Sanibel Slough dredging project set to begin
The city of Sanibel reported that it has received grant funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency to complete dredging within the easternmost portion of the Sanibel Slough.
The project is set to commence on June 25 and will last approximately five months.
It will involve the dredging of approximately 1,100 linear feet of the slough in the east basin between Beach Road and Elinor Way to increase capacity and treatment of stormwater runoff, reduce storm-related flooding and improve water quality. The dredging activity will remove approximately 5,000 cubic yards of organic, nutrient-rich muck from the slough bottom, restoring lost stormwater capacity.
The slough has been designated as an impaired waterbody for excess nutrient concentrations by the state and has been assigned a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) that sets targets the city must meet for nutrient reductions. The muck removal will reduce legacy nutrients in support of the established TMDL, while also reducing nutrient-rich stormwater discharge from the slough to the San Carlos Bay.
The city noted that this will result in benefits for seagrasses, oysters and other marine resources and enhance wildlife habitat within the slough and receiving waters.
For more information, contact Natural Resources Department environmental biologist Dana Dettmar at dana.dettmar@mysanibel.com.