The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has selected three projects that will benefit from more than $3 million in state grant funding to assist governments with the protection and restoration of Florida’s waterbodies. The selected projects are designed to reduce between 68 and 98 percent of phosphorus and between 20 and 95 percent of nitrogen from entering Charlotte Harbor Estuary, Lake Yale and the Orange River. Reducing excessive nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in the lakes and rivers in these watersheds will improve the health and function of these aquatic systems.
One of the projects is: Aquifer Benefit and Storage for Orange River Basin (ABSORB), East County Water Control District – Lehigh Acres.
Amount Funded: $1,224,800 with matching funds of $1,390,500 for a total project cost of $2,615,300.Overview: This project will increase canal control elevations and local groundwater levels by constructing 17 minor and 12 intermediate sized weirs within an approximately ten square mile area in southwest Lehigh Acres. This work effort will provide additional water quality treatment for stormwater runoff, flood attenuation and increase groundwater recharge, while reducing stormwater discharges by 1000 acre-ft per year to the Caloosahatchee River. From preliminary evaluation, the ABSORB project will result in a reduction of 20.14% Total Phosphorous or 87 lb/yr and 20% Total Nitrogen or 896 lb/yr in stormwater discharges from the project area.