LTC 393-2019 CITY RESTORES OUTFALLS TO PROMOTE CLEAN WATER AND MARINE HABITAT MIAMI BEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive,Miami Beach, Florida 33139,www.miamibeachfl.gov
Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
Tel: 305-673-7010, Fax: 305-673-7782 393-2019
NO. LTC# LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager , / /►k -Qor
DATE: July 10, 2019
SUBJECT: CITY RESTORES OUTFALLS TO PROMOTE CLEAN WATER AND MARINE HABITAT
We are excited to share that the City of Miami Beach was selected as a first-time recipient of a grant from
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Services. The Emergency
Watershed Program grant is designated to fund restoration work after a natural emergency. The City is
using the grant funds to clean the outfalls on 10th street and 14th street and restore the rip rap along the
outfalls on 10 street and 14 street to their pre-Hurricane Irma condition.
In 2016, winds, waves, and rain from Hurricane Irma obstructed the outfalls with debris, sediment and
rocks. Following a post-storm assessment, it was determined that the rip rap adjacent to the 10 street
and 14 street outfalls were most severely impacted. The restoration work will provide clear passage to
outfall water by removing the objects that hinder natural flow and strategically position rocks to prevent
future obstructions. If not maintained, the obstructed outfalls can cause flooding and increasing turbidity
by stirring the ocean floor and creating the appearance of cloudy water being discharged.
Rip rap creates marine habitat by providing a surface for corals and sponges to grow and places for
juvenile fish to hide from predators. Additionally, rip rap at outfalls reduces water velocities to minimize
turbidity. The restoration work will further enhance its ecological value by removing sediments deposited
on top of the rip rap and will return the boulders to their design location, stabilizing the bay bottom,
reducing the potential for turbidity, and ultimately resulting in cleaner water.
Earlier this week the City conducted site visits alongside the Miami-Dade County Division of
Environmental Resources Management and the contractor, Gator Dredging, to kickstart the effort.
Beginning this week, a trained team from Gator Dredging will install a turbidity curtain to prepare the area
for restoration, which will take two weeks per location to complete. A 16' x 30' barge will be used to hold
the rocks during that time period.
For more information, please contact Roy Coley at roycoley@miamibeachfl.gov.
JM/ETC/' (/LBM