May 2024
FACT SHEET
Anclote River, FL
Operations & Maintenance (O&M)
Congressional Districts: 12, 13
1. DESCRIPTION
The Project was initially authorized by the River and Harbor Act of 1899, with modifications in the River and Harbor Act of 1927 (Public Law 69-560), the River and Harbor Act of 1935 (Public Law 74-409) and the River and Harbor Act of 1945 (Public Law 79-14). The existing project channel is 9.1 miles long, 9 feet deep, and 100 feet wide, extending from Tarpon Springs into the Gulf of Mexico. The project turning basin is at Tarpon Springs. The project channel is used by shrimp boats, sponge boats, party-fishing boats, commercial fishing boats, sponge-diver exhibition boats, and recreational craft.
2. FUNDING
a. Regular Civil Works Funds:
| Allocation thru FY22 |
$0 |
| Allocation for FY23 |
$0 |
b. P.L. 115-123: Bi-Partisan Budget Act of 2018, Supplemental:
| Current Working Estimate |
$4,700,000 |
| Allocation for FY23 |
$4,656,000 |
b. P.L. 117-58: Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law:
| Current Working Estimate |
$5,000,000 |
| Allocation for FY23 |
$5,000,000 |
3. SPONSOR
City of Tarpon Springs
PO Box 5004
Tarpon Springs, Florida 34688-5004
4. STATUS
A contract for maintenance dredging of the Anclote River was awarded in July 2021 with O&M Supplemental funding provided by Bipartisan Budget Act A-18 (P.L. 115-123). The contract dredging has been completed with 29,259 CY removed from the channel. Additionally, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-58) appropriated $5,000,000 for additional dredging of the outer cuts of the Anclote River. Hydrographic surveys conducted in August of 2022 and recently completed in March 2024 have indicated close to 90,000 cubic yards have shoaled into the federal channel. However, benthic surveys also show approximately three acres of protected submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) (aka sea grass) within the dredging footprint. Given the low volume of material, the team is planning to utilize Corps hopper dredging equipment in 2025 to dredge the cuts that have shoaled into the channel with placement of material in the deeper areas within the same federal channel. The PDT is also investigating beneficial use of material to be placed offshore of the Three Rookers Island. A channel re-alignment of Cut-1 was completed in 2022 with the creation of Cut-1A that connects directly to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW). However, Anclote Island is further migrating eastward towards the GIWW so efforts are to create a new Cut-2A that follows best waters to connect remaining portion of Cut-2 not impacted by migration of Anclote island and further reduce future O&M dredging requirements.
