NWPC Interior Canal Maintenance Dredge

Project Description

The North West Port Charlotte MSBU Advisory Board has brought concerns to Charlotte County staff about restricted depths and safe navigation on the landward ends of their canals, including potential high spots located in the Markham, Cheshire, Apollo, Ingersol, Jupiter, and Bayshore Waterways. Previous dredge events include spot dredging of the interior waterways in 2009 and the access channel restoration dredge in 2004. This new request was first initiated in 2018 and was going to be a select spot dredge. The project was shelved for some time due to a lack of a quorum with the MSBU Advisory Board. In the second half of 2020, the board gained new members, and discussions of dredging continued. The request for a new dredge project remained, and a motion was approved to move forward with a more comprehensive dredge project to -3.5’MLW (Mean Low Water). County staff and Coastal Engineering Consultants have re-engaged in this design and permitting project with an increased scope of work. The end result will be a maintenance dredge along sections of the canals listed above to restore depth and safe navigation for boaters. Coastal will prepare final construction plans and bids specs and will apply for a notice of exemptions with state permitting agencies. Once this design work is concluded, the dredging will go out to bid, and a successful low contracting bidder will be awarded to carry out the dredging.

Project Location

 Markham, Cheshire, Apollo, Ingersol, Jupiter, and Bayshore Waterways. Canals within the NWPC MSBU waterway system.

Project Impacts

Increased trucking traffic on certain routes during the dredging process.

Restored depth and safer navigation / accessibility upon completion. 

Latest Updates

Arbor Tree & Land was awarded this project early 2022 and agreed to a notice to proceed date of 8-1-22. ATL was unable to start on the NTP date due to claims of ongoing covid delays but was ready to mobilize in Sep. ahead of hurricane Ian. That storm sidelined the chance of that happening. ATL agreed with the county to change order days out till 1-16-23 where a new NTP date would be agreed upon.  Currently ATL is working for the Florida Division of Emergency Management in Charlotte County on waterway debris removal and is currently tied up with those efforts. Charlotte county needs the debris removal to be performed within the NWPC waterways ideally before dredging is to be performed. County staff and ATL has agreed to move the start date of this project to 12-4-23 to allow for this work to be completed. The change order of time was finalized so the project will start in Dec. In addition, county staff has submitted a purchase request to hire an engineering firm to perform a bathymetric survey of the NWPC access channels after receiving many reports of hurricane impacts and shoaling within those channels. As of Mid-March, the county has selected a firm to conduct post-storm bathymetric survey and is currently in negotiation of scope and fee. These surveys will include the access channels of NWPC where reported shoaling is located. Post storm field survey work was completed in early June and county staff just received draft deliverables, though those deliverables are still under review. Recently ATL and project management began discussion of the potenial of starting the dredge project earlier then Dec. 4th. ATL is currently in the area and available. They are working on finding staging areas. 

Budget

Funding source(s): NWPC Waterway MSBU.

Schedule

Supporting Materials

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