EVERGLADES RESTORATION PROJECTS CONTINUE WITH ISSUANCE OF NEW DEP PERMIT

Florida DEP Banner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 10, 2014

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850.245.2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us

EVERGLADES RESTORATION PROJECTS CONTINUE WITH ISSUANCE OF NEW DEP PERMIT

~Critical water storage and treatment will be bolstered by latest construction effort~

PALM BEACH COUNTY The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Office of Ecosystem Projects issued a permit to the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) today to construct the L-8 Divide Structure, a key component of Governor Rick Scott's strategies to restore south Florida ecosystems. The L-8 Divide Structure will assist the movement of stormwater into the L-8 Flow Equalization Basin providing much needed water storage and, when necessary, directing water from the L-8 Flow Equalization Basin south to designated stormwater treatment areas.

“The department and the South Florida Water Management District continue to make progress on Governor Scott’s strategies to restore south Florida’s ecosystems,” said DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard. “This project is another significant step forward for the region as we work to increase our water storage and water treatment capacity and move cleaner water south, where it will ensure proper nourishment of Florida’s Everglades.”

The L-8 Flow Equalization Basin will use a 53-foot-deep reservoir capable of storing approximately 45,000 acre-feet of water, or the equivalent of 22,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water. The below-ground reservoir was a former rock mine site located in central Palm Beach County. The location’s unique geology allows for deep, below-ground storage, reduces water loss through seepage and minimizes levee safety concerns. The L-8 Flow Equalization Basin consists of seven interconnected cells that will be utilized to manage basin stormwater. During storm events and other peak flow times, the reservoir will act as a storage feature. During dry periods, the reservoir will deliver flows for optimized treatment prior to those flows entering the Everglades.

Other project elements such as the construction of a permanent discharge pump station and the inflow feature are already underway and on schedule for completion by Dec. 2016.  The construction of embankment protection features is also nearing completion. Total project cost for the L-8 Flow Equalization Basin and associated projects is $75.5 million, with $35 million spent to date. Construction of the L-8 Divide Structure is scheduled for Aug. 2014 through Oct. 2016. The total project cost for the divide structure is $5.6 million.  When completed, the L-8 Equalization Flow Basin will store up to 15 billion gallons of water so it can be treated and moved south to the Everglades. 

The L-8 Flow Equalization Basin project is a result of Governor Scott’s direction to DEP and SFWMD to develop a plan to address water quality concerns associated with existing flows to the Everglades Protection Area, which is one element of the Governor’s overall strategies to restore the health and viability of south Florida’s ecosystems. The department and SFWMD presented the plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in late 2011. After coordination with EPA, the final plan was included in permits and orders were issued by DEP in September 2012.

The Governor’s landmark water quality plan includes:

  • 6,500 acres of additional stormwater treatment areas, which are man-made managed wetlands that naturally remove phosphorus from water prior to the water being discharged into the Everglades;
  • 110,000 acre-feet of water storage capabilities in flow equalization basins or reservoirs that work with the proposed and existing stormwater treatment areas to regulate flows and optimize treatment efficiency; and
  • Other components of the plan include engineering projects in existing treatment areas and the modification of conveyance features necessary to move the water through the SFWMD’s massive flood control and water delivery features.