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: https://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: https://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: https://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: https://www.openpetition.org/!safejupiterinlet

Good Morning,
Thank you for your continued support of a safer more navigable Jupiter Inlet.

Reminder: Public Board Meeting This Wednesday, February 11 at 7:00 p.m.

In person: Jupiter Inlet District office, 400 N. Delaware Blvd., Jupiter, FL 33458
Via Zoom: Link and details on the official page: https://www.jupiterinletdistrict.org/2026-02-11-commission-regular-board-meeting
(Contact info@jupiterinletdistrict.org or (561) 746-2223 if you need assistance joining.)

This is your opportunity to attend, listen, and speak during public comment. Even a brief statement about how inlet hazards affect your boating, business, or safety can influence the elected commissioners.

A reminder of our simple goals
- Dredge the inlet access channel to 12 feet
- Permanently mark the safe channel
- Conduct and publish monthly (or better) depth surveysQuick Reminder of Our Goals

- Update Since my last communication.
The board has approved a contract for a demo of drone-based bathymetric survey technology. This low-cost method could enable monthly surveys and real-time depth updates—major progress toward better information for everyone using the inlet.
However, the board and their engineer still lean toward a multi-year permitting process for addressing the ebb shoal and seaward channel. We've urged them to pursue faster, temporary solutions (e.g., a one-time emergency permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) to reduce immediate navigation hazards.

- In my view, after 4 months, the Current Board Sentiment is somewhat discouraging:
2 members clearly support dredging and possibly marking the inlet access.
3 members remain neutral or cautious.
At this point, none of them believe any action can be taken by the end of 2027.

These are elected officials accountable to constituents like you. If the inlet's dangers have grounded your boat, delayed your trips, hurt your business, or raised safety concerns for your family—make your voice heard at Wednesday's meeting or by emailing the board directly.

Thank you,
Chris Ball - Tequesta

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: https://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: https://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: https://www.openpetition.org/!safejupiterinlet