Imperial Point Civic Association Imperial Point is a vibrant community located Northeast Fort Lauderdale, Florida
THE C-14 CANAL PROPERTIES HAVE FLOODING
AND BOAT CLEARANCE PROBLEMS
The homeowner properties located contiguously along coastal canals in Fort Lauderdale have problems with the ever-increasing threat of high tides cascading over the old seawalls and inundating their properties with canal water. These tidal events have been increasing over the years and are predicted to continue through the 2030’s, especially during the last quarter of each year when the moon’s orbit is in alignment with the earth and sun to intensify the effects of sea-level rise leading to ultra-high flooding in coastal communities. They don’t call Fort Lauderdale the Venice of America for nothing!
Canals Cascading Over Seawalls Inundating Properties
The City of Fort Lauderdale has been replacing their old deteriorating seawalls by increasing the height by 2 1/2 feet of elevation to stop the canal water from flooding into these waterway properties. These seawall improvement projects are slow going and are very costly along with all of the other water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure projects that are being systematically repaired and/or replaced.
The canal waterway properties located south of the McNab Road C-14 Canal Bridge have not only been experiencing increased high tides cascading over the seawalls inundating their properties, but also have been limited to the size of their boats that are able to navigate underneath the C-14 Canal Bridge. The C-14 Canal is a navigable waterway for boats which falls under the authority of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to regulate same; however, they do not seem to have any problems with this boat safety clearance concern.
Pompano Beach McNab Road C-14 Canal Bridge
The City of Pompano Beach Highway and Bridge Maintenance Division has been performing bridge repairs and maintenance to their McNab Road Bridge for many years and are finally going to widen the bridge to improve both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The City of Pompano Beach offered to heighten the bridge for larger sized boat traffic to travel underneath same for an additional cost of $500,000 to whomever wanted to pay for this change in design. The City of Fort Lauderdale discussed this offer but voted against it since they have their own bridges to repair and maintain. A suggestion was made to those property owners located along the C-14 Canal south of the McNab Road Bridge to vote amongst themselves to fund the construction portion to heighten the bridge.
At this writing, I am unaware of any agreement being consummated between those canal homeowners and the City of Pompano Beach to fund the construction portion to heightening the McNab Road Bridge over the C-14 Canal. The City of Pompano Beach and their Engineering Division can be contacted at 954-786-4060 regarding their current status of the design completion and construction schedule for the bridge improvements.
Submitted by Ralph Zeltman
