The Miami-Dade Secondary Canal Project will remove vegetation, sediment and debris from the vital drainage canals that help protect Miami-Dade County from floods.  There are 74 canals identified by Miami-Dade County and approved by FEMA for repair and restoration.  The canals were damaged from record rains received during Hurricane Irene and later rain events.  The County has assigned 19 canals to the Council for project management, including pre-construction engineering and design, sampling and reporting on levels of contamination, as well as dredging and disposal of dredged material.  The first canal to be dredged, Russian Colony canal, was half completed at year end. 

Each canal presents a unique challenge since the canal characteristics, surrounding area, embankment condition, and drainage culvers vary widely.  Some canals present traffic hazards and my require road closures.

The greatest challenge to date has been to identify a satisfactory method of disposal without transporting several million cubic yards of material to landfill.  Some of the canal sediment is contaminated and will require treatment before it can be recycled for commercial use.  The Council is committed to an economical approach least detrimental to the environment. 

The Canal project may realistically take years to complete and the cost may substantially exceed the FEMA working estimates.