FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 18, 2014
DEP AWARDS $3 MILLION FOR SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER STORAGE
~Early
Start construction will provide critical interim storage capacity~
SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA – As South Florida’s
‘rainy season’ comes to a close, state and regional entities are getting a jump
on critical projects designed to bolster water storage and treatment options
throughout the region to better protect our water resources. Today, the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) awarded $3 million to the South
Florida Water Management District to fund the Early Start phase of the Caloosahatchee
River West Basin Storage Reservoir, which will create up to 11,000 additional acre-feet
of water storage in southwest Florida, or the equivalent of 5,500 Olympic-sized
swimming pools. This storage can help
mitigate the harmful effects of damaging high flows on the Caloosahatchee
Estuary.
“It is critical we take full
advantage now during the dry season to generate as much additional water
storage and treatment capacity as we can in South Florida,” said DEP Secretary
Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. “Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature understand
this and that’s why they’ve dedicated resources to grow our storage footprint
and protect the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.”
Part of the Comprehensive
Everglades Restoration Project, commonly known as CERP, the Caloosahatchee
River West Basin Storage Reservoir, or C-43 Reservoir, was designed to help
protect the Caloosahatchee Estuary from the excessive freshwater flows that
harm salt water dependent species. These
extreme flows are generated by local stormwater runoff and Lake Okeechobee releases
prevalent during the rainy season.
“The district and the
state put a priority on increasing water storage to protect south Florida’s
coastal estuaries,” said South Florida Water Management District Executive
Director Blake Guillory. “This funding support from DEP allows us to do just
that by beginning early construction work on the C-43 Reservoir that provides
increased storage onsite to protect the Caloosahatchee Estuary.”
The Early Start phase of the C-43
Reservoir project focuses on specific elements that can be put in place in
order to provide interim water storage until the full C-43 Reservoir can be
completed. These elements include a temporary storage facility in the southwest
corner of the reservoir as well as demolition of necessary structures within
the site’s footprint and the construction of a small pump station and perimeter
canal. When completed, the Early Start project will provide interim water
storage to a depth of about 4 feet on approximately 3,500 acres of the full
C-43 Reservoir project site.
“We must continue to be proactive in the protection of our environment
and better prepare for the inevitability of rain in Southwest Florida,” said
Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto. “It’s extremely important that we take every
opportunity to provide adequate water storage here in Southwest Florida, and
the Early Start project helps do just that.”
“We can wait no longer to protect our river and estuary,” said
Representative Matthew Caldwell. “Our quality of life, our beautiful coastline and
our local economy depends on the health and viability of the Caloosahatchee.
Projects like Early Start help us ensure these ecological treasures are
protected.”
When completed, the C-43 Reservoir will help ensure a more natural,
consistent flow of freshwater to the estuary. To restore and maintain the
estuary during the dry season, the project will capture and store basin
stormwater runoff, along with a portion of water discharged from Lake
Okeechobee, and water will be slowly released into the Caloosahatchee, as
needed. The release of water during the right time of year may also assist in maintaining
optimal water flows and levels for the year-round health of the estuary and provide
recreational benefits.
For more information about the Comprehensive
Everglades Restoration Plan, click here.
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