Army Corps to work with St. Pete to address canal-based flooding in Riviera Bay and other neighborhoods
/Riviera Bay, a waterfront community in northeast St. pete | Homes.com
The City of St. Petersburg is one step closer to advancing projects aimed at reducing canal-related flooding and restoring local waterways, with Riviera Bay expected to be a primary focus.
According to the Riviera Bay Civic Association, the neighborhood's drainage canals have filled with sand and sediment over time, reducing their capacity to hold and move water and contributing to recurring flooding.
Earlier this month, the city announced that its request for authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood resilience, ecosystem restoration, and canal dredging was unanimously approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The approval is included in the 2026 reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), the federal legislation that authorizes water infrastructure, flood control, and ecosystem restoration projects nationwide.
Flooding in Riviera Bay in August 2024 | Riviera Bay Civic Association
The St. Petersburg project still depends on final passage of the bill, which is expected to be considered by Congress later this year.
Working with U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, St. Petersburg was one of only three Florida municipalities to receive a similar authorization in the legislation—and the only city to have a project explicitly authorized.
The legislation authorizes a project focused on flood risk management, coastal storm risk reduction, and ecosystem restoration in St. Petersburg, including work on the city's canal system.
A study will be conducted to determine which canals should be dredged as part of the city's ongoing efforts to reduce flooding.
“The request for action approval means the City will have additional resources to identify which canals should be dredged and increase overall flood mitigation for our residents,” Mayor Ken Welch said in a statement.
“This is not only a win for Riviera Bay, but for our entire community. I thank our residents for holding us accountable,” he added.
A manhole in St. Petersburg | cITY OF sT. pETERSBURG
St. Petersburg's low-lying neighborhoods along creeks, ponds, and the coastline have experienced some of the city's most severe flooding in recent years, particularly during the back-to-back hurricanes of 2024.
In December 2025, the city approved a project to study canal dredging in Riviera Bay, one of several neighborhoods that has experienced recurring flood issues. The need for additional flood mitigation has become increasingly urgent as tidal flooding becomes more frequent.
In 2005, tides exceeded two feet above sea level on just three days. By 2024, that number had risen to 21 days.
According to the Florida Flood Hub, St. Petersburg could experience tidal flooding on approximately 70 days per year by 2033. The organization also estimates that about 45% of the city sits at an elevation low enough to fall within FEMA's Special Flood Hazard Area.
The canal study is one of several flood resilience initiatives currently underway. Earlier this year, the city secured a $2 million state appropriation to help fund a new stormwater pump station and drainage improvements in Shore Acres, another neighborhood that has experienced chronic flooding.
City leaders are also advancing the St. Pete Agile Resilience (SPAR) program, a proposed $600 million bond initiative that would accelerate flood protection projects, stormwater upgrades, and utility system hardening throughout the city before the next major storm.
