A pledge of $5 million to design and test Florida Keys canal restoration projects could lead to more outside money for a widespread program, Monroe County commissioners decided.</p><p>"Given our reliance on clean water, I think this is an investment we have to make," Commissioner Heather Carruthers said before the 3-2 approval during the board's Wednesday meeting in Marathon.</p><p>Committing $5 million from the county's infrastructure sales tax may help secure about $30 million more from the state's share of Restore Act funds, part of the BP Deepwater Horizon settlement, a narrow board majority contended.</p><p>Commissioner Danny Kolhage, a former county clerk who's wary of spending infrastructure money without an overall budget, dug in against the canal project.</p><p>Commissioner Sylvia Murphy and Kolhage both said they have large concerns about committing Monroe County residents and property owners to a massive canal restoration effort estimated to cost $300 million.</p><p>"How does Monroe County become responsible" for canals dredged decades ago with approval from the state, Kolhage asked.</p><p>"I want to see canals taken care of but not on the taxpayers' back," Murphy said.</p><p>County Mayor George Neugent and Commissioner David Rice said with no action, serious water-quality problems created by poorly planned canals will wind up on the county's doorstep, anyway.</p><p>"We're dealing with state and federal laws," Neugent said. "Because that water is in Monroe County, we're going to have to deal with it."</p><p>"This reminds me of the early wastewater discussions 15 or 20 years ago," Rice said. "Are we going to wait around until the feds kick the state in the butt, and the state kicks us in the butt?"</p><p>County program manager Rhonda Haag said the state Department of Environmental Protection gave local governments about 10 days notice to submit applications for Restore Act grants. That prompted Wednesday's request for seed money for the demonstration project, she said.</p><p>Haag outlined plans for the county to undertake five prototype systems, from simple "weed gates" to block seaweed from floating into canals to bubblers or removal of organic material that has collected on canal bottoms. That material sucks oxygen from the water, killing marine life.</p><p>The most expensive type of fix applies to canals originally dredged to depths of 50 feet or more to acquire fill material for development. Backfilling a single deep canal could cost nearly $5 million, she said.</p><p>The Keys reportedly have about 500 canal systems that environmentally range from relatively benign to hazardously toxic. Tides carry degraded water from canals into nearshore waters, experts said.</p><p>"We know our canals are not in good health," said Gus Rios, DEP administrator in the Middle Keys. "The worst pollution we have is in the canals and that's exporting out into marine waters."</p><p>"Water quality is the highest priority," Neugent said. "Water quality is the life blood of the Keys, that's what brings the tourists."</p><p>Commissioners voting for the $5 million stressed that it is not a commitment to undertaking a countywide canal restoration program without more outside funding.