Jaylen Baron
•7/7/2026
The South Florida Water Management District has issued a notice of violation to the developers of the Seven Islands project in Cape Coral, halting all ongoing work after mangroves were mistakenly removed from the area.
A restoration plan has been submitted to the district and is currently under review. Residents like Jennifer Liebal voiced concerns about the environmental impact of the removal.
"Yeah, I think it should have stopped. They should have followed protocol. And it's important to maintain. I know development is important and nice for the community, but also maintaining the environment and keeping it how it should be," Liebal said.
The mangroves, which were removed nearly a month ago along the North Spreader Canal, play a critical role in protecting shorelines during hurricanes and the rainy season. The removal has raised questions about the developers and contractors behind the Gulf Gateway Resort and Marina Village project at Seven Islands.
"This is a perfect opportunity to ask them if they would like to bow out of this and allow us possibly to solicit other developers that are maybe having a little bit better track record than they seem to be having right now," said David Scott, a Cape Coral resident and mangrove researcher.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed that the developers did not have the necessary permits to remove the mangroves. A permit issued by the city of Cape Coral only authorized the removal of invasive vegetation, not mangroves.
Scott, who first documented the mangrove destruction by boat in June, said he has urged city leaders to take action.
"I went down and met our mayor at one of his political functions for reelection and asked him to see what he could do. As with his authority as mayor of his city, to please. Let's get this situation under control. He told me he would look into it," Scott said.
Efforts to reach the developer for comment have been unsuccessful. The South Florida Water Management District is also considering the next steps in enforcement actions related to the violations.
