Everglades Restoration Update. Melissa Meeker, Executive Director

Transcription

1 Everglades Restoration Update Melissa Meeker, Executive Director Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council September 21, 2012

2 The Challenge: Reevaluating Water Flows

3 3 The Solution: Three-Part Strategy Part 1: State-Federal Partnership Improve quality, quantity, timing, and distribution of flows throughout greater Everglades system Kissimmee River Restoration, Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), Central Everglades Project Planning Part 2: State Projects and Programs Improve water quality and storage Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program and Total Maximum Daily Load programs Part 3: Everglades Water Quality Reduce phosphorus levels in current flows to Everglades Everglades Forever Act and Long-Term Plan

4 Solutions: Part I State-Federal Partnership

5

6 State-Federal Partnership Florida s Commitment to Date Kissimmee River Restoration Acquired 103,000 acres for Kissimmee River Restoration Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) Invested $2.4 billion Acquired 243,194 acres of land ($1.68 billion investment) Kick-started construction on six restoration projects ($377 million investment) Invested $54 million in science, research and monitoring

7 State-Federal Partnership Indian River Lagoon South Project Overview 90,000 acres of natural land storage 12,000 acres of reservoirs 9,000 acres of stormwater treatment area Redirection of water flows to the North Fork Muck removal Habitat improvements

8 State-Federal Partnership Indian River Lagoon South Project Status Acquired 54,658 acres Adopted water reservation for the North Fork of the St. Lucie River in 2010 Based on design and early work completed by SFWMD, Corps of Engineers broke ground on C-44 Reservoir/STA Oct 2011

9 State-Federal Partnership Indian River Lagoon South Natural Lands Status Wetland restoration under way at Allapattah Flats ~13,000 acres under landowner agreements with NRCS WRP Key restoration activities Ditch blocks Water control structures Low-level berms

10 State-Federal Partnership CERP Implementation Foundation Projects Kissimmee River C-111 South Dade C-51/STA-1E Modified Water Deliveries 1 st Generation CERP Site 1 Impoundment IRL-South Picayune Strand 2 nd Generation CERP C-43 Reservoir Broward County WPA C-111 Spreader Canal Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands

11 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Moving Forward Central Everglades Planning Project Streamlined planning effort to get projects in the heart of the Everglades system readied for Congressional authorization and appropriation within 2 years SFWMD Commitment Provide technical expertise Modeling Plan formulation Facilitate public participation Serve as local sponsor

12 Solutions: Part II State Projects and Programs

13 State Programs Commitment to Date Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program Source Controls Dispersed Water Management Construction Projects Habitat Restoration

14 State - Northern Everglades Source Controls Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program Source Controls Agricultural & Urban BMPs Regulatory Programs BMP effectiveness and sustainable agricultural research, demonstration and assessment projects Stormwater infrastructure upgrades FY2013 funding for additional sampling and cost-share demonstration projects

15 State - Northern Everglades Dispersed Water Management Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program Source Controls Dispersed Water Management Public-private partnerships; more than 100 projects 7,000+ acre-feet in St. Lucie watershed $46 million over next 5 years

16 State - Northern Everglades Construction Projects Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program Source Controls Dispersed Water Management Construction Projects Lakeside Ranch STA 1,707 acres Remove phosphorus from stormwater runoff in Taylor Creek-Nubbin Slough Basin before discharge into lake Remove up to 19 metric tons P/year Taylor Creek STA 118 acres Nubbin Slough STA 809 acres Lake Okeechobee

17 State Projects and Programs Habitat Restoration Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program Source Controls Dispersed Water Management Construction Projects Habitat Restoration 17

18 Solutions: Part III Water Quality

19 Water Quality Improvements Florida s Commitment to Date $1.8 billion investment BMPs Avg. phosphorus reduction of 55% 5 Stormwater Treatment Areas 57,000 acres of effective treatment 11,500,000 acre-feet (3.75 trillion gallons) treated 1,470 Metric Tons of phosphorus removed Total phosphorus discharge concentrations for best performing STA (3/4) is 17 ppb for period of record

20 Stormwater Treatment Areas Optimized Conditions

21 Approved Strategies Key Projects and Components Lake Okeechobee Eastern Flowpath FEB ~45,000 ac-ft Sub-Regional Source Controls Replacement Storage Western Flowpath FEB ~11,000 ac-ft STA 5/6 Central Flowpath STA Earthwork ~800 ac STA ~6,500 ac FEB ~54,000 ac-ft STA-3/4 STA-2 STA 1W STA 1E WCA-1 Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge C-139 Annex Restoration WCA-3A WCA-2A 21

22 Replacement Features Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Atlantic Ocean Lake Okeechobee Gulf of Mexico

23 Replacement Features Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) Project Flow-ways Designed to capture, store and treat excess water that is currently discharged to the Lake Worth Lagoon and use that water to enhance the Loxahatchee River and Slough CERP project is the MFL recovery plan for the Loxahatchee River

24 Key Projects Construction Schedule Summary Storage and Treatment Facilities ( ) 6,500 acres of Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) 110,000 acre-feet of shallow storage (Flow Equalization Basins ) 800 acres of earthwork within existing STAs to maximize effective treatment area Sub-Regional Source Controls ( ) Replacement Features Phase 1 ( ) Phase 2 ( ) C-139 Annex Restoration Mitigation Project ( ) Lake Okeechobee New FEB and STA Earthwork STA 5/6 C-139 Annex Restoration Sub-Regional Source Controls New FEB WCA-3A STA-3/4 New STA New STA STA-2 STA 1W WCA-2A Replacement Features New FEB STA 1E WCA-1 Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Designed to achieve Everglades Protection Area ambient water quality standard of 10 ppb

25 Restoration Solutions - Next Steps State-Federal Partnership Central Everglades Planning Project public workshops Complete planning process (April 2013) State Projects and Programs Implement dispersed water management, habitat restoration projects, local projects, other solutions Water Quality Sept 11, 2012 DEP issued permits and consent orders SFWMD moving forward with key projects L-8 pump station (contract approved) Central Flow Equalization Basin design C-139 Annex restoration Replacement features

26 Thank You