A new group, Save Our Canals, does. And the concern goes well beyond property values.
By JACKIE RIPLEY
Published August 13, 2004
TOWN 'N COUNTRY - Brian Garry remembers when the water was so clear in the canal behind his house that manatee sightings were almost an everyday occurrence. His children could pluck a blue crab out of the water with a chicken neck as bait.
Today it's a different story. That same body of water that brought so much pleasure and recreation is now dark and murky and often filled with debris.
"It looks like the Black Lagoon," said Garry, who moved into his Baycrest home 27 years ago. "It's tragic because we could do a better job of stewarding these waters."
Larry Huber also has a waterfront view. His is from a condominium off Memorial Highway, but he seldom goes swimming.
"It's a beautiful view," Huber said. "But the water is very dark and I'm a little leery."
That's why Huber is helping Garry organize a group called Save Our Canals, or SOC.
Members hope to convince Hillsborough County commissioners of the need to spend money and resources to restore the area's creeks, channels, storm ditches and canals to their former healthy condition. The group, which formed in May, is soliciting new members from neighborhoods in northwest Hillsborough. Organizers hope to have more of an impact by speaking with one voice.
"It's a Tampa bay issue," said Marianne Cufone, an environmental lawyer who lives in Baycrest and is a member of SOC. "You hear people talking about Tampa Bay lifestyle, and a lot of that involves water."
Cufone said SOC wants a commitment from Hillsborough County to not only provide the money and resources to clean up the area's waterways but to provide a long-term maintenance plan.
"We're interested in helping build a policy that keeps canals and waterways clean in the future," Cufone said.
Another group goal is to become part of the annual Florida Coastal Cleanup.
"The coastal cleanup categorizes the kind of debris found and provides a scientific basis for where it comes from," Cufone said. "They figure out the number of pounds and number of miles and what the problem is."
The state cleanup is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, a program developed 18 years ago by the Ocean Conservancy to track the kinds of debris found on America's beaches.
SOC, though, is not just about waterfront property and waterfront homeowners.
"This is a much bigger issue than a bunch of folks on the water wanting to improve property values," said Cufone, who does not live on the water. "This is about community pride and about residents and tourists alike who want to swim, snorkel, boat, fish and dive."
Consequently, neighborhoods such as Twelve Oaks, which is not built on waterways but has two man-made lakes, have gotten involved in SOC.
Rosemarie Middleton, who attended the group's first two meetings, said Twelve Oaks wants to make sure that at least two residents attend SOC meetings.
"All canals are connected all over Florida, and eventually it all gets into the bay," Middleton said.
