Northwest Cape Coral boaters face costly damage from shallow canal, but a solution is on the way

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—Boaters in northwest Cape Coral say shallow water in a canal is causing concern and costly damage. 

Ryan Colthorp, who has boated these waters for years, says debris from homes washed into the channel by Hurricane Ian has created dangerous conditions. 

The canal, located north of Pine Island Road near Matlacha, serves as one of the only passages to the Gulf for hundreds of homes in northwest Cape Coral. 

"Props, back props. I mean, that stuff's not cheap to fix," Colthorp said. 

He says the water depth has gotten worse since Hurricane Ian, with measurements showing depths as shallow as one foot in some areas. 

Colthorp points to homes that washed into the water during the hurricane as the source of the problem. 

"All that dirt had to go somewhere else, so it came right out, right out in the in the passage," Colthorp said. 

The shallow conditions have forced boaters like Colthorp to time their trips according to the tide, affecting their ability to use their vessels freely. He says the restrictions also impact local businesses that depend on boater traffic. 

"We have these major investments in these, in these vessels, and it would be like, be nice to be able to use them," Colthorp said. 

A spokesperson for the City of Cape Coral tells WINK News' Bella Line they are working to permit a dredging project for the area. However, the timeline remains uncertain due to the federal permitting process. 

"The project is currently in the environmental permitting phase and subject to consultation and coordination under federal regulatory processes before any in-water work, including dredging, can proceed," a spokesperson with the City of Cape Coral said. "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently began its consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and while that process is underway, the City does not yet have an estimated timeline for completion." 

Colthorp notes the shallow conditions particularly affect winter boating when negative tides make passage even more difficult. 

"A lot of these bars and restaurants, they depend on us boaters to pull up there. And, you know, in the wintertime, you're negative tides, you can't, you just can't go out so until they get dredged," he said. 

The city says it has spot dredged in the area before but is waiting for permits for the latest project.