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County approves Northwest Port Charlotte waterway dredging assessment following public input
Summary
Commissioners approved a proposed assessment increase to fund spot dredging at channel mouths and interior reaches in the Northwest Port Charlotte Waterway; staff presented bathymetric survey results and estimated costs, and residents pressed for targeted work and better communication.
The Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners voted July 16 to approve a waterway MSBU increase for the Northwest Port Charlotte Waterway to fund spot dredging of the Apollo, Venus and Cheshire channels.
Public Works presented a recommended depth (3.8 feet below mean low tide for selected reaches), an estimated dredge volume of 5,862 cubic yards, engineering costs of about $120,000 and a dredging estimate near $1,147,000 (total reported ~$1,267,000). The advisory board recommended raising the annual assessment from $100 toward a proposed $310 in FY26 (with a proposed drop in that assessment in FY27 as debt service declines).
Residents who spoke described navigation chokepoints—particularly the entrance to the Apollo Waterway where sandbars periodically form—and urged the county to prioritize the specific low‑depth openings rather than broad system dredging. Several speakers said they had not received clear advance notice of advisory‑board meetings and urged easier access to meeting schedules and bathymetric maps; staff said the opening bathymetric survey (2023) cost just over $19,000 and additional targeted surveys are planned as part of the project.
Commissioners debated urgency, the small unit size and how to balance affordability and effectiveness; staff said the proposed scope focuses on openings and is the minimum practical dredge depth for permitting. After discussion Commissioner Doherty moved to adopt the resolution as drafted and the board approved it unanimously.
Next steps: staff will proceed with permitting and procurement for the scoped spot dredges, perform additional bathymetric surveys noted in the presentation, and return with contract/bid results and a schedule for the work.
