Miami temporarily closes four Biscayne Bay islands over contamination

MIAMI – The City of Miami announced Wednesday it will be temporarily closing four Biscayne Bay islands to further prevent contamination and littering from growing.

“The Miami Police and Parks and Recreation Departments are collaborating to raise public awareness about the detrimental impacts of littering and will enforce existing laws and regulations,” the city said. “This is a temporary measure to evaluate and restore the natural beauty in our City and our waterways.

The four temporarily closed islands are Osprey Island, Morningside Island, Pace Picnic Island – also known as “Teachers Island” – and Willis Island. The group of islands are also known as “spoil islands” in the bay.

A spoil island is an artificial island, often made as a byproduct of channel dredging. The islands were created to promote boating and commerce for shipping vessels in Florida.

Specifically, the material unearthed in the process is the “spoil.” On the edge of channels, the deposit would eventually become too large and break to create a spoil island.

According to the release, the city’s commission enacted the “Leave No Trace” legislation in March. The policy directs “promoting responsible recreation and environmental stewardship on Biscayne Bay and safeguards the delicate ecosystem long-term.”

The city noted anyone trespassing on the islands during the closures will be subject to arrest. Furthermore, the Marine Patrol will enforce zero tolerance measures to trespassers.

For further enforcement, the city advised boaters should seek alternative destinations during the period. It also noted the four spoil island will have signage posted restricting access.

A scheduled reopening of the islands was not given.