GUEST COMMENTARY
DR. DAVID COX
Our Indian River Lagoon is dying. You can see it yourself, and read about it every day. 47,000 acres of seagrass have vanished. Manatees, pelicans, fish, and dolphins are dying in record numbers. The only remaining healthy seagrasses in the entire Lagoon run from just north of Oslo Road south to Fort Pierce. And so, now of all times, the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners wants to dredge and enlarge the Oslo Road boat ramp for more and bigger boat access in this unique, highly vulnerable location. St. Johns River Water Management District is willing to authorize this reckless expansion by issuing the County an environmental resource permit.
To prevent destruction of the endangered, critically important seagrasses and mangrove fish nurseries in the vicinity of the Oslo Road boat ramp, Pelican Island Audubon Society, Dr. Richard Baker, and I have filed a Petition for Administrative Hearing seeking denial of this permit.
The petition for administrative hearing, filed with the St. Johns River Water Management District on August 30th by attorney Marcy LaHart, urges that the permit be denied because, among other reasons, the proposed project will have adverse direct and secondary impacts on seagrass, juvenile fish habitat, manatees and water quality, and because destroying more than an acre of mangroves for a parking lot and a retention pond is not in the public interest.
The Environmental Protection Agency has formally stated the project will result in “substantial and unacceptable adverse impacts on Aquatic Resources of National Importance.” This expansion goes against the County’s own Manatee Protection Plan, and contradicts all recent, local and regional efforts to save our dying Lagoon. Dr. Grant Gilmore, whose studies of the Lagoon ecosystem span 40 years, wonders, “Why damage one of our last productive fishery nurseries and critical spawning sites? Only the fish and fishermen will suffer in the end.”
Anglers have used the existing Oslo Road site for generations and will continue to do so. Anglers don’t need an expanded, paved county road, enlarged parking lot and dredged channel that will destroy fish nurseries. Dr. Baker observes, “The reason seagrasses and fish nurseries are healthy around the Oslo boat ramp is that the area has never been dredged and is surrounded by healthy mangroves.” For years, County officials have also incorrectly stated that the unpaved road produces damaging runoff. Why, then, after over 70 years of road use, are the seagrasses, fish and birds still more abundant here than elsewhere in the Lagoon?
“The county has more than twice the number of public boat ramp lanes needed to meet the Department of Environmental Protection’s recommended level of service, including large boat launches at both MacWilliam and Riverside Parks, only six miles from Oslo Road,” notes Baker. However, if the county needs another boat ramp on the west side of the Lagoon, there are better alternative sites at 45th Street (Gifford Dock Rd.), or at 69th Street (North Winter Beach Rd.). Thus, there is no need for an Oslo Road ramp expansion that will irreparably destroy the environment.
Indian River Guardian 
YES! Why further destroy that which we are so intent on saving? It doesn’t make sense. This area is in better shape than other areas so please don’t reduce it to the unhealthier level of the rest of the lagoon!
Great article. This expansion MUST be halted, or at the very least delayed until the lagoon can recover it’s sea grass losses.
David Cox:
If you want to help protect this core area of healthy seagrasses, fish nurseries and critical spewing sites, please go to the Pelican Island Audubon Society website and contact them by email. Letters of support, or financial assistance for our legal challenge are all welcome.
http://www.pelicanislandaudubon.org
Parts of the Indian River Lagoon are suffering massive seagrass loss due to fresh water outflow from Lake O. It is hard to believe that while that is going on, the willing destruction of seagrasses will be permitted because of this boat ramp expansion. We need to preserve as much seagrass as we can. For those who feel inconvenienced by driving to another boat ramp, just remember that if seagrasses die, the next generation of fish will be impacted. All of the game fish you love begin their lives in seagrass beds. Mangroves and seagrasses are the cradle where all of the little creatures, shrimp, fish, crabs, and invertebrates live until they are big enough to head out into the wide waters. Come on people, help them out! Once this area has been damaged, it will never be fixed..
This project will damage our Lagoon further
This is a project that has cost the county taxpayers a lot of money and it is not a realistic project. I wish we had the money spent for all the filling fees back in our county treasury.
It has served the small boater well for the 25 years I have been here. With the kayak sport growing like it is I feel this is right where we belong with this as our last stand of grass.
What the proponents of the boat ramp expansion want is both unconscionable and totally contrary to the huge groundswell of of public opinion in favour of the rehabilitation of our precious Indian River Lagoon.
We hope fervently that these proponents will recognise what the right thing to do is and withdraw their demands.
The area at the end of Oslo Rd. is not suitable for a boat ramp. It is extremely shallow and a good distance from the channel. That’s a lot of expensive and detrimental dredging. The road would need to be widened; another portion of paradise paved for a parking lot; and of course the amenities.
The idle power station has all of the infrastructure already in place for a ramp facility. Deep water, close to the channel, all the parking you need, water and sewer on hand, access from the US-1. Only a fraction of the total land is needed for a ramp facility, leaving the rest for another suitable use. A much cheaper endeavour, and only two miles from Oslo Rd.