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Miami Lakes announces slow‑wake signs on Loch Ness to protect manatees and shorelines
Summary
Mayor Josh Higgins said the town will install slow‑wake signage and two booms along Loch Ness to curb high wakes from boats and jet skis, citing concerns about manatee safety and shoreline erosion; former Vice Mayor Louis Collazo gave historical context and Councilman J.C. Fernandez endorsed the measures. No funding or timeline was specified.
Mayor Josh Higgins announced during opening remarks that Miami Lakes will install slow‑wake signage and two booms along the Loch Ness waterway to curb high wakes from boaters and jet skis and to protect manatees and nearby property.
The move, Higgins said, covers roughly one mile of the waterway. “There are 13 full‑post slow‑wake signs and 2 booms for this whole mile, and we'll be able to better regulate boaters and jet skiers who speed through these waterways, potentially causing damage to our manatee population as well as to our property values as a result of the repeated wake constantly eroding the soil along the embankment,” Mayor Josh Higgins said.
Former Vice Mayor Louis Collazo, who Higgins asked to provide background, described Loch Ness and adjacent Lake Roof as ecologically significant. “This is a very unique waterway. ... This waterway is home to marine mammals like the manatee and also species from the freshwater and saltwater family,” Collazo said. “So it's important for us as boaters to be conscious about it, not just protecting the property values, but also protecting our natural resources.” He added the project is a personal priority: “And this is a passion project of mine being an avid fisherman, making sure that Miami Lakers are protected and so are the animals that live here.”
Councilman J.C. Fernandez, who said he speaks as a boater and captain, endorsed the signage as a navigation aid and a protective measure. “These are the markers that I look for when I'm navigating. Certainly, it's going to help with erosion and to be mindful of manatees and other wildlife,” Fernandez said, and credited Collazo with spearheading the effort.
Higgins listed other council members present when he announced the project: Vice Mayor Brian Moreira, Councilman Steven Herzberg and Councilman Angelo Cuadra Garcia.
The town did not specify funding sources, a timeline for installation, or whether the measures require permits or approvals from county or state agencies during the remarks. No formal vote or regulatory action was recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.
Next steps, according to the remarks on the record, were not specified during the announcement; the council members present did not state a date for implementation or funding details.
