Palm Beach County may soon get a new addition to its growing artificial reef: the iconic USS Clamagore submarine from the Cold War.
A Miami-based group wants to sink the retired 1,975-ton vessel in the county's artificial reef located off Jupiter Beach.
The 320-foot sub was added to the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum’s fleet after retirement in 1981, and has since been a popular floating tourist attraction on the Charleston Harbor.
However, maintaining the aging naval sub proves to be extremely costly, according to museum spokesman Chris Hauff.
"The USS Clamagore will cost $6 million to restore, and it doesn’t make much business sense to keep pouring money into it," Hauff said.
The museum doesn't want to send the Clamagore to the scrapyard, and has been actively trying to find the aging war sub a new home for the past five years.
Becoming part of the Palm Beach County's Artificial Reef Program will help keep the Clamagore intact, while retaining the ship’s historic legacy.
The program was created to provide food, shelter and protection for marine life due to declining habitats caused by coastal development, overfishing, storms, and water discharges. The program also provides alternate areas for divers and anglers.
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County commissioners will vote on Jan. 10 to approve the sinking and a $1 million budget transfer from a registration fee trust fund to cover the county's portion of the costs.
