Lee Board of County Commissioners votes to accept grant to construct artificial reef

FORT MYERS – The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to accept a $120,000 grant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for the construction of an artificial reef.

The Federal Aid in Sportfish Restoration grant allocates the funds for at least 1,000 tons of clean, repurposed concrete to be placed within the Chris Koepfer’s ARC reef site. The reef site is located about 15 miles off the coast of Lee County and will create habitat for marine life and be an additional destination for anglers and scuba divers.

The project is expected to be completed by September.

Lee County has had an active artificial reef program since the early 1990s. Grants from federal, state, and private sources help create a range of recreational opportunities from inshore to the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico. Chris Koepfer’s ARC Reef Site is named in memory of the pioneer of Lee County’s artificial reef program. For a video on Lee County artificial reefs, visit Lee County's YouTube Channel.