Funds Needed To Dredge The Anclote River Waterway

Posted by Jeff Stolbom in News, Sponge Docks, Tarpon Springs | 0 comments

28.04.16

Tarpon Springs has a unique and amazing opportunity to secure funds to dredge the Anclote River Waterway. These funds will help to restore and maintain access to the City’s working waterfront for both commercial fisherman, commercial sponge divers (for which Tarpon Springs is known worldwide), and for our many visitors who bring tourism to our City and County. Please take a few minutes to submit a survey and comment on this issue. Your support is needed and appreciated. Give the County Your Feedback about using the BP Settlement Funds by Friday, April 29th, 2016. On April 13, the County issued a news release with an online survey on its website as public call for input into the use of the $7.1 million in BP Settlement Funds. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to get our project in the forefront at the beginning of the County’s process.  We encourage each of you to complete the online survey, and please share this with others that you know who are supportive of the dredge project. HERE is a link to the survey The last part of the survey allows you to type in your ideas for a project, and this is where we encourage you to submit comments. SAMPLE TEXT TO USE IN THE SURVEY (Use this directly or draft your own): As a (member of the Marine Commerce Committee/resident/business owner), I would like the County to consider a maintenance dredge of the Anclote River. The dredge is a Federally Authorized Project, and was last dredged nearly 20 years ago. Commissioner Eggers has met with City leadership and has expressed his interest to utilize BP Settlement Funding to support the City in the same or similar manner as the 1998 dredge. I feel that such a project would be an ideal fit for the use of the BP Settlement Funds as it will help to restore and maintain access to the City’s working waterfront for both commercial fisherman, commercial sponge divers (for which Tarpon Springs is known worldwide), and for our many visitors who bring tourism to our City and County.  I thank you for considering this input. HERE is a link to a recent news article about this project Read a Newspaper Article About the Project In case you didn’t see it, HERE is a link to the Tampa Bay Times article of April 15 on the project Watch a Video about BP Settlement Funds At a work session on April 5, Pinellas County Commissioners had an initial discussion about the funds, and HERE is the link to the video City of Tarpon Springs We have also posted links to the survey on the City’s Facebook page (comments welcomed) and the City’s Official Website