News
West Central Florida Water Restoration Action Plan
Published: Thursday, January 15, 2009
Danny Kushmer speaks at EPC100 January Monthly Luncheon
What is WRAP? A key regional environmental restoration and water resource sustainability program developed by Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). WRAP encompasses 5,100 square miles in all or parts of 8-counties in the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA) and is intended to:
- off-set 40-million gallons per day (MGD) of groundwater by 2025 through agricultural best management practices (all eight counties);
- reduce phosphorus 50-80% in the Lake Wales Ridge by stormwater treatment (Highlands and Polk counties);
- supply up to 19.5 billion gallons of new water storage capacity and 90 mgd. of drinking water (Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, Polk and Sarasota counties);
- restore surface water storage and flows, water quality in the upper Peace River watershed (Hardee and Polk counties); and
- reduce by 27% the amount of nitrogen flowing into Charlotte Harbor.
Why WRAP? Due to an over-reliance on groundwater spanning decades, this region is experiencing salt-water intrusion, reduced flows in the upper Peace River, lowered lake levels, reduced water quality, and the need for environmentally and economically sustainable water supplies for all users. WRAP implements with its local and regional partners components of the SWUCA recovery strategy adopted by SWFWMD.
Partners? SWFWMD and project partners have invested more than $36 million toward the recovery effort however; the cost to complete WRAP is anticipated to be $1.8 billion over the next 17 years. Partners include: the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority, Polk County, the U.S. Congress, FL Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, other local governments, and the agricultural community.
Regional & State Priority? “Water is critical to our future and a huge economic driver for both the region and state,” according to David Moore, SWFWMD Executive Director, “WRAP will provide significant environmental restoration as well as additional water supplies to meet the growing demands of the region.”
Components? The Central West Coast Surface Water Enhancement Initiative, including Dona Bay/Cow Pen Slough, Shell Creek watershed and Upper Myakka/Flatford Swamp projects; the Facilitating Agriculture Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program, which is a public/private agricultural best management practices cost-share reimbursement program; the Ridge Lakes Restoration Initiative to treat stormwater runoff in select Highlands and Polk county lakes; the Upper Peace River and Peace Creek Canal projects; and the Central Florida Water Resource Development project to develop alternative water supplies to meet the long-term needs of Polk County and the surrounding area.
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