West Palm Beach, FL - The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board today approved a cooperative agreement with Miami-Dade County that allows for use of county lands to support SFWMD's ongoing investment in restoring Biscayne Bay.
"Biscayne Bay is a critical ecosystem in Miami-Dade County, and this Governing Board is doing everything in its power along with partners such as Miami-Dade County to restore this beautiful natural jewel," said SFWMD Governing Board member Federico Fernandez. "We are so thankful that our partners with the county certified these lands for use in the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Restoration Project. Together, we will help get this project done."
Under the cooperative agreement with Miami-Dade County approved by the Governing Board, the county certifies land it owns in the Deering Estate and L-31 Flow-way areas of the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands project footprint for use in project restoration features. The county retains ownership of the land but agrees that it will not be used or encumbered for any purpose other than the restoration project.
About the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project
Land acquisition and construction is well underway on the first phase of this project, which aims to improve the delivery of water to Biscayne National Park, redistribute the flow of fresh water to help reduce point source discharges and re-establish connectivity between coastal wetlands. Pump stations and conveyance features already completed and operational are improving the timing and distribution of freshwater flow to tidal wetlands. Completion of Phase I is necessary to yield the majority of the project's benefits and to support future phases of the project.
To date, SFWMD has redirected more than 65,000 acre-feet of fresh water to the wetlands from project components in the Deering Estate region. This water is in addition to another 38,000 acre-feet of water that has been redirected to historic tidal creeks from the District's enhancements to the L-31 East Flow-way. Completion of Phase I infrastructure is critical to ensuring any future phases can be successfully implemented.
