FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 22, 2018
DEP Authorizes Two Vital Components
of the Indian River-Lagoon South Project
~Projects will store, treat water in lagoon and estuary~
Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida Department of Environmental
Protection has authorized the construction and operation of two vital
components of the Indian River Lagoon-South Project that encompasses six
features designed to work together to protect and restore the southern lagoon
and estuary.
“Thanks to the leadership of Governor Rick Scott, the
department has expedited permitting of two crucial water storage and treatment
projects in Martin and St. Lucie counties," said DEP Deputy Secretary for
Ecosystem Restoration Drew Bartlett. "These projects will continue
the ongoing efforts of the South Florida Water Management District and Army
Corps to identify and implement water treatment storage north, east and west
of Lake Okeechobee in order to reduce damaging discharges.”
These recent authorizations advance the C-44 Reservoir and
Stormwater Treatment Area (STA), which are designed to restore the delicate
balance of fresh and salt water flow in the lagoon and estuary, improve water
quality and restore habitat. The C-44 Reservoir and STA project will
provide a total of 60,500 acre-feet of additional water storage and
create 3,600 acres of new wetlands, reducing harmful discharges from Lake
Okeechobee and removing excess phosphorus from the water. The state has
allocated all funding necessary to complete the state’s portion of the C-44
project, which is being carried out by the South Florida Water Management
District (SFWMD).
The SFWMD expects to complete construction of the STA and
pump station components in September, which will treat stormwater runoff from
the C-44 basin and discharge it back to the C-44 Canal. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers is building the associated reservoir expected to store 16
billion gallons of local basin runoff. That project is scheduled to be
completed by 2020.
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