The Moorings Bay Citizens Advisory Committee reported to the City Council on Oct. 13 that the bay needs near-term dredging and ongoing maintenance of navigation aids, seawalls and water-quality programs.

Bill Broderick, who presented the committee’s annual update, told council members that Doctors Pass — the navigation outlet between the bay and the Gulf — is silted and “in dire need” of dredging, after Hurricanes Ian, Ian-related storm activity and a county beach sand-management program had further limited draft. Broderick said some local boaters are unable to bring craft with a 4.5-foot draft into the bay and mentioned several recent instances when markers or lights were damaged.

“Dredging, I think, is number one on our list,” Broderick said. Council asked staff to coordinate with Collier County, which historically funds the federal permit and mobilization costs through the tourist development tax. Katie Glackett of Natural Resources said county officials planned to split Wiggins Pass and Doctors Pass into separate projects so the bottleneck affecting Wiggins would not delay Doctors Pass.

The advisory committee emphasized other priorities: replacement and maintenance of channel markers and the entry light for Doctors Pass, continued enforcement and communication for the bay’s manatee and slow-speed zones, and an ongoing seawall program. The city’s Natural Resources director, Natalie Hardman, told council that Park Shore / Venetian Village seawall work is a multi-phase project aided by a state grant match.

Broderick also reviewed water-quality testing. The bay is a tidal estuary with monthly chemistry sampling at four stations; the committee noted a long-term dataset but said some fish-monitoring efforts lapsed after 2022. He urged continuation of upland inflow monitoring and projects such as Swan Lake restoration to reduce nutrient inflow. The advisory committee provided a 10-year summary of the Moorings Bay taxing district and said the district’s fund balance is around $1.3 million.

Council members asked for follow-up on seawall design, mangrove planting and enforcement of boat speed near Doctors Pass; Chief Dominguez and Natural Resources staff said they would follow up on speed enforcement and the status of a replacement light that had been ordered.

The committee asked the council to support coordinated county/city efforts on dredging permitting and funding, citing shoreline and navigation safety concerns.