July 17, 2006

ISSUE 1124

CORPS ISSUES PERMIT FOR MASSIVE SOUTH FLORIDA RESERVOIR

This week, the South Florida Water Management District received final approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the construction of the State’s largest water storage reservoir. After years of land acquisition, planning, and permitting, the district can finally begin construction of a 16,770 acre reservoir in western Palm Beach County that is designed to store nearly 62 billion gallons of water.

“The reservoir is a key component of the massive Everglades Restoration Program, and is designed to improve water level management in Lake Okeechobee and reduce huge freshwater releases that have devastated estuaries on Florida’s east coast,” said Alan Peirce, FFVA Regulatory Affairs Manager.

With a price tag that will likely exceed $400 million, this is the first of three reservoirs planned to provide badly needed storage for water that must be discharged from the lake. The two additional reservoirs will be located in Martin and Hendry Counties