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These boats obstruct access to the lake, pollute its waters, and being dumped into the lake, trash thrown into yards, and
pose risks to waterfront homes and infrastructure. If no action pump-out services going unused.
is taken, the damage, both ecological and economic, will only Others are left completely unattended for months or years,
get worse.
serving as makeshift boat storage for absentee owners
How We Got Here avoiding marina fees. These boats often break free during
For decades, Fort Lauderdale regulated anchoring in its storms or strong currents, causing serious damage to docks,
waterways, limiting it to no more than 24 hours. But in 2009, seawalls, bridges, and even power lines.
a change in state law removed that authority from local Resident John Payne recalls a particularly dangerous incident:
governments. Overnight, cities like Fort Lauderdale lost the “Boats in Lake Sylvia have broken loose from their mooring,
ability to enforce meaningful anchoring restrictions, and Lake causing damage to homes, seawalls, docks, FPL power lines,
Sylvia became vulnerable to long-term occupation. and the city bridges. One such instance caused the pole-
That changed this year. On May 19, 2025, Governor mounted electric transformer right outside our bedroom
Ron DeSantis signed new legislation into law restoring window to explode, raining oil, debris, and sparks onto our
local control. The law authorizes counties in Florida with yard and house.”
populations over 1.5 million, including Broward County, to Privacy is also a growing concern. Some vessels anchor just
limit overnight anchoring to no more than 30 days in any feet from waterfront homes. In one troubling case, a woman
6-month period. This presents an important opportunity for Fort looking for her Airbnb liveaboard reservation mistakenly
Lauderdale to act. entered a private residence after the boat owner had listed the
address without the homeowner’s knowledge.
The Reality on the Water
Long-term anchored boats on Lake Sylvia are more than just A Path Forward
an eyesore. When occupied, they often operate without any This issue isn’t about chasing away responsible cruisers or
proper waste management. Residents have reported sewage visitors. The concern is with those who treat Lake Sylvia as a

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