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Tarpon River Restoration

Project Update

By William Kirk, RVCA Board Member

s we enter into the month of March, the Rio Vista project, and the project should take as long as seven weeks to
community approaches the final steps of our complete. The execution of the dredging operation includes
Arecovery from the December 2020 sewer pipe the installation of tension cables stretched across the canal that
breach. In March/April, the City expects to begin its project will be dangerous for passing vessels, along with material
to dredge much of the remaining sediment from the barges transporting dredged material in a very narrow canal
neighborhood’s sewer pipe spill into the Tarpon River. The waterway. These dredging barges will require a full right of
project will focus on an estimated impact area of 400 feet way when moving excavated material. Accordingly, the
with an additional 200 feet of buffer on both sides bringing Contractor and City have provided the following guidance to
the total area of dredging to 800 feet, approximately 100 residents of the community regarding the project:
feet just west of the 9th Ave. bridge, and 700 immediately • During the length of the project, private boat and vessel
east of this section. movement will be held to a minimum.
The performance of the contract work will be executed by • Due to the required hydraulic dredge methodology, the
Arbor Tree & Land, Inc. (ATL), who was awarded the contract canal will be permanently closed and there will be no local
by the City in the fourth quarter of 2021. The contractor boat traffic permitted during the weekdays or dredging hours.
expects to utilize a number of on-water barges to execute the (cont. pg. 30)

28 rio vista civic association • www.riovistaonline.com