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Indian River County Manatee Protection and Boating Safety Comprehensive Management Plan "Gifford Cut" is located just north of the Vero Beach Municipal Marina and east of Joe S. Earman Park. The ICW is located on the west side of the islands and allows the skiers some relief from boat traffic. Another favorite ski location, the "Jungle Trail Narrows," is a congested and hazardous area. Wabasso Causeway Park can be best described as the County's premier multi -use area. Swimming, fishing, canoeing and boating are regularly observed at the park. Sailboarders are known to congregate toward the west end of Wabasso Causeway Park. Also, PWC users are often found utilizing Wabasso Causeway, since the causeway is one of only a few places in the county where PWCs have public access to a launching site. A watercraft testing area is located in an unregulated zone near the south county line between Channel Markers 149 and 156. Recent Modifications to Speed Zones In January 2000, a number of non-governmental environmental organizations filed suit against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) alleging that the FWC had not done enough to protect endangered manatees in the state. In September 2002, as part of a settlement of that lawsuit, the FWC approved increased boating speed zone restrictions in the Jungle Trail Narrows and at the Vero Beach Power Plant. • Vero Beach Power Plant The Vero Beach Power Plant and surrounding IRL waters are considered by the State to be a manatee sanctuary of statewide importance. Prior to September 2002, the speed zone within the Vero Isle "finger" canals, just north of the Vero Beach Power Plant, was "idle speed" year round. In September 2002, boating restrictions within the westernmost finger canal and the western most part of the entrance canal were changed to "no entry" from November 15 through March 31 and idle speed the remainder of the year. Property owners within the `no entry' area receive a decal to allow them access to their property at idle speed. • Jungle Trail Narrows The Jungle Trail Narrows is a sensitive area with respect to manatee protection. In 2001, the State identified the Jungle Trail Narrows as one of eight "hot spots" in Florida warranting additional manatee protection through revised boating speed restrictions. The sensitivity of the area is largely due to multiple -uses (i.e., water-skiing, existing residential marinas and the Intracoastal Waterway channel) occurring in a narrow section of the Lagoon that serves as a "gauntlet" for migrating manatees. As a result, in September 2002, the State revised boating speed restrictions in the Narrows to slow -speed year-round outside of the Intracoastal channel. The State's strengthening of boater speed zone restrictions in IRL waters adjacent to the Vero Beach Power Plant and in the Jungle Trail Narrows is indicative of the sensitivity of those areas with respect to manatee protection. Due to that sensitivity, the establishment of new or expanded boat facilities in those areas should be prohibited or otherwise discouraged, except IRC Environmental Planning Section Page 44 August 2004 166