ST JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The City of St. Augustine launched a $83,000 project to remove nine derelict vessels from local waterways, including Salt Run and the Matanzas River.
The two-week project is funded by the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) and the St. Augustine Port, Waterway, and Beach District.
The effort supports navigational safety, environmental protection, and the overall health of the region’s marine ecosystem.
Once they are removed, the vessels will be relocated, properly destroyed, and then disposed of. Take a look at the video below to see one of the removed vessels.
Jacob Weber, the Grants Administration Coordinator of St. Augustine, said there are probably around 10 a year that they need to remove.
“...in the last five years, that could be anywhere from 40 to 60, depending on how many and what kind of things are going on,” Weber said.
Lt. Jeremy Watkins is familiar with most of the derelict boats, but he was the first one called to a boat that was unmanned and beached.
“For whatever reason, it broke free from the anchorage that it was at,” Watkins said. “It was drifting southbound in this channel where the boats pass by, so it was a hazard to navigation, fire, rescue city, sheriff’s office all responded out to it.”
FIND consists of the twelve counties along the east coast of Florida from Nassau through Miami-Dade County, with a board that has a governor-appointed commissioner from each county.
Commissioner Carl Blow has served as a commissioner since 2009. He represents St. Johns County and even served as the board’s chair.
FIND levies a real property tax on all property within the district’s boundaries to generate the funds necessary to fulfill its responsibility.
Their efforts help to advance safe navigation, environmental protection, and public access to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.
The Port District is governed by five at-large corporations selected to four-year terms.
It was established in the late 1930s by the Florida Legislature and approved by a referendum vote of those residing within its boundaries.
The Port district is an ad valorem taxing authority with a wide range of authority for building warehouses, wharfs, bridges, and other structures for the commercial development of the port.
The Port District supports commercial and maritime activity for the benefit of St. Augustine.
The city expects all the boats to be out of the water by the end of the week.
For more information on these grants, contact the city’s General Services Department at (904) 825-1010.
