Projects OK’d to Restore LW Lagoon, Chain of Lakes

As chairman of the County’s Artificial Reef & Estuarine Enhancement Committee, I think it is vitally important that we all do our part to protect and restore our waterways. Obtaining state funding to improve Palm Beach County’s estuarine and freshwater systems is always one of our top priorities in Tallahassee. I was very pleased when our state lawmakers awarded a total of $4.25 million earlier this year to help restore the Lake Worth Lagoon and the Chain of Lakes.

For the past few months, a specially appointed panel known as the Lake Worth Lagoon Partnership Grant Program Selection Committee has been studying various proposals. Members have approved nine projects they believe will provide the most bang for the buck. Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management will conduct four of the approved projects, and County Engineering one. The remaining four projects will be handled by individual municipalities. Here are brief descriptions of the County-managed projects:

• South Cove – restoration of the downtown West Palm Beach waterfront area including filling a deep dredge hole, creation of mangrove islands, raising the elevation of the sea floor to promote the growth of sea grass, and depositing rock for oyster reef and stabilization;
• John’s Island – placement of 5,000 tons of limestone rock to create a .72-acre oyster reef within a three-acre site off of John’s Island in central Lake Worth Lagoon;
• Ibis Isle – capping deep muck sediment deposits -- some up to seven feet deep -- to promote sea grass growth over an eight-acre site adjacent to Ibis Isle (Town of Palm Beach);
• Lake Ida Park – enhancement of seven acres in the County-owned park, including excavation of muck and fill to sustain wetlands, installation of natural filtration, removal of exotic species, and replanting with diverse native vegetation to create high-quality habitat;
• Stub Canal - berming of the canal bank at a higher elevation to reduce flows from the Stub Canal to the C-51 Canal. This will improve water quality within the watershed and provide new fisheries and bird habitat (Glen Ridge/Cloud Lake).

The selection committee also approved storm water improvements in Boynton Beach along the SE Federal Highway corridor ($750,000); lake restoration in the Town of Cloud Lake ($50,000); infrastructure improvements in the North Westgate neighborhood ($1.08 million); and construction of an artificial reef at Kelsey Park in Lake Park by the Riviera Beach Maritime Academy ($20,000). The remainder of the state monies will be used for monitoring and grant administration.

I want to thank our elected state officials for setting aside this important funding, especially in such a tight budget year. I offer my personal thanks to Sen. Jeff Atwater and Rep. Mary Brandenburg, who sponsored the bills in the Senate and House, respectively.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions. Please feel free to contact me or my staff at 355-2202.