Canals are a lovely part of our Village scenery, but they need our help to stay that way. While motorboats are allowed on Palmetto Bay’s canals, they must adhere to rules and regulations just like vehicles on a road. Motorized vessels traveling at excessive speeds are a danger to people and wildlife, and they also erode shoreline property and can damage bulkheads, seawalls, docks, and piers.
Miami-Dade County, under the authority given by Florida Statute Sections 327.46 and 327.60, adopted
Ordinance No. 19-75 to protect both people and property along Palmetto Bay's canals. According to the ordinance, no motorboat may be operated at any speed greater than slow speed, minimum wake within the C-100 Canal East Waterways. Lieutenant Antonio Rodriguez of the Palmetto Bay Policing Unit clarifies that this means all boats must operate in idle speed only; otherwise, the boat operator risks paying a fine. “This fine applies to all boaters,” Lieutenant Rodriguez says.