FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 24, 2014
WATER STORAGE CAPACITY IN NORTHERN EVERGLADES TO GROW WITH LATEST
DEP GRANT
~Department awards $3 million to
store excess water on public and private lands~
NORTHERN EVERGLADES – The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) announced today a $3 million grant award to the
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to support its thriving
Dispersed Water Management Program. The program, which creates additional water
storage on private and public lands, provides another tool to reduce the amount
of water flowing into Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie
estuaries during high-water conditions. The funds will cover service payments
and operations and maintenance costs for the program.
“Additional
water storage throughout south Florida is critical to successfully protecting
the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries during the region’s annual rainy
season,” said DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. “This unique program, supported
by Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature, is a win-win for area residents because
it puts south Florida’s landscape to work providing much-needed storage at
limited cost.”
Every
summer, the south Florida region is at risk of experiencing high-water
conditions due to seasonal spikes in rainfall. Initiated nearly 10 years ago,
the Dispersed Water Management Program aims to mitigate some of that risk by
identifying, acquiring and using public and private lands to store excess
surface water. The program encompasses a coalition of public agencies,
environmental organizations, ranchers and researchers united in growing the
region’s storage capacity. The program encourages private property owners to
retain water on their land rather than drain it, accept and detain regional
runoff for storage, or do some combination of both.
“This summer, the District’s improved flood control operations
plus water storage on public and private lands made a significant difference in
protecting South Florida’s fragile coastal estuaries,” said SFWMD Executive
Director Blake Guillory. “Critical funding from the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection will allow this important Dispersed Water Management Program to further expand storage capacity.”
The program
has stored an average annual volume of 86,257 acre-feet of water, or
approximately 43,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, which is in addition to the
regional storage and treatment capacity provided by stormwater treatment areas,
reservoirs and other regional facilities. Of the 43 identified Dispersed Water
Management project sites, 29 are operational with the remaining sites being
planned or under construction by the South Florida Water Management District.
At the close of the 2014 rainy season, 28 of the 29 sites were full. The total possible
retention capacity for all 43 sites is 93,372 acre-feet or approximately
29 billion gallons of water.
“As we saw
during the 2014 rainy season, additional water storage throughout south Florida
is extremely beneficial during high-water conditions,” said Senator Joe Negron.
“The more water storage options we have, the better we can respond to rainfall
fluctuations throughout the season, protecting our estuaries in the process.”
“South
Florida’s rivers and estuaries are treasures that deserve our attention and
protection,” said Representative Ray Rodrigues. “While we can’t stop the rains
from coming every season, we can minimize their impact through successful
efforts like the Dispersed Water Management Program.”
For more information about the Dispersed
Water Management Program, click here.
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