Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1707FY0001

Chemical Treatment to Bind Phosphorus in the Upper Ocklawaha River Basin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Requester:

Gene Molnar, Chairman

Organization:

Lake County Water Authority

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Project Title:

Chemical Treatment to Bind Phosphorus in the Upper Ocklawaha River Basin

Date Submitted:

2/16/01 11:12:24 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsors:

Anna Cowin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statewide Interest:

Water quality and natural systems improvement to a large, highly degraded chain of lakes system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipient:

St. Johns River Water Management District

Contact:

Carol Senne

 

P.O. Box 1429

Contact Phone:

(904) 329-4447

 

 

Palatka 32178-1429

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Counties:

Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service Area:

Government Entity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Project Description:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phosphorus loading into Lake Apopka, the Harris Chain of Lakes and the upper Ocklawaha River hinders efforts to restore water quality.  A large part of the District's efforts to restore these water bodies has focused on purchase and restoration of wetlands on 12,000 acres of former muck farms.  The end of farming with the District purchases greatly reduced discharges of nutrient-laden farm water, but nutrient release from the former farm soils continues to be a source of loading to the wetlands that are undergoing restoration and to the adjacent water bodies.

 

This funding will provide for application of chemical amendments to bind phosphorus in the former farm soils at Ocklawaha Prairie Restoration Area ($350,000) and Lake Harris Conservation Area ($200,000), thereby reducing phosphorus discharge into Lake Griffin and the upper Ocklawaha River.  Part of this funding, ($500,000), will provide for the application of alum residual (a drinking water treatment byproduct) on the north shore of Lake Apopka; alum will be applied to the fields to reduce floodwater phosphorus levels when farmed soils are re-flooded to create new marshes.  This work is a continuation on the remaining former farms of an effort began in FY 1998-99 during which alum residual was stockpiled and spread on the former A. Duda and Sons property.  Spreading work could not be accomplished at that time due to an emergency pesticide investigation.

 

Project Partner:  U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Measurable Outcome Anticipated:

 

 

 

 

 

Reduce floodwater phosphorus levels when farmed soils are re-flooded to create new marshes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amount requested from the State for this project this year:

$1,050,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total cost of the project:

$1,800,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Request has been made to fund:

Operations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Type of funding match:

Local

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Cash Amount:

$30,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was this project previously funded by the State?

 

Yes

 

 

Fiscal Year:

2000-2001

Amount:

$650,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is future-year funding likely to be requested?

 

No

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?

 

Yes

 

 

Agency:

Environmental Protection, Department Of

Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget?

Yes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is there a documented need for this project?

 

Yes

 

 

Documentation:

Lake Apopka Surface Water Improvement and Management Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?

Unknown