FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 10, 2014
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.
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