TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has approved a 15 billion gallon water treatment project that will deliver clean water to the Everglades, according to an article by Sunshine State News.
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) was granted a permit by the DEP to build the L-8 Flow Equalization Basin south of Lake Okeechobee, the article reported.
According to the article, the 53-foot-deep reservoir will allow water managers to hold 45,000 acre-feet of stormwater for treatment and shipment to the Everglades, instead of releasing it to tide.
Large amounts of stormwater in Florida this year caused flooding of conservation areas near the Everglades which drowned wildlife and caused problems at estuaries, the article noted.
"The department and the South Florida Water Management District continue to move forward with Everglades restoration projects with the support of Gov. [Rick] Scott," said DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard. "This project will allow for additional water storage and cleaner water moving south, which will ensure the proper nourishment of the River of Grass."
Construction is set to begin this month, continued the article, and be completed in April 2015.
Read the full article here.
