At this time, the filter feeder habitat technology and pilot program is being evaluated by the Monroe County subcommittee charged with cleaning up our canals. The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has appropriated $5M in funds to study the best ways to address cleaning these canals. There is no one solution that addresses all the canal problems. Filter feeder systems address the water quality issue by addressing the nutrient loading. Other systems will address sea-grass and floating debris entering the canals, looking at reducing depth of some canals and systems that will enable improving the hypoxic lower layers of water and even reducing the sediment.

FKEC.org expects the pilot project to begin sometime in mid-summer, assuming we win approval from the BOCC. It is important to develop the best practices first before trying to distribute these systems Keys wide at this point. There will be some systems made over time that we expect to be made available, but at this time we have yet to start large-scale production.