Page 24 - HB1225

Local News & UPDATES

Waterways Update
I n early November, 2025, Fort Lauderdale City Manager,
Rickelle Williams, via a letter to the Mayor and City of Fort
Lauderdale Commissioners (LTC No. 25-219), provided the
following updates on the City's waterway initiatives:

• Slow Speed Zone: On November 6, 2025, the Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will vote on a
proposal to implement a year-round slow speed zone on the
lntracoastal Waterway (ICW) between Sunrise Boulevard and
Oakland Park Boulevard. Current regulations allow vessels to
travel up to twenty-five (25) miles per hour depending on the
time of day, day of the week, and season. (Editor's Update:
The proposal was approved. See Mayor's Message pg. 14.)
• Mangrove Plantings: The City completed two (2) mangrove
plantings at Coontie Hatchee Park and George English Park.
Additionally, through a partnership with the University of
Florida, fifty (50) additional mangroves are being donated to
the New River Middle School's Eco Sharks Club, to nurture
until the mangroves are ready for future City plantings.

• Grant Opportunity: The City is collaborating with Nova
Southeastern University to pursue a Community Foundation of
Broward funding opportunity. The goal is to study the newly
planted mangroves and conduct annual testing to determine
the substances they are absorbing from the City's waterways.
• Anchoring Restriction: The thirty (30)-day overnight • Water Quality Monitoring Stations: The U.S. Environmental
anchoring restriction has yielded positive results. Lake Sylvia, Protection Agency (EPA) posted a Notice of Funding
previously home to approximately twenty-five (25) anchored Opportunity specific to South Florida. City staff are evaluating
vessels, now has only four (4) remaining. Similar success has this grant to potentially fund real-time water quality monitoring
been observed along the ICW north of Las Olas Boulevard stations. These stations would continuouslycollect data on
and in Sunrise Bay. A boater information brochure was parameters including temperature, depth, salinity, dissolved
created to welcome visitors and explain the anchorinq policy. oxygen, pH, turbidity, chlorophyll, and blue-green algae
The brochure is distributed proactively by Fort Lauderdale indicators (nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate). Due to the federal
Police Department's Marine Patrol Unit to arrivinq boaters. government shutdown, this initiative is temporarily on hold but
• Sewage Pumpout Vessel: The procurement of a sewage will be revisited once fundinq resumes.
pumpout vessel is in progress. The initiative received significant • Adopt a Waterway: Public interest has emerged for an
media attention including interviews by Channel 10 News. "Adopt a Waterway" initiative, modeled after the City's "Adopt
• Response Procedures: On October 11, 2025, a vessel a Street" program. Outreach with internal stakeholders to
caught fire and sank in the ICW south of Commercial assess the feasibility of long-term implementation is ongoing.
Boulevard. With the improved emergency abatement process • Living Seawall Program: Discussions are underway to
recently implemented by City staff-a collaboration between develop a Living Seawall Permit Fee Rebate Program, which
Community Enhancement, Procurement, and Public Works-the would help offset building permit costs for property owners
vessel was removed within twenty-four (24) hours, markinq a who install living seawalls instead of traditional seawalls. City
siqnificant improvement from past response times. staff aim to present at a City Commission Conference meetinq
in early 2026.

22 HARBOR BEACH Magazine | www.harborbeach.org

11/18/25 6:34 PM
HB 1225.indd 22
HB 1225.indd 22 11/18/25 6:34 PM