Where we need to look next
Neighbors have raised three places worth checking. Being nearby does not establish a connection to our canals. We need drainage maps, inspection records, and measurements to connect the dots.
New development
For Montrose at Innisbrook and Harbor Landing on Pleasant Avenue, the next step is to obtain approved drainage plans, construction stormwater permits, erosion-control inspections, complaints, and any corrective-action records. Then we can trace where runoff actually goes and compare construction dates with dated canal observations.
The County approved Harbor Landing’s plat in May 2024, referencing Site Plan 4713. That identifies a project to investigate; it does not establish a violation or prove sediment reached our canal.
Why Helene and Milton matter to this investigation
Residents report exposed soil at both developments during the 2024 hurricanes. We should preserve dated photos and obtain the construction-stage drainage plans, storm preparation records, inspections, and corrective-work reports from before and after each storm. Those records can help establish what escaped and where it went. Storm surge can also move older deposits, so a sediment assessment needs to distinguish the contributing sources.
A specific cleanup reference: Florida’s published construction stormwater permit, §5.3.6, addresses removal of sediment that escapes a construction site. We should ask FDEP which permit conditions applied to each project in 2024 and whether evidence supports corrective removal. Read the permit provision (printed p. 11 / PDF p. 13).
Read the remediation examples and what a cleanup would take →
Repeated erosion along Alternate 19
A resident reports two erosion or culvert repairs in the past four years between Harbor Ridge Drive and Harbor Springs Drive. We should ask the County and FDOT for work orders, inspection photos, the cause of each failure, drainage connections, and records of sediment containment and cleanup. The repair history and route to the canals still need verification.
Construction at the Dunn water reclamation facility
County records identify filtration/disinfection and electrical improvement projects at the William E. Dunn Water Reclamation Facility. We should request their construction drainage and dewatering plans, erosion-control inspections, and any sediment-related complaints or corrective work.
Operating and water-quality reports are a separate records request. They answer different questions from construction-runoff records; construction activity alone does not establish a wastewater release or a sediment source.
What we want from this: a map of the drainage connections, a timeline of work and inspections, and a clear answer about any corrective work needed. Targeted records requests have been drafted; they have not been submitted.
Project references for these follow-ups
Harbor Landing: County item 24-0627A, site plan 4713, approved May 7, 2024. Montrose: developer’s project page. Permit numbers and drainage connections require further review.
Dunn project leads: filtration/disinfection 003122B (County item 23-1704A); electrical improvements 003409A (item 23-1805A). Filtration/disinfection record · Electrical project record.
FDOT project 448042-1-52-01 covers Alternate 19 from Tampa Road to Meres Boulevard, including drainage work. We have not matched it to the reported repairs. County construction-pollution guidance explains erosion and sediment controls.
How neighbors can help
Keep original, dated photos and note where they were taken and what they show. A sequence before and after a storm is especially useful. Distinguish what you saw from what you think caused it. Share evidence privately with the organizing team before any public use.
We need to connect four things: a source, a drainage route, an observed release, and a downstream deposit. A nearby construction site or muddy water alone does not establish its share of the canal sediment.
Open the protected records archive for the complete watershed report ZIP (about 221 MB), geographic/model ZIP (about 216 MB), and historical records. An access code is required. Geographic files still need technical review.