A surprising deal between St. Johns River stakeholders this week alleviates legal backlash for dredging the waterway, but that will only be part of what goes into the decisions of the Jacksonville Port Task Force.
The 15-member group is weighing the environmental and economic pros and cons of deepening the river to 47 feet and, if it decides it’s worth it, will suggest possible local funding sources. The group has met for months, but hasn’t made any decisions.
Instead, it hired Herbert Barber, a Savannah, Ga.-based consultant who founded Xicon Economics, to analyze the economic impact dredging will have.
Barber was hired Dec. 30 for $60,000, which is being paid by the city’s Office of Economic Development.
Barber will be conducting the analysis over the next couple of months, with the task force hoping to hear the results in March. After that, members could vote in April on whether they agree the city should pursue river dredging. If they do, the next step is to find a funding source for the estimated $200 million that’ll be needed from local sources, said John Baker, co-chair of the task force.
City and business officials along with the St. Johns Riverkeeper announced an agreement this week that would prevent litigation over environmental concerns, providing the Rodman Dam in Putnam County be breached.
Doing so would restore the Ocklawaha River and add millions of gallons of fresh water to the river to partially offset dredging impacts.
The agreement, Baker said, likely will play into the psyche of the task force’s conversations moving forward. He said the past few months of presentations led to growing concerns among task force members, leading him to believe dredging might not be possible without some kind of resolution.
“Honestly, I think that was the direction we were headed,”
Baker said.
The agreement has additional steps needed to come to fruition, such as finding the money needed to breach the dam and working with locals who oppose the move.
The Riverkeeper still is filing a lawsuit challenging the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers findings on dredging’s environmental impact and suggested mitigation.
But, once the Rodman Dam project is authorized, that suit will be withdrawn, Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman told the task force Wednesday.
Despite the recent developments, Baker said he thinks the analysis the task force has sought from Barber “will weigh a lot” on the group’s decision in April. Critics have challenged economic-impact results from the initial review done by Martin Associates.
The task force will convene in March for those results.
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