By Pam Nicholls, GSAC Board Member
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Those who attend the regular monthly meetings of The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hear the latest developments on Collier County’s federally funded Coastal Storm Risk Management Study were surprised to learn that the $5.97m project will run out of money by May.
The reason given by ACE is that the complexity of the study, and the extensive technical analysis required, exceeded the resources allocated through August 2025.
Therefore, there’s not enough money in the pot to reach the next stage — a tentatively selected plan identifying measures to manage the risk of storms and flooding on Collier’s coastal community.
The CSRM Feasibility Study has effectively been following a start stop pattern since its first inception in 2018. This study is a reiteration of that initial $3m three-year analysis which foundered in 2020 and was resurrected in 2022.
“South Florida has been impacted by three major hurricanes since this study began,” said Norfolk based project director Abbegail Preddy, which highlights how urgently a comprehensive storm risk management plan is needed.
“We remain fully committed to this effort and are working diligently to secure the necessary resources to continue this vital study,” she affirmed in a communication to stakeholders.
No response was received from ACE on the question of when or even if, additional funding would be appropriated.
