Historic Miramar canal restoration enters new phase, offers free help to residents
In a large section of Historic Miramar, quiet canals wind behind homes. But for years, those same waters have steadily swallowed backyard embankments, foot by foot.
About 400 residents have reported to the city that slopes have softened and slipped into canals, in some cases taking entire sections of their backyards.
Since 2014, the City of Miramar has worked to restore and stabilize those embankments at no cost to homeowners — reinforcing canal banks, rebuilding shorelines and addressing erosion along Historic Miramar waterways.
Now, the city is launching the latest phase of its Canal/Lake Embankment Restoration Program—Phase VII—and is seeking qualified contractors to carry out the work for hundreds of homeowners in need of repairs, according to the Public Works Department.
The bidding process opened this week. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting is scheduled for April 30, with written questions due by May 7.
This new phase expands work that began in 2014 across a broader stretch of Historic Miramar, particularly in neighborhoods east of University Drive, where erosion has been most persistent, city officials said.
In a video, the city expalins how crews will dredge canals to gather fill material, reshape slopes, install fresh sod and restore the shoreline to a more natural look.
At the center of the restoration project is a method that has become the backbone of the city’s approach: the free installation of a geotube, or a large, durable fabric tubes that are filled with sand and placed along the shoreline, forming a hidden barrier beneath the surface and restoring the lost enbankment.
These structures can extend several feet out, reinforcing weakened banks and helping prevent further land loss. Once the work is done, homeowners are responsible for mainatianing it. The geotubes last 20 years.
For homeowners, the free project also includes:
- Hydraulic dredging operations to supply fill material
- Grading and sod installation to restore a natural shoreline appearance
- Adjustments to sprinkler and irrigation systems that extend into canals
- Cleanup and full restoration of staging and work areas
PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY:
Miramar residents applying for the embankment restoration program must submit a fully completed application, signed and notarized and a copy of the property survey to the City of Miramar Public Works Department. Visit the city’s website or call 954-602-HELP (4357) for eligibility information.
To apply, click here
Contractors interested in submitting bids can contact the City of Miramar Procurement Department at 954-602-3311 or 954-602-3053, or by email at procurementdept@miramarfl.gov.
