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Right Sand

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James J. Dean

Published: June 16, 2008

I read Friday that City Pier Beach will be closed for at least a month to fill in the offshore dredge hole. The recent tragic drowning accident at this dredge hole has made this a notable priority. I never knew, and suspect many never knew of this hole.

There is another 30-foot deep hole just south of the channel between Lake Jackson and Little Lake Jackson (on the Little Lake Jackson side.)

The problem, according to the newspaper articles, is where to get the sand. Fire Department Chief Batz has wisely suggested digging out sand from the boat ramp at Veterans Beach. The water there is too shallow to get the Fire Department Rescue boat in the water. This would supply a portion of the sand needed to fill the hole and solve two problems.

My question is, what if the Fire Department Rescue boat is needed in Little Lake Jackson? The channel has not been open for a long time, and is filled with sand. There is no boat launch ramp on Little Lake Jackson. The only entry is through the sand- filled channel.

The Army Corp of Engineers is uncertain what to do with the sand if it was ever approved to clear the channel.

Well, I suggest we also use that sand to fill the dredge hole. It's free, it's there, and it's already a natural part of the lakes. Simply move it to another advantageous point. Again, more than one problem solved with one action.

We've been trying for years to get rid of this sand under the bridge. Now we know where to put it.

James J. Dean
Sebring

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