Neighbors hope dredging on the canals will begin someday after excessive build-up of sedimentation.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Pete city leaders moved forward with efforts to tackle flooding concerns in Riviera Bay and surrounding communities Thursday afternoon.

For years, neighbors in Riviera Bay said they have been asking for help to dredge their canals after recent flooding events. City council members unanimously approved a project aimed to study canals 11 and 12 located within the area.

“We’re just very, very happy that Christmas came early in Riviera Bay with this vote,” said Vanessa Pugliese, Riviera Bay Civic Association president.

City staff shared canals have experienced excessive build-up of sedimentation. The project will explore design options for restoring conveyance and reducing sedimentation in the canals, according to city documents.

Where the canals once converged, manatees and dolphins frequently visited, and boaters navigated with ease. Today, however, the area is choked with sediment and sludge, and neighbors now look to the tides as a measure of safety.

“This is probably the worst it’s ever been,” she said. 

Pugliese said this canal network is part of the stormwater system for the entire city, and the scope of the impact goes beyond Riviera Bay but surrounding communities, too. The study that has partial funding is a necessary step for the application process in order for dredging to take place.

“When they pump out the stormwater system, when there is new development, sediment, salt, dirt, asphalt, garbage, goes into those stormwater pipes, and it is all flushed out here,” Pugliese said. 

Pugliese said unmaintained canals doesn’t allow enough volume to hold water during rain or flood events. 

The vote funds preliminary work for up to 30% design including a bathymetric survey and sediment analysis. While the study may take time, it may also clear up confusing or overlapping state and federal permitting rules, which the Army Corps of Engineers may require.

The current process could take years before any dredging is complete, but Pugliese said it’s a positive step forward. 

Pugliese said Hurricane Helene only worsened the sedimentation. Today, a number of homes are still rebuilding or sit vacant following the storm. 

City council members noted the project stemmed heavily from discussions that came up during its resiliency task force tour.