The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is scheduled to vote Feb. 5 on whether to begin formal rulemaking to amend manatee protection zones in Indian River County, marking the first comprehensive reexamination of the county’s zones in more than 30 years.
According to FWC documents, commissioners will be asked to approve advertising a proposed rule that would amend portions of the county’s existing Manatee Protection Zones. If approved, the vote would launch a public rulemaking process that could eventually change boating speed restrictions in several areas of the Indian River Lagoon.
FWC staff say the proposed amendments are intended to ensure an appropriate level of protection for manatees while also addressing boating safety and enforcement concerns. Manatee Protection Zones are established under the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act and are adopted through commission rulemaking based on the best available scientific information, according to the agency.
Indian River County’s first manatee protection rules were adopted in 1979. Countywide rules were established in 1992, with minor amendments made in 2002. FWC documents state that the 2007 Florida Manatee Management Plan directs the agency to periodically review countywide rules to ensure zones remain effective, appropriate and balanced.
As part of that review, FWC staff collected and analyzed new scientific data, including a yearlong manatee distribution survey conducted in 2018 and 2019. According to the agency, 2,682 manatee sightings were documented during 24 aerial surveys of manatee-accessible waters in the county. The data showed no significant difference between warm- and cold-season manatee distribution and were compared with previous surveys conducted in 2002–04 and 1985–87.
FWC also evaluated boating activity, manatee mortality and rescue data, telemetry information from tagged manatees, and habitat availability such as submerged aquatic vegetation, agency documents state. Boating distribution surveys conducted in 2011 and 2012 were used to analyze areas where boat traffic and manatees overlap.
Based on that assessment, FWC staff are recommending three specific amendments to the county’s existing Manatee Protection Zone rules. Other zones in Indian River County are not being considered for changes at this time.
One proposed amendment would change the existing Idle Speed All Year Zone near Sebastian Inlet to a Slow Speed All Year Zone. FWC documents describe the current zone as complex and difficult to enforce because idle speed violations are often determined subjectively by wake size. Staff found limited manatee use in the area and no documented watercraft-related manatee mortalities, but concluded that a slow-speed designation would better align with surrounding zones, reduce the need for extensive signage and improve boater compliance.
A second proposal involves the canal where the former Vero Beach Power Plant discharged warm water. The plant ceased operations in 2015 and no longer provides winter warm-water habitat for manatees, according to FWC. The canal is currently regulated as a Seasonal No Entry Zone with residential access exemptions. Staff recommend changing it to an Idle Speed All Year Zone to reflect decreased manatee use, reduce regulatory complexity and eliminate the need for exemption permits. FWC documents note that average manatee observations at the site declined significantly in the most recent surveys and that no watercraft-related manatee mortalities have been documented in the zone.
The third proposed amendment would establish a Slow Speed All Year Zone in a portion of the currently unregulated waters near Prang Creek in the southern part of the county. FWC documents indicate that manatee use has increased in the area, possibly due to greater forage availability or shifts in habitat use following the closure of the power plant. Four watercraft-related manatee mortalities have been reported there since 2004. The proposed zone would cover approximately 1.25 miles and focus on the highest concentrations of manatee activity, while leaving the marked Intracoastal Waterway channel unregulated to preserve a high-speed travel corridor for vessels.
FWC staff say the proposed changes are designed to enhance protection in manatee travel corridors and foraging areas while decreasing restrictions in some open-water areas east of the Sebastian River and near the former power plant.
The rulemaking effort has included coordination with Indian River County and public outreach, according to agency documents. A Local Rule Review Committee formed by the county met six times between late September and mid-November 2025 and submitted a final report to FWC staff.
Public workshops were also held in Vero Beach in September 2025 and January 2026, where attendees provided written and verbal comments reflecting a range of views, from calls for increased manatee protections to concerns about preserving historic watersports areas.
If commissioners approve the proposal Feb. 5, FWC staff would publish a Notice of Proposed Rule and open a formal public comment period. Additional public hearings would be held before the proposal returns to a future commission meeting for final consideration.