Marco Waterbody 4E Program No Longer Needed

On June 14, 2023, the City of Marco Island submitted a “4E Plan” to FDEP stating: “The City of Marco Island is hereby submitting the documentation needed to demonstrate the City's efforts to bring Water Body Identification (WBID) 32780 (Marco Island) into compliance with state water quality criteria for total nitrogen.”

This 4E report used OUTDATED INFORMATION from 2020 as justification.

More recent FDEP records (6/30/22) for the Marco Island waterbody show that the Marco waterbody was NOT IMPAIRED for TN for the year 2021. Further, Marco Island City records show that the waterbody has been below the 0.3 mg/L impairment limit for the full year 2022 (0.26 mg/L) and so far in 2023 (0.20 mg/L). If the current 2023 trend continues, the Marco waterbody should soon be AUTOMATICALLY DELISTED from impairment for Total Nitrogen (TN).

Why does this matter? The 4E plan includes over $15,000,000 in projects that consume staff time and city treasure. One example is the San Marco “Dead End Canal Interconnect” project. The 2024 Proposed Capital Plan for Marco as presented (6/19/23) shows this single culvert budgeted for 2024 will cost the city $1,600,000 after a $400,000 Florida state grant is applied. The other 4 dead end interconnects proposed will cost an additional $8,000,000. Pipes under roads do not reduce pollution.

Let’s come to our senses. If the waterbody is not impaired for nitrogen, stop implementing projects to reduce nitrogen in the waterbody.