Earthwerks Land Improvement & Development Corp., an Illinois- and Florida-based general contracting company specializing in blue-green infrastructure, began started discussions with the city of Marco Island to form a public-private partnership aimed at improving water quality and restoring critical wildlife habitat throughout the island’s canals. The proposal is called the Marco Island Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Initiative. In 2018, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection declared the canals were impaired due to increased nutrients present in the waterways. A city consultant, Environmental Research and Design, estimated it would cost approximately $189 million to perform a traditional maintenance dredge of the canals. The C-HAWQ Initiative proposes a public-private partnership to assist in obtaining funding to dredge the 100 miles of Marco canals and use that dredged sediment to design and build approximately 33 new island habitats. Oyster reefs will be installed with mangroves and other native species to be planted to improve water quality, storm resilience, enhance biodiversity and provide 100 additional acres of natural space to the island.