A proposed cruise ship terminal in Manatee County could have another obstacle to overcome. A bill in the legislature would limit dredging needed for larger ships at the mouth of Tampa Bay.
The limit was added as an amendment to an existing bill that a state Senate committee approved unanimously. It would expand the boundaries of the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve into portions of Pinellas County and the border with Hillsborough County, including in an area that cruise ships would need to pass through to access the proposed terminal. Dredging would not be allowed if it would impact water quality.
Bradenton Republican Senator Jim Boyd added the amendment.
"In an effort to protect the pristine coastal area of East Tampa Bay, which has small keys, little bays, and mangroves, this amendment restricts the dredging or filling of submerged lands within the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve," Boyd told his fellow Senators.
A related bill is also making its way through the Florida House of Representatives.
ALSO READ: Opposition grows against a proposed cruise ship terminal south of the Sunshine Skyway
Opponents say the terminal would ruin the fragile ecosystem. But backers say it's needed because larger cruise ships can't fit under the Sunshine Skyway to reach the existing cruise port in Tampa.
The Terra Ceia preserve covers submerged lands in Tampa Bay, running from the Port Manatee ship channel to the Manatee-Hillsborough county line, then along the Intracoastal Waterway, around Emerson Point on Snead Island, and along the shores of Terra Ceia Bay, Miguel Bay, Joe Bay and Bishop Harbor.
Boyd's amendment would allow minimal dredging for boat ramps and marinas. It reads:
"Minimum dredging and filling as may be authorized for the creation and maintenance of marinas, public boat ramps, piers, and docks and their attendant navigation channels and access roads. Such projects may be authorized only upon a specific finding by the board that there is assurance that the project will be constructed and operated in a manner that will not adversely affect the water quality and utility of the preserve."
"Such dredging as is necessary for the purpose of eliminating conditions hazardous to the public health or for the purpose of eliminating stagnant waters, islands, and spoil
banks, the dredging of which would enhance the aesthetic and environmental quality and utility of the preserve and be clearly in the public interest as determined by the board."
Hundreds of people showed up in a rally in Terra Ceia last weekend to protest the proposal.
So far, there’s only been preliminary communication between cruise terminal developer SSA Marine and Manatee County officials, but the community group, People Protecting Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, quickly formed in response.
