Titusville to receive millions from NOAA to tackle Scobie Park pollution

TITUSVILLE, Fla. - A park plagued with problems in Titusville is now getting millions of dollars from the federal government.

'We can't fix it overnight'

What we know:

Scobie Park in Titusville has faced long-standing water quality issues, with pollution, muck buildup, and shoreline erosion causing concerns among locals and environmental groups. 

The park is now receiving part of a $10 million federal grant from NOAA, aimed at restoring the Indian River Lagoon. The project includes stabilizing the shoreline with coquina rocks, improving natural filtration, and planting native vegetation.

What we don't know:

While officials are optimistic, it remains unclear how long it will take to see significant environmental improvements. Additionally, there is no detailed timeline on when all restoration efforts, such as seagrass recovery and reef rehabilitation, will be completed. The long-term effectiveness of these measures also remains to be seen.

The backstory:

For years, residents and environmental advocates have raised concerns about Scobie Park’s declining water quality. Groups like Fight For Zero conducted independent testing and documented pollution, highlighting the potential health risks for both locals and visitors. With Titusville’s proximity to Kennedy Space Center, some worried the park’s condition could affect tourists coming to watch rocket launches.

Big picture view:

Scobie Park’s restoration is part of a broader effort to revive the Indian River Lagoon, an ecosystem critical to Florida’s environmental health. Beyond Titusville, NOAA’s funding is also being used to restore seagrass beds and enhance oyster and clam reefs throughout Brevard County. Officials hope these efforts will create long-term benefits for marine life and water quality.

What they're saying:

Work is already underway at the park to try and stop the issues. Some coquina rocks were installed to stop waves from hitting the shore.

"It was stinky. There was garbage, there was a lot of buildup of muck," said Elizabeth Baker who’s been out to the park on many occasions because of pollution concerns.

FOX 35 has been out to the area with Baker and other volunteers with Fight For Zero which is a nonprofit made up of environmental health advocates.

"It became a major concern especially for public health and our visitors that come here to watch the launches," said Stel Bailey who founded Fight For Zero.

Scobie Park made the cut in a $10 million Indian River Lagoon restoration project from NOAA.

"While the damage wasn’t done overnight, we can't fix it overnight," Said Titusville’s mayor Andrew Connors.

The mayor says work in Scobie is a step in the right direction to stabilize the shoreline and stop erosion by breaking waves up with rocks. 

"We want to make sure we are using nature’s natural filtration systems to help our lagoon," said Connors.

The Brevard Zoo is leading the project and will work with citizen volunteers to plant mangroves, sand cord grass and other native greenery to create a living shoreline.

"The runoff will go in there, and we want to keep as much on the mainland as much as we can," said the mayor.

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