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County proposes using Newfield conservation land to support IRL South dredge project; Corps and FIND back plan
Summary
Martin County staff proposed amending the Newfield development agreement to allow conserved/open-space parcels to be used as an upland disposal site for dredged material from the Indian River Lagoon South restoration. Federal and regional partners said the location would help move the IRL South 'de-mucking' project forward.
County growth-management staff presented a proposed first amendment to the Newfield development agreement to expand the permitted public‑benefit uses of certain conserved/open-space parcels. The amendment would allow the county to use a designated upland area adjacent to the C-23 canal as a permanent upland disposal site (DMMA) for spoil material from the Indian River Lagoon South (IRL South) restoration.
John Mail Manor, the county’s resource administrator, said the change responds to major advances in IRL South planning since the Newfield agreement was adopted in 2018. He told commissioners that what was once envisioned as a stormwater treatment area at the site now has greater public value as a dredge-material storage and management area that can help the broader federal-state restoration effort. “Fixing the watershed is like repairing a roof after a hurricane rips it off,” he said, describing dredge removal as a later restoration phase that would restore habitat and light availability for seagrass and oysters.
Major Corey Bell, deputy commander for South Florida with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, described the proposed upland disposal site as “critical for the de-mucking of the IRL South project,” noting the site’s logistical value for storing material removed from the estuary. Michael Kennedy of the Florida Inland Navigation District also endorsed collaboration between FIND and the county, saying the paired storage areas would ease logistics for the planned removal of millions of cubic yards of material.
County staff emphasized the amendment is the first of two required public hearings; it does not authorize immediate dredging or construction. Commissioners and members of the public raised technical questions about potential salinity, long-term storage implications, and contingency plans if federal funding or project timelines change. Staff said the county will retain control of the conserved parcel and can use it for environmental purposes even if federal operations are delayed.
The matter will return for a second public hearing at a later meeting, when the board can take final action on the amendment.
