million to $16 million, Bean said.

The city's redevelopment and general funds might be tapped to pay for the project, and a special taxing district could be established, he said.

The city probably will pursue state and federal grants, too.

The project calls for removing about 27,225 cubic yards of material from the Pithlachascotee River, Miller's Bayou and other canals and waterways in the city. The DEP said the areas appeared to have been previously dredged in the 1950s.

The city submitted three permit applications to the DEP and the Army Corps of Engineers in January 2006; the one DEP signed off on Thursday is the only one that has made significant progress through the regulatory process. The Corps already has approved dredging most of the canals.

Of the other two, one involves digging a new channel from an existing canal off Old Post Road so boaters can reach the Gulf of Mexico. State and federal officials say that plan will take away too much seagrass. The other is for creating a waterway linking the Pithlachascotee River to Lake Deedra.

State regulators initially had concerns about the city's plans for storing, drying and disposing of the dredged materials. Under the agency-approved plan, that material will be temporarily stored at Waterfront Park. The city can use an industrial site on Oreto Drive as a permanent storage facility.

Destruction of seagrass beds, considered a vital marine habitat, was another concern, as the proposed project would result in the dredging of almost 1.5 acres of seagrass, which provides habitat for fish and other marine life.

Under the DEP permit, the city must create a 63-acre seagrass protection zone to be marked by signs at Brasher Park, Waterfront Park, American Marina, Sunset Landing Marina and the boat ramp at Nick's Park.

"We're going to have to take it slow and do it as we can afford it," Bean said. "If we have to go one canal at a time, that's how we'll do it."

Reporter Christian Wade contributed to this story. Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 779-4613 or gfox@tampatrib.com.

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