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RESOLUTION NO. 09-041
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE HYDRAULIC AND
APPLICABLE PHYSICAL RECONNECTION OF THE
CENTRAL AND SOUTH FLORIDA FLOOD CONTROL
PROJECT, AS REPRESENTED PRESENTLY BY THE SOUTH
FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND THE ST.
JOHNS RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THROUGH
A SERIES OF INTERCONNECTED RESERVOIRS,
STORMWATER TREATMENT AREAS AND CANALS WITHIN
THE FORT DRUM MAFtSH AREA
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie
County, Florida, has made the following determinations:
1. The United States of America, in partnership with the
State of Florida, passed Congressional legislation through the
Flood Control Acts of 1948 and 1954, titled the Central and South
Florida Flood Control Project which provided for the construction
and operations and maintenance of the developed project through a
partnership of the United States Army Corps of Engineers and an
Agency of the State of Florida, the Central and South:Florida Flood
Control District.
2. In the 1970s, through the enactment of Chapter 373, the
State of Florida legislatively created the Five (5) Water
Management Districts of the State•of Florida, of which two of those
legislatively created water management districts, are the South
Florida Water Management District and the St. Johns River Water
Management Districts.
3. The South Florida Water Management District and the St.
Johns River Water Management District were previously represented
by our jurisdictional agency of the State of Florida, the Central
and South Florida Flood Control District headquartered in West Palm
Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida.
4. Through this singular jurisdictional agency of the State
of Florida, the Central and South Florida Flood Control District
constructed, operated and maintained a regional surface water
system consisting of a series of canals, levees, pump stations and
other facilities throughout the State of Florida and specific to
this resolution in Indian River and St. Lucie Counties.
5. Through this legislative creation of the Water Management
Districts of the State of Florida, the surface water system of the
Fort Drum Marsh lies in western Indian River and in St. Lucie and
eastern Okeechobee Counties which was previously connected. The
surface water management system is now physically disconnected, and
previous Flood Control Act project designs and associated
stormwater routing are now hindered from functioning as an
effective regional system, thus limiting the options available for
more effective surface water management for the multi-faceted
benefits of environmental water quality and discharges, water
supply, ground water recharge and flood control.
6. In recognition of the potential benefits associated with
this reconnection project, both the St. Johns River Water
Management District and the South Florida Water Management
District, contracted jointly for an engineering study to determine
the feasibility and associated benefits with this reconnection
project.
7. The engineer's report on behalf of both the water
management districts concluded the proposed reconnection project
and associated structural components would (i) be beneficial
through the reduction of fresh water - stormwater discharges into
the Indian River Lagoon, a protected national estuary; (ii) improve
surface water storage and flood water routing; (iii) create
positive ground water recharge; (iv) and provide a related decrease
in ground water withdrawals.
8. In an effort to plan for, and develop an Alternative
Water Supply that will augment existing water supply sources for
St. Lucie County, the reconnection project will provide both
environmental enhancements to the Indian River Lagoon and economic
benefits to the citizens of St. Lucie County from the conservation
of captured water within the boundaries of this reconnection
project.
9. The potential dynamics associated with climate changes in
Florida were most recently demonstrated by flooding associated with
Tropical Storm Fay.
10. The construction and operation of the proposed project
will provide multi-faceted benefits associated with improved
surface water management.
,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County
Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida:
1. This Board supports the efforts of the St. Johns and
South Florida Water Management Districts and other interested
parties to move this regional water management project forward to
a successful conclusion.
2. This Board supports the physical reconnection of the St.
Johns and South Florida Water Management Districts through the
construction of a series of interconnected reservoirs, stormwater
treatment areas, and canal systems within the Fort Drum Marsh Area
to provide the multifaceted benefits of improved water quality,
water quality/flood control, reduced discharges into the Indian
River Lagoon and improved regional ground water recharges.
After motion and second the vote on this resolution was as
follows:
Chair Paula A. Lewis AYE
Vice-Chair Charles Grande AYE
Commissioner poug Coward AYE
Commission Chris Dzadovsky AYE
Commissioner Chris Craft AYE
PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 3rd day of February, 2009.
ATTEST:
BOARD OF COUNTY CON~lISSIONERS
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA
BY: ~
C IR
APPROVED AS TO LEGAL FQRN~ ALQA