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Waterways Quality and the City bacteria levels that meet the more stringent EPA standard
Our Fort Lauderdale waterways are Florida Department of for swimming beaches. The more inland sites have greater
Environmental Protection Class III Waters, designated for impacts from urban runoff, especially after rain events,
recreational activities and maintaining a healthy and well and are less often compliant with the FDEP Class III water
balanced marine eco-system. standards for bacteria.”
“Waterway quality continues to be a City Commission priority,” According to Dr. Gassman, the city has accomplished a
says Dr. Nancy Gassman, Assistant Director of Public Works number of clean-up initiatives throughout our waterways since
and Sustainability for the City of Fort Lauderdale. “In lieu of 2020. From the $200 million new storm water infrastructure
the $3.1 million fine, the city proposed three in-kind projects investment, to dredging and installing aerators at specific
with water quality features estimated at a value of $4.6 million. contaminated sites.
The three projects included the River Oaks Neighborhood
Stormwater Improvements, the Edgewood Neighborhood Green-Gray Living Seawalls show
Stormwater Improvements and the restoration of the Osceola solutions and mitigation promise
Creek from SW 32nd Place to Marina Boulevard.” Several of Fort Lauderdale’s neighboring cities along the
Intracoastal are experimenting with an approach known
Realizing our contaminated water could be creating a
health hazard, in January 2021 our city hired the Miami as “Green-Grey” infrastructure. Green-Gray infrastructure
Waterkeeper water-quality monitoring program to test for combines conservation and/or restoration of ecosystems with
the selective use of conventional engineering approaches
bacteria levels in our waterways. Ten sites were chosen based to provide people with solutions that deliver climate change
on high contamination levels and those with the highest rate of resilience and adaptation benefits. According to FEBA
recreational activity. Those sites are Annie Beck Park, Coontie (Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation), a founding member
Hatchee Park, the Himmarshee Canal, Lake Sylvia, Middle of the Global Green-Gray Infrastructure Community of
River/George English Park, Royal Palm Drive, the Sandbar, Practice, led by Conservation International, a hybrid approach
Sunrise Bay, Hugh Taylor Birch Park, Sweeting Park, and can generate more benefits and climate resiliency for people
Tarpon River. and nature than either strategy applied alone.
Test results data can be found on the Miami Waterkeeper Here in Fort Lauderdale and many other coastal cities,
website, or on the Swim Guide App, www.theswimguide.org. seawalls are used as the first line of defense against rising
Sites that test consistently high for bacteria are Annie Beck seas. With the threat of rising sea levels more evident today
Park, the Himmarshee Canal, Sweeting Park, Tarpon River, and than ever before, new height requirements for seawalls have
Cootie Hatchie Park.
already been enacted and may even be raised again. This
When asked how the city is responding to those areas that means more seawall updating projects throughout our city for
frequently test high, Dr. Gassman said “While the city is both the public and private sector, including projects on our
awaiting the final Miami Waterkeeper annual report for 2022, Las Olas Isles, as well as up and down the entire Intracoastal
designated water-sport activity areas consistently have Waterway and connecting canals.

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