Hurricane Irma left a mess in 172 Keys canals. It’s all gone now — even the toilet
A toilet, roofing material and a minivan were among the mountains of debris that were swept into the canals of the Florida Keys in Hurricane Irma. Even a hot tub was found at one point.
But all that sunk junk, along with other vehicles, boats and household items, has been removed from 172 canals, 18 months after the Category 4 storm struck in September 2017. Approximately 14,000 cubic yards of vegetative, construction and demolition debris was removed.
Monroe County has announced it has cleared out the canals, which was a project funded with federal money. The county said it was finished under budget and ahead of schedule.
The canal cleaning began Aug. 17, 2018.
Crews from Adventure Environmental Inc. have cleaned canals on Big Coppitt, Saddlebunch, Sugarloaf, Cudjoe, Summerland, Ramrod, Little Torch, Big Pine and Conch Key, along with Tavernier, Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon.
The marine debris removal cost $19.5 million — 43 percent of the $45.8 million agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Monroe for the post-Irma project.
Debris went to nearby “management sites” before being hauled to the mainland for disposal, said Kristen Livengood, the county’s spokeswoman.
Monroe County asked for and received approval from the federal agency for sediment removal — the county won’t call it dredging — projects at 10 canals with the buildup caused by Irma. This type of canal cleaning falls under the initial funding and extends the schedule 60 days, moving the project to a 280-day revised completion date of May 20, 2019, mandated by the grant details.
“The sediment removal of the 10 approved canals will begin after NRCS’ approval of the technical specifications, work plans, quality assurance plans, and construction plans, as well as permitting from the local, state and federal regulatory agencies,” said Rhonda Haag, the director of sustainability who oversaw the project.
“Work is anticipated to begin in early April,” she said.
This story was originally published April 1, 2019 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Hurricane Irma left a mess in 172 Keys canals. It’s all gone now — even the toilet."