FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 3, 2015
OVER $1.1 MILLION AWARDED TO MARTIN COUNTY FOR STORMWATER RETROFIT PROJECT
~Project to remove significant amount of nutrients going into St. Lucie River~
PALM CITY, Fla. – The Department of Environmental
Protection has provided more than $1.1 million in project funding to
Martin County for its "All American Ditch" retrofit project. This project will treat rainwater runoff, reducing the nutrient loads to the South Fork of the St Lucie River of total suspended solids by an estimated 91 percent, total phosphorus by 69 percent and total nitrogen by 48 percent.
“DEP is proud to support Martin County’s efforts to improve the All American Ditch stormwater treatment area,” said DEP Secretary Jon Steverson. “This project will significantly reduce the total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations and, in turn, improve the water quality of the St. Lucie River for future generations.”
Currently, untreated rainwater runoff from more than 268 acres in Palm City collects in the All American Ditch and discharges directly into the river.
“We thank DEP for this major project funding," Martin County Commissioner and Chair Ed Fielding said. "Once complete, the All American Ditch Stormwater Treatment Area project will make a significant difference in reducing contamination to our precious waterways.”
In addition to DEP’s
investment to improve water quality, the South Florida Water Management
District offered a surplus parcel of land in Palm City to accommodate
the project. The district exchanged
its ownership of the parcel for the county’s 50 percent ownership in Williamson
Ranch, a wetlands restoration area in western Martin County.
This project proposes to construct a deep, wet detention lake and
shallow Stormwater Treatment Area (STA). Located on a 36-acre parcel, the STA will be configured in a
treatment train system that will be planted with
native herbaceous, emergent and submergent plants. A portion of All American
Ditch will be filled and re-graded to direct flows to the STA. The project is expected to begin in Spring 2016 and to be completed by Summer 2017.
Project funding is provided by a federal Clean Water Act Grant for
treating non-point source water pollution, such as stormwater control projects.
Martin County will provide $822,500 in match funding.
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