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RVCA Special Report continued

• The expected dredging area is expected to be 800 feet
–extending 200 feet on both sides of the primary impact
area region east of the Tarpon River.
• There will most likely be limitations to the traffic on 9th
Avenue near the Tarpon River bridge, as the project will
require equipment and disposal staging. However, it is
currently uncertain how long this limitation may be.
• The actual “dredging” process will most likely take
6 – 10 weeks.
• Typically dredging activities will impact the smell
surrounding the remediated area; it is uncertain what the
impact of Tarpon River will be, but there may be some
period of air quality unpleasantness for
the neighborhood until the project gets
completed.

After the Tarpon River
Remediation
One of the biggest concerns that most
local residents have is whether our South
Florida waterways are safe for the
recreation and boating that the community
has grown so accustomed to – and what
can the neighborhoods, City and County
do longer term to preserve our waterways.
As an additional effort to address and
monitor the local waterways, the City
entered into an agreement with “Miami
Waterkeeper” to test surface water quality
at ten different locations throughout the
city weekly, and provide reporting for such
testing on the “Swim Guide” app and/or on their website. Acknowledgements: The author and publisher would like to
Miami Waterkeeper is a non-profit organization focused on extend a special thanks to Raj Verma, City of Fort Lauderdale
community outreach, education and advocacy for South Public Works Director, and Todd Hiteshaw, City of Fort
Florida’s local waterways, and is not affiliated with the City. Lauderdale Environmental Services Manager, for their review,
Miami Waterkeeper tests primarily for “enterococci”, which input and technical assistance in the preparation of this
the EPA has determined is the best indicator of the existence update. Due to space constraints in this issue, we were
of illness-causing bacteria associated with wastewater. While unable to include some of their more specific comments and
this testing has certain limitations based on the specific body technical descriptions of the processes involved in the Tarpon
of water, it is a great source of public information that is River remediation project. We appreciate their assistance and
readily available to City residents. To find out more about will continue to keep in close touch with them in order to
Miami Waterkeeper, visit their website at keep our neighborhood residents informed of the project's
“miamiwaterkeeper.org”. progress as more information becomes available. RV

16 rio vista civic association • www.riovistaonline.com