House Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #576 Winsberg Farm Wetland Restoration Project
Requester:	Bob Weissman		Organization:		Palm Beach County Commission
Project Title:	Winsberg Farm Wetland Restoration Project		Date Submitted:		01/25/2000 2:23:16 PM
District Member:	Suzanne Jacobs		Service Area:		County
Counties Affected:	Palm Beach
Recipient:	Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners		Contact:		Gary Dernlan
	301 North Olive Avenue, 12th floor		Contact Phone:		(561) 641-3402
	West Palm Beach 33401
Project Description:
The Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department intends to restore 170 acres of vegetable farmland to Everglades habitat including a rich, diverse native marsh, cypress swamp, tropical hardwood hammock, and pine flatwoods using reclaimed wastewater from the Palm Beach County Regional Water Reclamation Project. The Winsberg Project is a state-of-the-art concept of using reclaimed water to achieve multiple benefits. The Winsberg Project will augment the State's water resources and assist in restoring America's Everglades, provide an additional 170 acres of functional habitat that will benefit Florida's natural resources, provide buffer and "green space" for adjacent development and construct a South Florida Ecosystem interpretative center that will become a focal point for Everglades ecotourism. The interpretative center will also function as an environmental education facility for the school children of Palm Beach County and for Floridians of all ages. Palm Beach County currently disposes of its treated effluent in deep aquifers by injection well, a safe and commonly accepted practice throughout Florida. The Winsberg Project will diversify the County's wastewater disposal options to include Everglades creation with the intent of reducing reliance on deep injection wells.
Services Provided/Benefit to State:
The Winsberg Project will create "new water" by recharging the Biscayne aquifer with highly treated reclaimed water. This water will enhance the State's water resources providing more water for allocation and the environment. The Winsberg Project will increase the spatial extent of Everglades wetlands in Florida. By doing so it will increase the State's functional habitat as well as increase the State's native plant and animal species both in abundance and diversity. The Winsberg Project will provide a South Florida Ecosystem interpretative center for the citizens of Florida and ecotourists from around the world. This center will explain how America's Everglades work and how this project assists in Everglades restoration. This project will become an asset, an environmental education center and meeting place in the State's overall strategy to restore the Everglades.
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
Restore 170 acres of wetlands to America's Everglades in an area currently without significant wetlands. Provide functional habitat for more than 100 species of birds as well as fish, reptiles and amphibians. Provide roosting and nesting areas for birds. Raise the water table and recharge the aquifer with up to 8 million gallons per day of water. Increase the amount of allocable water from this region of the Biscayne Aquifer in Palm Beach County. Construction of a South Florida Ecosystem inperpretative center with boardwalks that will function as a living laboratory and classroom for Everglades habitat. Provide "green space" buffering adjacent development.
Amount requested from the State for this project this year:				$4,250,000
Total cost of the project:		$14,500,000

Request has been made to fund:			Construction
Is there Local Government or Private match for this request?				Yes
	Cash Amount:	$10,250,000
Was this project previously funded by the State?				No
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?				No
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?				No
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget?				No
Is there a documented need for this project?				Yes
	Documentation:	Central and Southern Florida Project Comprehensive Review Study
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?				Yes
	Hearing Body:	Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation
	Meeting Date:	12/14/1999