Make Jupiter Inlet Safe and Navigable

Notice!
The Jupiter Inlet Board of Directors are having a Workshop to outline next steps to possibly Dredging and Marking the Jupiter Inlet in an expedited fashion. We also hope to get an update on when the next survey of the shoal will take place and when the Demo for a drone based solution will ocur. Basically, they will outline if they are willing to take important steps now or continue to talk and study. In our view, they need a solid pathway to action that authorizes the District Engineer to begin preparing a expedited permit application to present to the Army Corp of Engineers and the State. In addition, they need to start the process of determining which vendors could complete the dredging and how dredging can be accomplished.

Both meetings are open to the public and your attendance is extremely valuable.

Board Workshop is tonight, March 25th at 7pm at their office on 400 N. Delaware Blvd in Jupiter.
The next general board meeting is April 8th at 7pm at 400 N. Delaware Blvd in Jupiter.

Thanks for your support.
Chris

Subject: Major Breakthrough at Feb 11 JID Meeting – 560+ Signatures Driving Real Change!

Good Afternoon,
Thank you for helping us surpass 560 signatures—your support is clearly shifting the conversation at the Jupiter Inlet District (JID)!

Key Takeaways from the February 11 Board Meeting

The meeting was a turning point: ~35 participants (in-person and Zoom) attended, including local captains who shared polite but direct stories about dangerous conditions and business impacts. This community turnout had a major effect.
Board members, led by Commissioner Mike Martinez and Chair George Gentile, expressed appreciation for the input and showed strong support for faster, more robust action.

Big Wins & Shifts Forward

- The most significant change (really a 180 degree shift from the prior meeting) is that the District Engineer and the board now understand that expedited permits from the Army Corp are possible. One type of expedited permit is called a Letter of Permission (LOP). In the last meeting, the engineer flatly said “No we will not qualify for a LOP as they are not issued for non-navigable inlets”. After the January meeting, we sent 4 recent examples of LOPs used for dredging non-navigable inlets and the engineers clearly did some homework prior to the Feb 11th meeting. In this meeting, the Engineer agreed and said we can request a permit and the Corp determines if an LOP is needed. That opens the door to a faster permit. LOPs can be issued in 90 days. The regular permit would take ~2 years according to the Engineer.

- The board asked for help securing support from our federal representatives to add urgency to the LOP request—we're on it.

Two Emerging Pathways

1) Preferred (faster but seasonal): Engineer completes their study by March → Submit permit application requesting LOP → Dredge SE channel with spoils placed on the beach (same location as current sand-trap dredging). Dredging could occur in fall 2026 or spring 2027 (avoiding turtle nesting season). This is far quicker than the previous 4–5-year timeline.
2) Alternative under exploration: Place spoils in the offshore dredge disposal area off Palm Beach instead of the beach. This may allow dredging during turtle nesting season, potentially accelerating the initial channel creation.

Other Progress

- The Drone-based bathymetric survey demo is scheduled for the first week of March (public welcome to observe). I'll send exact timing/details when confirmed. The goal is to lower costs significantly to enable monthly surveys and public survey updates. More info: gamma.app/docs/Drone-Based-Bathymetric-Surveying-for-Jupiter-Inlet-2vtovbybg076npx
- Latest survey (post-NE swell) shows the SE channel shifted south but remains ~7' at MLW—robust but still hazardous. You can see the survey here: www.jupiterinletdistrict.org/bathymetric-surveys#docaccess-ac72dc138820844aa0c88f3fc6a6f035c96fc83218d1fd59d36a93ee7563b513. To me, it is encouraging to see that the natural channel remains robust even during the heavy NE swell we had over the last month. It supports the theory that a dredged channel in the future may remain in place for extended periods without lots of maintenance dredging.
- District obtained FWC incident report summarizing reportable events (groundings included?).
- Jay Carpenter requested inlet cam reprogramming to better show the SE channel.
- Suggestion to contact Palm Beach Ocean Rescue to reposition their lifeguard station closer to the narrow south beach channel.

Our Core Goals remain unchanged:
- Dredge the inlet access channel to 12 feet
- Permanently mark the safe channel
- Conduct and publish monthly depth surveys

Your Role Moving Forward

This progress happened because of community voices like yours. The next regular board meeting is Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. (same location: 400 N. Delaware Blvd., Jupiter; Zoom link on their site).
If you've experienced groundings, delays, business impacts, or safety worries—please attend (in person or Zoom) and speak during public comment. Your story carries weight.

Please forward this email to fellow boaters/fishermen.
Share the petition: www.openpetition.org/!safejupiterinlet
Plan to join March 11—your presence amplifies the message.

Together we're turning urgency into action. Thank you for staying engaged!

Best,
Chris Ball
Tequesta, FL
chrisball016@gmail.com
P.S. Petition link to share/sign: www.openpetition.org/!safejupiterinlet