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| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #627 |
| Lake Worth Lagoon Restoration |
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| Requester: |
Richard Walesky |
Organization: |
Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management |
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| Project Title: |
Lake Worth Lagoon Restoration |
Date Submitted |
1/12/2005 12:07:00 PM |
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| Sponsors: |
Atwater |
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| Statewide Interest: |
| This project is regional in scope, is intended to meet a doucmented need of statwide interest, is intended to produce a measurable result and has tangible community support. (See Below) |
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| Recipient: |
Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners |
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Contact: |
Todd Bonlarron, Legislative Affairs Director |
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3323 Belvedere Road, Bldg. 502 |
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Contact Phone: |
(561) 355-3451 |
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West Palm Beach 33406 |
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Contact email: |
tbonlarr@co.palm-beach.fl.us |
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| Counties: |
Palm Beach |
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| Gov't Entity: |
Yes |
Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
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| Project Description: |
| The goal of the Lake Worth Lagoon Restoration Project is to improve the water quality and habitat in the lagoon which will help ensure the Lagoon's future viability. The Lagoon has been severely impacted by over 100 years of enviornmentally degrading activities such as dredging and filling, shoreline bulkheading, canal development, dock and marina construction, industrial wastewater discharges, sewage disposal and wastewater runoff. It suffers from a reputation as one of the most abused and least protected water bodies in Florida. Although Lake Worth Lagoon and its watershed are now urbanized, significant regionally important natural resources remain that need protection and enhancement.
This project will make construction grants available to local governments, on a minium 50/50 match basis, for sub-projects to improve the water quality and/or provide habitat restoration in the Lagoon. Located on the urbanized southeast coast of Florida in central Palm Beach County, the Lake Worth Lagoon is the largest estuarine system in Palm Beach County and is approximately 20 miles long, one-half mile wide, and eight feet deep. The watershed encompasses approximately 350 square miles that drain to the Lagoon and ultimately to the Atlantic Ocean through the Lake Worth and South Lake Worth Inlets. It includes the communities of North Palm Beach, Lake Park, Riviera Beach, Palm Beach Shores, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Lake Worth Lantana, South Palm Beach, Hypoluxo, Manalapan, Boynton Beach and Ocean Ridge as well as some unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County.
Since 1994, there has been heightened awareness and communication concerning the need for water quality improvements and habitat resotration and enhancement within the Lagoon. In 1997, a steering committee, co-chaired by the Florida Department of Enviromental Protection and Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners (BCC), with represenation by local, state and federal government, business and industry, non-profit groups and concerned citizens, was formed to address the Lagoon's management. In August 1998, the committee approved the Lake Worth Lagoon Management Plan. Individual projects identified in the plan are currently being implemented as funding becomes available.
Unfortunately, there is no permanent funding source to implement projects identified in the plan. Since 1998, however, the Florida Legislature has supported the lagoon restoration effort by approving a total of $9,385,000 to fund 37 sub-projects under the Lake Worth Lagoon Restoration Project. The match dollars contributed by grant recipients is estimated at over $24 million which brings the total project costs for these improvements to nearly $34 million. The ratio of local match dollars to State dollars in nearly three to one, which means the Lake Worth Lagoon Restoration Project has a high benefit to cost ratio. This grant request, if awarded, will enable the continuation of this cost-effective county-administered partnership grant program. Sub-projects completed nad/or underway which have been funded by this project since 1998 include:
School District of Palm Beach County- Artificial Reef Habitat (two phases)
City of Boynton Beach-Regional downtown Stormwater Facility (two-phases)
City of Boynton Beach- Stormwater Outfall Retrofit Project
City of Boynton Beach- NE 7th Avenue Stormwater Improvements
Town of Lake Park-Marina Pump Out Facility
Town of Lake Park-Marina Stormwater System
Town of Lake Park-Stormwater Outfall Retrofit
Port of Palm Beach-Slip No. 1 Trench Grate
West Palm Beach-Renaissance Stormwater Facility (four phases)
West Palm Beach-Stormwater Outfall Retrofits
West Palm Beach-Garden Avenue Drainage
Town of Hypoluxo-Installation of Sewers
Town of Palm Beach- Par 3 Mangrove Planter
Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management- Peanut Island Habitat Restoration
Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management-John's Island Habitat Restoration
Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management- Snook Island Habitat Restoration
Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management-Ocean Ridge Habitat Restoration
Town of Ocean Ridge-Stormwater Improvements (two phases) |
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| Is this a project related to 2004 hurricane damage? |
No |
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| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| Reduce nutrient loading, increase in seagrass acreage, creation of additional fisheries habitat and improved water quality. |
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| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$5,000,000 |
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| Total cost of the project: |
$10,000,000 |
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| Request has been made to fund: |
Construction |
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| What type of match exists for this project? |
Local |
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Cash Amount |
$4,665,000 |
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In-kind Amount |
$335,000 |
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| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
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Yes |
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Fiscal Year: |
2002-2003 |
Amount: |
$2,500,000 |
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| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
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Yes |
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Amount: |
$35,000,000 |
To Fund: |
Construction |
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| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
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No |
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| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
No |
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| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
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Documentation: |
Lake Worth Management Plan |
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| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
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Yes |
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Hearing Body: |
Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners and the Palm Beach County Delegation |
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Hearing Meeting Date: |
01/19/2005 |
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| Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida? |
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Yes |
| Has the project been submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection? |
Yes |
| DEP identifying number: |
SWR20022256 |
| Is this project eligible under section 403.885(5) F.S.? |
Yes |
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| Is your project addressed in a state, regional or local plan (such as a SWIM plan, Comprehensive Plan, local master plan, etc.)? |
Yes |
| Name the plan and cite the pages on which the project is described: |
| Lake Worth Lagoon Management Plan |
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| If you are requesting funding for a stormwater or surface water restoration project: |
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| Which Water Management District has the jurisdiction of your project? |
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South Florida Water Management District |
| Have you provided at least 50% match? |
Yes |
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Match Amount: |
24000000 |
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Match Source: |
Sub-Project Grant Recipients |
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| Will this project reduce pollutant loadings to a water management district designated 'priority' surface water body? |
Yes |
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Name of water body: |
Lake Worth Lagoon |
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| Describe how it will reduce loadings, identify anticipated load reductions for total suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and other contaminants, and specify the practices that will be used to reduce loadings: |
| The sub-project list (attached) has 12 potential projects which include increased storage, sediment dredging, swales, exfiltration trenches,stormwater treatment devices (e.g.CDS units), detention/retention ponds, conversion from septic sewage collection systems, and installation of a mangrove planter. These projects will reduce the suspended sediments and associatied nutrients and contaminants through out the lagoon through a combination of methods. |
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| If you are requesting funding for a wastewater project: |
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| Does your project qualify for funding from DEP's 'Small Community Wastewater Treatment Grant Program' under section 403.1838 F.S.? |
No |
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| Other wastewater projects: |
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| Have you received previous legislative funding for this project? |
No |
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| Is the project under construction? |
No |
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| Have you provided at least a 25% local match? |
No |
