Project Description:

Birds eye view of project location

Project Goals:

• Open a permanent tidal connection between an impounded 470-acre estuary known as Clam Bayou and Pine Island Sound with a culvert and channel under Sanibel-Captiva Road
• Prevent fish kills, mangrove forest, seagrass and oyster bar die-offs in Clam Bayou
• Invite the public to join in the restoration effort by sponsoring volunteer plantings of mangrove seedlings where mangrove forest has been destroyed by impoundment
• Establish long term transects to measure the pre- and post-restoration distribution and density of mangroves, seagrasses, fish communities and oyster reefs

First Quarterly Progress Report: (Jan, Feb, March 2004)
by project leader Dr. Robert Loflin, April 19, 2004

• Currently in engineering design and permitting phase
• Chose Johnson Engineering of Fort Myers as contractor
• Anticipate receiving first draft of culvert and channel design and permitting drawings by end of April
• Submitted permits to the local DEP office and Corps of Engineers
• Construction dates planned for Aug-Nov 2004
• Monitoring plant life, animal life, and water quality in both Clam and Dinkins Bayous as background data for restoration.

Second Quarterly Progress Report: (April, May, June 2004)
by project leader Dr. Robert Loflin, July 14, 2004

• Johnson Engineering completed final design for the project
• Both Florida DEP and the Army Corps of Engineers completed initial review for permitting; city provided information requested
• Put out request for bids for contractors; bid opening this week
• Bids came in higher than expected due to increases in the price of concrete and rebar
• If necessary, the City of Sanibel will increase its match to cover difference
• We expect to award bid to Kelly Brothers, Inc., a local marine contracting firm and low bidder, within the next month.
• All pre-project monitoring is proceeding on schedule in coordination with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. This involves the pre-construction biological monitoring of mangroves, oyster bars, seagrass, water quality and fisheries in both Clam and Dinkins Bayous.
• Project on schedule overall; because permitting timeline still unknown, construction could be delayed until spring 2005
• Major algae bloom and fish kill occurred in Clam Bayou in late April 2004; killed 2000+ tarpon, snook, redfish, seatrout, mullet, sheepshead and other fish

• An intent to issue has been received from the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation for the project which means permit issuance is expected any day now. We have already received the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers federal permit, so the permitting phase of the project is nearly complete.
• Due to Hurricane Charley and the delays in permitting, we are now planning to complete construction April-June 2005.
• We went out for bids for contractors in July 2004 and the low bid was awarded to Kelly Brothers, Inc., a local marine contracting firm. Kelly Brothers agreed to hold their bid price until the project is started in April 2005.

Fourth Quarterly Progress Report: (Oct, Nov, Dec 2004)
by project leader Dr. Robert Loflin, Jan 13, 2005

• All necessary permits have been received for the project including those from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• We are working on the final steps in preparation for construction in April-June 2005. These activities include construction team meetings and coordination with all utilities including electric, water, sewer, cable TV and fiber optic lines that traverse the project area. These utilities will be excavated if necessary and re-attached to the culvert walls following construction.
• We are also bidding out the transplanting of several native trees within the project area that will have to be re-located. These include gumbo limbo, cabbage palm, strangler fig and seagrape. These trees will be planted at the Sanibel Gardens Preserve.
• The water levels are high in the bayou due to storm wash-over from the Gulf of Mexico during the passage of a recent cold front and water quality is deteriorating with a green tint to the water at this time. The urgent need for this project is readily apparent.