Arch Creek Trust November 18 Monthly Meeting

Members and Friends,

We are meeting on Saturday, November 18 at 10:30am at the Park. Please advise if you’re not able to attend: Maureen Harwitz: moharwitz@gmail.com

Here is the report on our October “Call To Action” meeting.

The Arch Creek Trust joined with the Friends of Enchanted Forest and held a community meeting, inviting elected officials along with city, county and state agencies, on October 21, 2023 in Enchanted Forest.

The very well attended meeting, by citizens and North Miami elected officials, was a “Call too Action” in response to the recently released Miami Waterkeeper 2022 water quality report that showed West Arch Creek at the top of the list of South Florida’s “dirtiest waterways” with a 98.1% bacteria testing fail rate.

As Arch Creek meanders on its way to Biscayne Bay, it flows through residential neighborhoods (west and east of US1) as well as through the Tropical Hardwood Hammock that is home to two public parks: the 9 acre Miami Dade County’s Arch Creek Park and the 22 acre City of North Miami’s Enchanted Forest.

There are deep concerns about the potential for kids’ contact with polluted water in Enchanted Forest, where there is easy access to the Creek; and about harmful impacts on the Creek’s biological integrity throughout.

Aliza Karim, Miami Waterkeeper’s water quality research manager and Pamela Sweeney, senior water scientist from Miami Dade County’s Division of Environmental Resource Management (DERM) gave excellent slide presentations on the status of the Creek’s pollution and its apparent negative impact on Biscayne Bay. And answered many questions.

The city of North Miami’s Public Works Department participated.

An article “Arch Creek Park Pollution Crisis Worsens” about the meeting is in the November 2023 Biscayne Times issue. https://www.biscaynetimes.com/news/arch-creek-park-pollution-crisis-worsens/

The Trust will meet to plan for follow up action, on November 18, 2023 at 10:30am in Arch Creek Park.