2026-01-18 15:15
Good afternoon,
Thank you for your support in helping us collect over 500 signatures for a safer, more navigable Jupiter Inlet.
Key Takeaways from the January 14 Board Meeting of the Jupiter Inlet District.
In summary, there is progress—just slow progress. The Jupiter Inlet District (JID) is currently dredging the sand trap inside the inlet this week, but no immediate action is planned for improving navigation outside the inlet (e.g., the ebb shoal area).
Encouraging steps forward:
- The JID board requested a quote from the Districts engineer to study the effectiveness and detailed location of a southeast (SE) channel. This channel would align roughly with the existing 'natural' channel but be made a bit wider and deeper (to 12 feet). While this has been studied before, an updated study is needed for permitting. The study is estimated to take 4 months. The engineer's quote can be viewed here: drive.google.com/file/d/1u6SeLqjVG_Te1zIhc5eTtOAP_de3lrM1/view?usp=sharing
- There is continued strong interest in increasing bathymetric surveys to at least monthly, providing boaters and engineers with accurate, timely depth information. SPH Engineering (the drone-based survey company) offered their staff and equipment for free for a demo, but reimbursement for travel, processing, etc. (~$2-3k) wasn't approved in time. This technology could reduce costs by up to two-thirds and fit within the current budget. The board offered to approve this expenditure at their end of the month workshop if a contract is ready. More details here: gamma.app/docs/Drone-Based-Bathymetric-Surveying-for-Jupiter-Inlet-2vtovbybg076npx
Current Challenges
- The Board appears to need more data on the safety risks posed by the current ebb shoal conditions as they have no insight into incident rates today. Several recent incidents include multiple vessel groundings, and swimmers/surfers are now crossing the channel near the beach to reach the southern sandbar—directly in the path of boats exiting the inlet south along the beach. I've submitted a FOIA request to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Palm Beach County Rescue for a summary of incidents over the past year to provide the Board with concrete evidence.
- There was some discussion at the meeting about the lack of urgency for addressing the ebb shoal. We requested that the Board engage the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to seek a Letter of Permission (LOP)—an expedited authorization for work beyond current permitted areas, often used for urgent navigation and safety needs. The engineer from Taylor Engineering noted that Jupiter Inlet will not not qualify due to its non-federal (non-navigable) designation. However, we know of precedents for LOPs or expedited permissions in similar non-federal or local projects, such as multiple dredging authorizations for Sebastian Inlet, Philippi Creek in Sarasota (2025), and smaller-scale work near the St. Lucie Inlet outside of federal waters (2024). We will follow up to clarify this with USACE soon.
To Restate Our Simple Goals:
- Dredge the inlet access channel to 12 feet
- Permanently mark the safe channel
- Conduct and publish monthly depth surveys
Your support is the reason this issue is now a priority for the District. Recently, only a handful of us have been attending JID board meetings. we welcome broader participation—the next meeting is February 11 at 7:00 p.m. at their office (400 N. Delaware Blvd, Jupiter). If you're a boater, concerned about safety of the inlet, have experienced incidents, or your business relies on a functional Jupiter inlet, your voice at these public meetings will make a difference.
Please forward this email, share the petition link, and ask a friend who cares about our waterways to sign the petition
Thank you again.
Best regards,
Chris Ball
Tequesta, FL
chrisball016@gmail.com
P.S. Direct link to sign/share: www.openpetition.org/!safejupiterinlet
