PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A group of Port St. Lucie residents says they're dealing with limited water access in their canal-front neighborhood, pointing to sediment buildup that’s made boating at low tide difficult.
Walter Newman, who has lived along the canal since 2018, said he chose his home for its access to the water, but is now frustrated by the conditions.
“It’s upsetting because we moved here to enjoy the water,” Newman said.
Newman said he and his neighbors have trouble using their boats when the water level drops.
“Because it silted in so much there’s no more, ‘Hey, I want to go for a boat ride,’ because if it’s low tide my boat is not coming off the lift,” Newman explained.
Photos from the area show the extent of the problem, such as a floating jet ski dock at high tide that has become beached as the tide recedes.
Other neighbors shared similar concerns.
“The sand under our docks prevents us from getting off at low-tides,” Lawrence Owen said.
Samuel Gaspard, who has lived on the water for more than 15 years, said he doesn't even have a boat because of the issue.
“It’ll just end up sitting on the sand, and it’ll just tilt during low tide,” Gaspard said. “You're paying a higher amount of taxes every year—you want to be able to enjoy [the water]."
Several residents say they’ve reported the issue to the city multiple times, but haven’t seen a long-term solution.
“I’d like to see them come up with a maintenance program,” Newman said.
WPTV reached out to Port St. Lucie and the city council. The City of Port St. Lucie said it surveyed the area on Wednesday and issued the following statement:
“The center of the canal maintains a consistent depth of at least five feet [...] Dredging is not recommended at this time. We will continue to work with the homeowner to monitor the situation.”
Each year, each season it just gets worse and worse,” Owen said.
Neighbors also raised concerns that the city surveyed the area during high tide, which may not fully reflect the challenges at lower water levels. For now, residents say they plan to keep pushing for a long-term maintenance program.
