By Ed Tichenor
In June and September of 2007, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducted water quality studies at the Boynton Beach Inlet to assess the impact from the Lake Worth Lagoon on the coastal environment.
The introduction of the NOAA report describes the Boynton Inlet as the southernmost outlet for the Lake Worth Lagoon, which receives input from three canals (C-16, C-17 and C-51), several cities, and non-point pollution sources which may include septic tanks, polluted aquifers, landfills, injected treated wastewater and agricultural chemicals.
According to the NOAA study, the Boynton Inlet appeared to be a source of microbial contaminants to near-shore waters, as indicated by a high percentage of positive detections for fecal indicator bacteria. NOAA found that during four outgoing tide cycles beginning Sept. 26, 2007, 48 percent of the samples collected exceeded the EPA recreational waters closure level of 104 colonies per 100 ml for saltwater.
Not only did the NOAA study find high levels of fecal indicator bacteria exiting the inlet, but nutrient pollution capable of causing harmful algal blooms in the coral reef ecosystem were also detected.
The coastal environment at the Boynton Inlet was designated by the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2008 as critical habitat necessary for the survival of two species of Endangered Species Act-listed corals. Nutrient pollution has been demonstrated to be one of many threats contributing to the decline of coral reefs worldwide and to Florida’s reefs in particular.
Widening the inlet will increase the amount of pollution entering the coastal zone, beaches and coral reefs. Administrative Law Judge Robert E. Meale, in a recent 277-page decision, recommended the FDEP deny the town of Palm Beach a beach renourishment permit for “Reach 8.” On Page 231 of the decision, Meale, referring to the Palm Beach County coral reef system, states, “Because of the rare confluence of conditions required for its creation, the Florida Reef Tract cannot be replaced in any timeframe short of geologic time, so its protection, even from remote risks, must be a matter of exceptional regulatory concern.”
If the real concern for widening the Boynton Inlet is boater safety, then maintaining and marking a navigable channel would be a far less costly and a more environmentally friendly option.
Ed Tichenor is director of Palm Beach County Reef Rescue, PO Box 207, Boynton Beach, FL 33425; on the Web at www.reef-rescue.org.
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