Much anticipated Manatee Pocket dredging complete; public invited to celebrate improved navigation, access and water quality

For immediate release: Jan. 13, 2012
Contact: Kathy Fitzpatrick, Engineering Dept.,
772.288.5429 or kfitzpat@martin.fl.us

After 18 months and the removal of approximately 280,000 cubic yards of sediment, the channel dredging of the Manatee Pocket is now complete. The resulting 100-foot wide main channel has already greatly improved navigation and access to the pocket and its tributaries, providing economic benefits as well as enhancements to the natural environment and water quality.

The public is invited to commemorate the completion of this important project at a celebration event to be held on Thursday, January 26, at 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Pirate’s Loft on Bayview Street in Port Salerno. The event is sponsored by Dickerson Florida, Inc.

Mechanical dredging work will continue for an additional two months as additional sediments are removed from the Pocket as part of the private dredging portion of this project. The dredging contractor has also begun the process of removing sediment from the material handling site located on US-1 and demobilizing dredging equipment throughout the pocket. The entire demobilization process is expected to be complete within the next few months.

The $13 million dredging project, coordinated by Martin County, was funded primarily through grants from the local, state and national programs. For more information about the dredging project, visit The Manatee Pocket Project or call
1-800-580-9149.

About the Manatee Pocket Project

The Manatee Pocket Project is a dredging project that entailed the removal of approximately 280,000 cubic yards of sediment from the Manatee Pocket in Port Salerno. Dredging of the Manatee Pocket began in July 2010. Now that it is essentially complete, the project has resulted in a 100-foot-wide channel that provides navigational and environmental enhancements to the Manatee Pocket and its adjacent waterways as well as important economic benefits for the surrounding communities. The $13 million dredging project, coordinated by Martin County, was funded primarily through grants from the local, state and national programs.

The goals of the project were to:
• Increase the draft and size of vessels that would be able to access the Pocket
• Define a channel to minimize impacts to adjacent shallow water areas and benefit manatee protection
• Remove detrimental sediments
• Improve the ability of marine life to re-establish in the Pocket
• Improve the water quality in the Pocket by greatly reducing the re-suspension of sediment

For more information, visit www.manateepocketproject.com

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