Dredging Project
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It all begins with an idea. Many of us in the community live on the water. Presently we have rudimentary channel marking and a shallow route to the Intercostal Waterway. Ideally we would have a properly dredged channel with proper channel markers.
Having a properly marked and dredged channel will enhance safe navigation and significantly increase property values for all those with water access.
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These are the currently anticipated steps in the process:
Establish proposed route of channel and ensure it does not have rock that will impede dredging. Mark with 1" poles.
Bathymetric survey from the main canal out to the ICWW, this will provide the justification for the proposed dredge. The surveyor should adjust all measured depths to MLW. This survey will also help the engineer to calculate the amount of spoil to be dredged.
Engineered drawings showing the dimensions of the proposed cut: width, length, depth, and also account for sideslopes with a 2:1 slope.
Seagrass survey within the proposed dredge cut to ensure no seagrasses will be impacted. If seagrasses cannot be avoided, mitigation will be required (examples include removal of derelict vessels in the river, creating more optimal habitat for seagrasses, etc.)
Permitting will require an Individual Permit from FDEP and a Nationwide Permit (expected, may be elevated) from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The process for the permitting is likely to take at least a year or more.
A Public Interest Project will be required (donations to state-approved funds, spoil island projects, etc.).
If the channel is more than a 10 square foot to 1 linear foot of shoreline for the total number of applicants, the channel will require an easement from the Division of State Lands in Tallahassee. This process requires a survey of the channel (once you know permits are well on their way) and real estate estimates that will determine payment to the state for use of the channel by the residents of your community.
Conduct dredging and proper marking.
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In order to do this project, it is imperative that we get all possible neighbors to participate, not only for the financial support but it will also impact our ability to actually get the permit. The length of dredge is dependent on the number of homes on the water who support the work.
All financials will be available for any resident to view at any time. To include copies of all Statements of Work, Bank Records, Financial Contributions, Payments etc.
As the project goes along, those contributing will put in the amount needed for the next steps.
As new neighbors join the project, we will provide a summary of the costs to date, and ask them to contribute their percentage.
For step #1, this first piece of work it will be approximately $1600. Say there are 8 homes with a commitment to participate. Each home would pay ~$1600/8 or $200 each.
Each month we will work to bring new neighbors onboard. So say by the end of October, there are now 16 neighbors.
Those that have already contributed get their already contributed amount counted towards the overall cost of the project. Each new neighbor would contribute the same amount as those who have already contributed to that point. Their money would go towards the next phase of the project to thereby reduce the overall cost of that project by the amount given since this last phase
Say we complete Phase 1 in October, and the original 8 put in $200 each. If we had 8 "New" contributors (16 total), their contributions would be $200 (same all others put in originally) and go to reduce the future bill of Step #2.
So if Step #2 in the project costs $5000 for surveys, etc., the $1600 from the 8 "New" members would reduce that bill for the now 16 supporters.
The 16 people in the project would contribute 1/16th of the no longer $5,000 step 2, it would be $3400 ($5000 minus the "new" neighbors $1600).
Each of the 16 contributing members would then put in $212.50 towards Step 2.
At the end of step #2, each neighbor would have equally contributed $412.50 of the $6,600 spent to date on the project.
This process would repeat itself for the duration of the project, making it equitable for all those that have been contributing since the project started.
At the end of the project, if there are any funds over-collected, they would be returned to all those contributing in a manner that is consistent with all neighbors having ultimately paid the same amount.