HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoating Infrastructure ProjectBoating Infrastructure Projects ( Federal Narrative )
Objectives:
• To provide navigational aids for transient boaters seeking safe dockage through the
Brennan's Channel from the open water of the Atlantic Intracoastal Water to slips at the
Dinner Key Marina in Miami, Florida's Coconut Grove waterfront.
• To mitigate against mid -channel collisions in this heavily -trafficked waterway
• To reduce impacts on the seagrass and the marine environment caused by groundings of
vessels resulting from the current conditions of channel markers
Results Expected:
The project's scope will produce several economic and environmental dividends that include
protection of the seabed, reduction in the number of collisions, and an increase in berths for
transient and other vessels. Without these improvements this busy channel would not safely
accommodate the need for transient boaters seeking shelter in the marina. Given the number
and severity of tropical hurricanes and storms that strike Florida, such transient dock space near
a major city like Miami is vital. While the spending power of visitors is not an insignificant by-
product of this project, the safety provided by improved navigation is the most significant and
long-term result.
Approach:
The three existing structures are in an advanced state of deterioration from the corrosive effects
of saltwater and other damage caused by boats straying from the channel. They will be
removed and replace using marine construction technique responsive to the environment,
specifically from a barge anchored in the Channel and using only appropriate materials for
constructing the platforms.
Each lighted channel marker platform consists of a cluster of four pilings braced together, an
aluminum access ladder, wooden platform, beacon light, batteries, solar charging panel, and
day marker signs. Through�iis project, the City seeks to partner with the US Department of
the Interior and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to improve boater safety in a widely -
used recreational boating channel.
Location:
The project is located along Brennan's Channel, a conduit to and from open water from Dinner
Key Marina, Miami, Florida at 24.43.9 N latitude and 80.14.3 W longitude.