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Sampson Canal cleared; emergency management staff achieve state certifications
Summary
County officials reported completion of a canal-clearing project on Sampson Canal to improve storm drainage and said emergency management staff achieved Florida Emergency Preparedness Association certifications.
Bradford County officials reported at the Feb. 4 meeting that the Sampson Canal cleanout—from Sampson Lake down to three pipes—has been completed using an alternative, lower-cost method identified by county staff and partners.
Speakers said the project cleared about 3.5 acres of overgrowth that had reduced the effectiveness of the canal's three drainage pipes. The project cost reported at the meeting was $8,000; the water board contributed $2,000 and the county paid approximately $6,000.
County emergency management staff said the timing of the work required coordination with permitting agencies and avoidance of restricted environmental work during duck-hunting seasons. Board members were shown before-and-after photos and staff said they will monitor lake gauges and gate operations to measure the project's impact on lake-level control.
In the same report, emergency management leaders announced two staff members received Florida Emergency Preparedness Association certifications: Noah Tinsler (recent) and Michael Heter (about a year earlier). The presenter said the county's emergency management division now has all its members certified by the state association.
"We identified a solution that had never been found before ... and once all that was signed off on, we then also had to work around duck season," the presenting emergency-management official said in explaining the project timeline.
Board members praised the work and asked for follow-up monitoring results to determine the effectiveness of the cleanout.
