Letter to City Council and City Manager

I am writing to express serious concerns about the proposed $6.42 million plan to connect the north and south canals on Marco Island for waterquality improvement. Based on available tidal data and basic hydraulic principles, this project is unlikely to produce meaningful results and represents a questionable use of taxpayer funds. 

Clean Marco Waters has already analyzed this concept, and their findings are posted here: https://cleanmarcowaters.com/f/the-ineffectiveness-impracticality-of-proposed-tidal-leveling 

Their conclusion is clear: “According to US Harbors data for Caxambas Pass, the extreme tidal range this past month was 4.5 feet (54 inches), occurring on November 7, 2025, between high tide at 12:28 AM (3.8 ft) and low tide at 7:41 AM (-0.7 ft). The 433-minute interval between these extremes yields an average rate of change of roughly 0.125 inches per minute. 
Tidal peaks on opposite sides of the island typically differ by only 30 minutes, limiting the maximum instantaneous waterlevel difference to about 3.75 inches—and even less at San Marco, which lies between them. 
This means the driving force for any tidal-powered flow through one or two concrete tubes—each roughly 2.5 miles from the pressure source—is negligible. In short, the proposed connection will not generate meaningful water movement or improve water quality.” 

Jacobs Engineering did not perform this basic analysis in their study, and City staff did not require it. 

Committing $6.42 million to a project with such minimal hydraulic benefit is fiscally irresponsible, and the engineering basis for this expenditure should be released to the public.   

I urge Council to require a cost-benefit analysis, a peer-reviewed hydraulic assessment, and full public discussion. Residents deserve transparency and the ability to weigh in on how their money is used, especially for a project of this scale.