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<br />"(1) their pri-r,ry procli •r i t ; , ') their special pr^duction of
<br />life forms of _,cif ii.: a to rl:tn, (3) their furnishing of lslbitrlt
<br />to endatigercd '0 iota, (4) l,t'ir I11 :_�:.on ;;S nutrii.ii[ irat)`; :1n:1 '_hits
<br />purifiers of watf,rs, (51 i:c•ir pori action of ncitrbl nts, for i stt ar r
<br />(6) their work ;!5 absorl,. t ?i di •1.1,iin, r:t:tlt"n c ner:,,itis, (7) t!,, -Ir
<br />role as weather :iodiflcr-4, (°l tI!.•i- c,)nrriIMI t on of rt�c_rcatinn ,ilsi
<br />aesthetic val.utl_., L' "d he it i:n: 1 e pr ?sery-it io;! t11 prec. i
<br />water."
<br />Following impoun,'.ment for to:;gt_tito ,ciitr.ol_ the ven,et.ation changed
<br />to mangrove forest. The estu.l: i ;: :iitt.rierit source :111d nrr!;ery ground
<br />functions were lost, but the e".;inded :ignati.c :iabitat improve d cor.ditinn
<br />for wading birds and :datcrfc•t.t .
<br />Today these wetlands art' -,c lon�•cr pumped tltil of river water :or
<br />mosquito control, but they passively impound rainwater, thus sti.11
<br />providing wetland benefits. Oit recent rains have floc.>rled m, )st of the
<br />area, providing habitat for for; ge fiche wading biro ;, ducks, otter=.,
<br />and a variety of other animals. if t1);-;,_, impoundrients were reopened to
<br />tidal access, part of the yc,ir tbev woll.ltl have less watts than at present
<br />and part of the year they wou L,1 havi2 more water. TOC vogetation .:Quid
<br />slowly revert back to a less forested condition. The;• principal benefic is
<br />would be the Indian River eEtu;iry, for the _niti-iertt export and r_ursc'ry
<br />ground functions would be re-e>,tahl ish- d . recent stuc v by Harbor
<br />Branch personnel in an impoundr ont :chit h was reopene ci to the river by
<br />culverts found a dramatic ir.cr• , se in t i_sh spe:_ies divc : i;ity, with 40
<br />species in the reconnected tear:�I: inc-ltiding si4;nific;irlt „'lrlhc+rs of Jiiv:_nil
<br />snook and tarpon.
<br />The drainage of those t; .i _c i. is wr:::l.inds i include(] in the rca(;T.r,ty
<br />design because the -swamp land o: ne rs :tiid their -lies hrive. convinc _-:ci the
<br />County that if they -Llow nct'7 '. r.i:dct•:iter t" reach th•'se wetlands,
<br />e"
<br />that the County till 'l:1tc le :>iL '. i,ii.. s1:a(F� til; t ac,ain. if
<br />your culverts, which breach d i'•:r i>+til .with p tblic, funds, allow t idewett_•r�:
<br />to reach this saltmarsh, as e 'r'ive :1e)r 1^undreds, if not thousands, of
<br />years, they say the County l.Tili '>e Lia -Le for perceived dama;es caused
<br />by the rise and fall of the tides - in short, the County accents responsi')i :
<br />for an Act of God. GenLiem,!o. you are being bluffed. I have worked on
<br />dredge and fill permits for the last ;.0 years, many of which have been
<br />decided in court. Restoration oi'_ tidal access is routinely required in
<br />the permit process. Wiien tidc,,rriter naturally reaches areas which are
<br />naturally below a tidal elevat ian, tht_re are no dama4;es involved and
<br />liability can only be assigriod ro ilother Nature.
<br />If you are really serioi!s c11•.out building this road in an environrien' .l..
<br />acceptable manner, let me make .)n of fcr. H'Itninate the plugs and flap
<br />gates and leave the culverts o;;o.n or t"quipped with F.ashboard risers.
<br />In the event spurious; claims of damages are filed against Indian �.iv'.r
<br />County, I will assist you is cO,t:lining the most qualified group of
<br />witnesses available to provide :�xper.t testimony to t_he fact that these
<br />have been saltmarsh wetlands subjoct co periodic tidal flooding since
<br />pre -historic times.
<br />If you want to be con+:err. l .-; t]! :i Logit Lmate legal I'ssue, consider
<br />potential lawsuits front envfronnent i or civic. organizations r.egarlli.n)g
<br />the very real loss of nubli;_ ]: lei its l -hen a County road project i=;
<br />directly responsible for th-- rr) mage et Priv:'-tely-owned saltmarsh
<br />wetlands. All of our sa-Ltmars'.t, troth imponnde.d and unimpounded, is
<br />either actively or potentially Impori-ant to the Indian River ecosysteli.
<br />Any loss of these wetlands L- wcomp;inied by functional value losses for
<br />the ecosystem which are often disproportionately large relative to the
<br />acreage involved. As cl•2an te:! :e r, riht1i -'.int f.1sh and wildlife, and ,torr
<br />protection in tilt-- Indian ,re. cl i-itnisl,od, the net result i:; lower
<br />property values and a reduce io!"! in thi, qua t its of 1 i t'o for area res idem
<br />The Indian liver Blvd. t:;t.n::ion project has erioligh controvers;
<br />surrounding it without these, e�ii: ironmental. prObLems i.n the current
<br />design which are so easily c•t•rn.-Jiod. if you are going to go through
<br />with it, I urge you to do iz tf)e right. c.•ay by immediately instructing
<br />your consultants to mnke rho.,,, es;r ent t_al design changes.
<br />SEP 14 1981
<br />23 Box 4.7 PAP 442
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