Project completed successfully

June 2011 - Careful dredging of the “choke points” in the Cherry Creek/Corals Waterway system has been completed. The dredging contractor has removed its equipment. Our creek appears pristine should continue to provide habitat for wildlife and beauty for residents for years to come.

We'd like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped on this half-decade journey. At every point along the way, at just the right times, the right people stepped forward and pitched in time, talents, professional expertise and hard work. Every contribution was vital. Every Friend should be justifiably proud.

The Oakland Park City Commission and City Staff came on board, determined to do the right thing, set standards high and persevered in a difficult economic environment to see that the project was funded, supervised by dedicated professionals and executed with environmental sensitivity.

The dredging work was done by Gator Dredging, from Pinellas Park, Florida. Their workers used hydraulic dredging equipment that resembled oversized swimming pool vacuums to literally vacuum up sediment form the bottom of the waterway at points where water flow was constricted. Except for an 80-foot incursion at the north end, no dredging was done in the natural creek area. The northern incursion was to create a smooth tapered transition from the profile of the creek to the newly dredged profile around the 38th Street bridge. Oysters were moved to the sides of the waterway where they can continue to be of ecological benefit. Some eelgrass was removed and replanted in the area of the Floranada bridge. Very little turbidity was observed during the dredging.

By far the largest amount of work was done at the point farthest from the natural creek, under the bridges at Oakland Park Blvd and near Cheery Creek Park. A truly surprising amount of water flow constricting sediment had built up over the years there. Dredging at the other locations wet very quickly. In all, the crews were at work for a little less than two months.

Since the choke point dredging, residents have reported seeing more and larger fish swimming to and from the natural creek. Schools of impressive jacks and adult snook have been sighted. The juvenile snook population is reported to be doing well.

-Friends of Cherry Creek

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