Monroe County Schedules Three Virtual Meetings on Canal Restoration Program Updates

Monroe County is hosting three virtual public meetings this week and next to brief residents on its Canal Restoration Program, with sessions scheduled for Tuesday, March 17 at 5:30 p.m., and Thursday, March 19 at both noon and 5:30 p.m. The county posted the announcement March 9 and confirmed that each session will carry identical content, giving residents three chances to tune in at whatever time works best.

The meetings will cover the full arc of the county's water quality work: staff will walk through the history of canal development in the Florida Keys, explain why restoration is necessary, and present updates on the Canal Restoration Work Plan and active projects. Residents will also hear about best management practices for maintaining water quality and will have the opportunity to ask questions directly.

The backdrop is a decades-old engineering problem. The Florida Keys contain approximately 170 miles of canals dug during dredge-and-fill development to create waterfront property, and many of those waterways have since become oxygen-depleted and stagnant. Monroe County has been working with state and federal partners for more than a decade to study, prioritize, and restore the most impaired canals. Current restoration techniques include removing organic muck buildup from canal floors, along with the incorporation of mangroves and other living shoreline features to stabilize shorelines and enhance marine habitat. The goal is to improve oxygen levels, water quality, and marine life habitat while reducing the stagnant dead zones that plague poorly circulating canals.

The canal program fits within a broader resilience push Monroe County has been advancing across the island chain. Chief Resilience Officer Rhonda Haag recently presented on current and upcoming projects to the Key Largo Rotary Club, alongside Club President Stephanie Russo, covering infrastructure improvements and shoreline protection alongside canal restoration. The resilience office coordinates regional planning, vulnerability assessments, and watershed management with Florida Keys municipalities throughout the chain.

Zoom details for all three meetings are posted at monroecounty-fl.gov/calendar. Residents who want background on the program before attending can visit monroecounty-fl.gov/canals. Monroe County's main line is 305-294-4641, and the county office is located at 1100 Simonton Street in Key West.