Thank you for your support of a Safe Jupiter Inlet! We've obtain 500+ signatures! I emailed the board members the full signatures list and the following Note today and will present hard copies on the 14th at their Monthly Board Meeting.

Dear Chair George G. Gentile, Vice-Chair Gail Whipple, Secretary/Treasurer Jim Davis, and Fellow Commissioners:

We, the undersigned residents, boaters, business owners, and concerned stakeholders of Jupiter, Tequesta, and surrounding communities, are writing to formally present the results of our recent signature drive and to urgently appeal to the Jupiter Inlet District (JID) to take decisive action to improve the safety and navigability of the Jupiter Inlet.

Over the past several months, we conducted an organic public signature campaign to gather support for JID-led efforts to dredge and maintain the ocean entrance to the Jupiter Inlet. This initiative directly aligns with the District's charter, which mandates the maintenance of the inlet including the seaward inlet access.

We are pleased to report that we have successfully collected 500+ signatures from local boaters, residents, and users of our waterways who share deep concerns about the ongoing shoaling and navigation hazards at the inlet. These signatures represent a broad cross-section of the community, including recreational boaters, fishing enthusiasts, commercial operators, and families who rely on safe access to the Atlantic for work, recreation, and economic activity. The bottom line is that this group of constituents and users of the inlet recognize that the District is spending $2-3M/yr maintaining the sand trap, but the inlet is still nearly unusable in any weather and dangerous on the average day.

Recent reports and boater experiences highlight the growing urgency and safety issues. Grounding incidents, restricted access, damaged vessels and heightened risks to passengers are weekly occurrences. These conditions not only threaten public safety but also impact local tourism, property values, and the overall vitality of our coastal community. I encourage you to read the comments in the summary attached.

The 500 signatures attached demonstrate clear and compelling public support for the JID to exercise its full authority and responsibility under its charter. We respectfully urge the Board to:

- Increase the frequency of the bathymetric surveys.
- Extend your existing dredging operation 2-500 yards to the SouthEast to include the inlet access.
- Mark the Channel.
The community has spoken clearly: while keeping in mind longer term and permanent solutions, we need URGENT action to protect lives, safeguard our waterways, and preserve the Jupiter Inlet as a vital resource for generations to come. We strongly urge you to work to obtain a Letter of Permission from the Army Corp to extend your existing dredge program to include the inlet access without taking years to obtain new permits. Do not be afraid of the Army Corp, they issue between 70-100 of these permissions each year to extend dredging permits or fix navigational safety issues.

Recent examples (2024–2025) show real benefits for nearby towns/inlets:
- Saint Lucie Inlet (Martin County, July 2024): ~25,000 cy maintenance dredging via LOP; restored safe navigation post-storm, zero groundings since, beaches nourished for free.
- Ponce de Leon Inlet (Volusia County, April 2025): ~40,000 cy removal via LOP/NWP combo; rapid post-hurricane recovery, navigation restored in weeks, $300k+ saved in emergency costs.
- Palm Beach Harbor (Palm Beach County, March 2025): ~20,000 cy maintenance via LOP; improved vessel safety, completed in ~60 days.
- Phillippi Creek (Sarasota County, 2025): Minor dredging (~10,000–15,000 cy) via NWP/LOP; enhanced access, habitat/beach benefits, zero controversy.
These precedents demonstrate that LOPs are a proven, low-risk tool for projects like the proposed Jupiter 30,000–68,000 cy dredge extension — many districts use them successfully to address hazards just like ours, often with beach nourishment as a win-win outcome. Recommend a pre-application meeting with Jacksonville District's Regulatory Branch to confirm LOP eligibility for our specific test.

Your leadership as the governing body dedicated to this mission is critical, and we stand ready to support and partner with the District in any way possible. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your response and to seeing meaningful progress in the near term. Please feel free to contact me at Chrisball016@gmail.com or 207-415-1331 to discuss.

Sincerely,

Christopher Ball
Petition Coordinator
On behalf of the 500+ signatories and concerned citizens of Jupiter and Tequesta

Enclosures: Summary of signature drive results (500 signatures collected); full petition list available upon request.

cc: Executive Director Joseph B. Chaison (jchaison@jupiterinletdistrict.org)

Subject: Strong Progress at Dec 10 JID Meeting – 450+ Signatures & Growing! Let’s Hit 500 before the next board meeting

Good Morning,
Thank you for helping us obtain more than 450 signatures for a safer, more navigable Jupiter Inlet. Your support is already making a real difference!

Please keep sharing the petition with boaters, fishermen, marinas, local businesses, and friends:
https://www.openpetition.org/!safejupiterinlet Note: it is a two step process: first sign at this link and second, confirm your signature in your email.

A quick post, story, or forward on Instagram/Facebook goes a long way.

Key Takeaways from the December 10 Board Meeting:

The District’s Charter clearly states its responsibility “to ensure safe navigation… and to maintain the Jupiter Inlet, including its seaward approaches.” This confirms the Jupiter Inlet District board has authority over the area east of the jetty.

Encouraging steps forward:
- Dredging and marking a channel east of the jetty dominated the meeting with active board and engineering engagement — it’s now firmly on the agenda.
- Strong support to increase bathymetric surveys to at least monthly so boaters and engineers get accurate, timely depth information. A drone-based survey demo is tentatively set for January 7–9 at the inlet. This technology could cut costs by up to ⅔, allowing monthly surveys within the current budget. More details here: https://gamma.app/docs/Drone-Based-Bathymetric-Surveying-for-Jupiter-Inlet-2vtovbybg076npx
- District Engineer Ken Craig (Taylor Engineering) presented a preliminary scope for dredging a channel to the southeast of the jetties: 50–60k cubic yards initial dredge, 10–30k annually for maintenance — roughly half the scope of dredging the existing sand-trap inside the inlet (~100k yards/year at ~$16/yard).

Local captain Jay Carpenter shared his “Big Broom” plan including near term actions and a long term vision based on robust benchmarks from the Outer Banks that are scaled down for Jupiter. Because the district spends on average $1M in mobilization fees to dredge the Sand Trap each year, Jay floated the concept that a more robust and responsive dredging program, that includes inlet access, could be cost neutral. His presentation was well received and the board agreed to better understand how a similar program could be built here in Jupiter.
View his presentation here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16h0vbRqIkvuXrKJvCUaRFL7aFXRz3JuZ/view?usp=sharing

While progress is clear, near-term action remains limited and there was essentially no buy-in to quickly appeal to the Army Corp for a ‘Letter of Permission’ to extend the current dredging program and create the channel to the East, so continued community pressure is essential. Until we get concrete action to move sand, the inlet will remain dangerous and unusable for many.

Our simple goals:
- Dredge the inlet access channel to 12 feet
- Permanently mark the safe channel
- Conduct and publish monthly depth surveys

Your signatures are the reason this topic is now a priority. Let’s push past 500 signatures before the January meeting to show the Board, Army Corps of Engineers, and permitting agencies that the boating community is united and expects action.

Forward this email. Share the link. Tag a friend.

Thank you again,
Chris Ball
Tequesta, FL
chrisball016@gmail.com
P.S. Direct link to sign/share: https://www.openpetition.org/!safejupiterinlet