Canal construction mess at Four Mile Cove in Cape Coral

Not the view you want from your backyard – cranes were removing the trees and mangroves along the Four Mile Cove Eco-Preserve in Cape Coral.

Nick Reeb said his view from his backyard is something he did not sign up for as it is a total mess.

“And all day long,” Reeb said, “just ripping and tearing and digging stuff out.”

Ripping and tearing out the mangroves across his canal in Cape Coral’s Four Mile Cove.

Joe Cruz said it started a few days ago.

“We didn’t know if they were starting to build there,” Cruz said. “Were they putting residences? What exactly was taking place?”

Cruz and his wife reached out to WINK News looking for answers.

A city spokesman told us construction workers are getting rid of invasive Brazillian Pepper Trees that are creating a navigational hazard. However, the mess the construction is leaving behind is not sitting well with people we spoke with.

“They talk about how the water is contaminated by grass clippings and fertilizer and runoff. How much runoff are you going to get from this?

In another email, Cape Coral said all the work is being done above the waterline, so they do not need a barrier to stop debris from getting into the canal.

Either way, the people we talked to said this should have never happened.

“We had all kind of birds that used to nest right along this edge here, alligators manatees would feed here constantly,” Cruz said.

“This was a big blunder,” Reeb said.

The city did say it will be back out there in a couple of weeks to get rid of some roots underwater. Then, they will install a barrier. But, neighbors are still asking if the city said they are getting rid of trees, why they got rid of the mangroves.

The city said in a statement:

Over the years, the City has received complaints about the overgrowth of vegetation on the Coral Pointe canal.  The canal narrows from 100 feet to 65 feet. There are spots with only 15 feet of open water. A portion of the canal bank will be cleared to provide adequate navigation clearance.