TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott met with White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to continue advocating for full funding for the repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee. The Governor also spoke about the importance of the federal government quickly approving the EAA reservoir project, which will hold more water south of …
Major Reservoir Project Could Take Years
After receiving legislative approval last spring, a massive reservoir intended to help shift water south from Lake Okeechobee remains years away from reality, the head of the South Florida Water Management District said Wednesday. A big factor in the timeline for design and construction of the reservoir is waiting for federal-government approval of its half of the roughly $1.6 billion …
Lawmakers Weigh Spending on Conservation Projects
When state lawmakers met during the 2017 legislative session, one of the biggest issues was a bill backed by Senate President Joe Negron to revamp how water flows in parts of South Florida. Lawmakers aren’t considering such a major piece of environmental legislation as they prepare for the 2018 session. But they have started moving forward with several high-priced bills …
Negron Urges Broader Look for Reservoir Land
Senate President Joe Negron wants water managers to expand their search for land to house a reservoir he has backed to help shift water south from Lake Okeechobee. In a letter Thursday to South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Ernie Marks, Negron expressed concern that plans put forward a day earlier “may be unnecessarily constrained by using a limited …
New Leader Picked for South Florida Water Management District
by Jim Turner, News Service of Florida A key player on Everglades issues was elevated Monday to become executive director of the South Florida Water Management District, replacing Pete Antonacci who is leaving to become Gov. Rick Scott’s top business recruiter. The district’s Governing Board unanimously agreed during a teleconference to promote Ernie Marks, district director of Everglades policy and …
Army Corps Needs More Time on Negron Reservoir
by Jim Turner, News Service of Florida Federal assistance may be on the way for the state’s latest Everglades restoration effort. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will need another month to figure out how to join in Senate President Joe Negron’s plan for a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee. Col. Jason Kirk, the Florida commander for …
Putnam Comments Re: Phosphorous Reduction in Everglades Agricultural Area
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam released the following statement regarding the South Florida Water Management District’s announcement that for the Water Year 2017 monitoring period, the Everglades Water Quality Program achieved a 70-percent phosphorous reduction. “We continue to make headway in restoring the health of the Everglades, and the Everglades Agricultural Area has, yet again, exceeded state-mandated goals …
EAA Farmers Achieve Another Year of Water Quality Success for the Everglades
Environmental Agency Announces Everglades Agricultural Area Reduced Phosphorus by Nearly 3 Times the Goal The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) announced that farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) achieved another successful year of water-quality success, announcing a 70 percent reduction in phosphorous for Water Year 2017. The reduction is nearly three times the 25 percent reduction goal set …
Tucker Appointed to South Florida Water Management District Board
By Jaci Schreckengost Improving water quality and how it is stored is a priority for Brandon Tucker. He is a newly appointed board member of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), which covers St. Lucie County to Monroe County. Tucker, a resident of Palm City for the last 20 years, works in the agricultural real estate business. Improving water …
Water Management District Offers Online Updates on Reservoir
from News Service of Florida Progress on a controversial reservoir intended to help clean South Florida waterways can now be followed via an interactive map provided by the South Florida Water Management District. The website outlines where the reservoir — about 18,000-acres — will be located within the Everglades Agricultural Area south of Lake Okeechobee. So far, water management officials …