November 2015 - In This Issue:
PHOTO of the MONTH
These wild turkeys look like they're doing their best to blend in
 with  the background. Happy Thanksgiving!

   Visit us on Flickr  to see more photos from around South Florida.
Chairman's Message
Daniel O'Keefe
Governing Board Chairman
In November, the Governing Board approved two construction contracts for key components of Governor Scott's Restoration Strategies plan for clean water for the Everglades. Notably, the District will invest $79.2 million to expand Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) 1 West, increasing the size of this essential treatment wetland from 6,700 acres to 11,300 acres.
  
Progress on two other Restoration Strategies projects is worth noting. Nearing completion are two massive water storage facilities, called flow equalization basins. These specialized reservoirs will improve performance of the Stormwater Treatment Areas by optimizing water flow into their numerous "treatment cells." The outcome is ultra-clean water suitable for delivery south into the fragile Everglades.
  
The Board also addressed water quality in Lake Okeechobee by authorizing construction of the southern STA at Lakeside Ranch. Since it began operations in 2012, Lakeside's northern STA has significantly reduced phosphorus in one of the nutrient hot spots of the lake's watershed. Completion of the $35 million southern STA will deliver even cleaner water into the lake and eventually the Everglades.
  
District efforts also focus on 
where clean water is delivered. Staff are engaging with stakeholders in southern Miami-Dade County to move more water into Florida Bay, which has been impacted by many months of scant rainfall. Through a series of South Dade Investigation workshops, staff are sharing information on the water management system in South Dade -- including the challenge of intense seepage -- and identifying options that can provide relief for the bay while boosting flood protection for the region's farmers and local communities.

Sprinkler Spruce-Up

When it comes to a home's irrigation system, a little maintenance goes a long way. Before you ramp up your watering efforts, spruce up your irrigation system by remembering four simple steps -- inspect, connect, direct and select!


Inspect - Check your system for clogged, broken or missing sprinkler heads.

Connect - Examine points where the sprinkler heads connect to pipes or hoses.

Direct - Are you watering the driveway, house or sidewalk instead of your yard?

Select - An improperly scheduled irrigation controller can waste water and money.

SFWMD Raises Nearly $22,000 for ALS Research

For its annual charity fundraiser, the South Florida Water Management District raised nearly $22,000 for the ALS Association Florida Chapter . Those fundraising efforts culminated at Headquarters on Nov. 12 with the 2015 Silent Auction and Bake Sale, hosted by the Employee Committee. Other fundraising efforts conducted by employees during the year included a bowling event, pasta count game and a Halloween Circus. Governing Board Member Sandy Bachelor served as Honorary Chair for the 2015 charity.

See the Birds: STA Bird-Watching Tours

Hundreds of species of birds are routinely documented in Everglades restoration wetlands known as Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs). The South Florida Water Management District partners with several National Audubon Society chapters -- including Audubon Society of the Everglades, Audubon of Martin County and Hendry-Glades Audubon -- to conduct bird-watching tours on these public lands in South Florida.
  
The STAs are restoration workhorses that use plants to naturally remove nutrients from water bound for the Everglades. STA sites that host Audubon tours are selected for their prolific bird watching, bird education and wildlife viewing opportunities.

For more information on bird-watching tours:

Lake Worth Lagoon Event Promotes Community Awareness

SFWMD Governing Board Member Melanie Peterson spoke at LagoonFest 2015 held on Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach on Nov. 14. An estimated 1,500 attendees enjoyed family fun and photos with the SFWMD mascot, Freddy the Alligator. This informative opportunity promoted an understanding of water quality issues and habitat concerns facing the Lake Worth Lagoon.

Other LagoonFest speakers included West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio, Palm Beach County (PBC) Commissioners Shelley Vana, Paulette Burdick and Hal Valeche and PBC Department of Environmental Resources Manager Leanne Welch.

More than 50 restoration projects have helped improve the habitat and water quality in the lagoon. Efforts include restoring acres of seagrass habitats, mangrove shorelines and building more than 20 acres of oyster reefs. One oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day.

The Lake Worth Lagoon is a dynamic, 20-mile-long, estuary teeming with life that stretches from North Palm Beach to Ocean Ridge. LagoonFest is a successful example of how communities and agencies working together can support the goal of improving and protecting the Lake Worth Lagoon.
 
Dec. 10 - 9 a.m.
Governing Board Meeting
SFWMD Auditorium
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
 
Dec. 14 - 5 p.m.
WRAC Recreational Issues Workshop
SFWMD Auditorium
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
 
Dec. 25
SFWMD Offices Closed - Christmas
  
Jan. 1, 2016
SFWMD Offices Closed - New Year's Day
 
> more
UPCOMING 2016 MEETING SCHEDULE:

EVERGLADES WATER QUALITY PLAN TAKES ANOTHER STEP FORWARD

Building on its efforts to improve Everglades water quality, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) moved forward this month with a pair of construction projects that will enhance the performance of two treatment wetlands.
  
The larger of the two projects will expand Stormwater Treatment Area 1 West (STA-1 West) in western Palm Beach County from 6,700 acres to 11,300 acres. The $79.2 million project will nearly double the STA's ability to remove excess phosphorus from stormwater before it reaches the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and the greater Everglades. A future expansion of 1,800 acres will further increase treatment capacity.
  
Construction has also been cleared to start on the new G-716 structure in nearby STA-1 East. During storms and other high flow events, the G-716 and the existing S-375 structure will move excess stormwater to the L-8 Flow Equalization Basin (FEB) for storage. The water will later be delivered from the L-8 FEB to STA-1 East and STA-1 West at more optimal flows for water quality treatment.
  
Both projects are part of the State of Florida's $880 million Restoration Strategies plan for clean water for the Everglades. Developed in 2012 based on extensive scientific and technical discussions, the plan calls for a suite of projects to meet the ultra-low phosphorus levels needed for Everglades restoration. Under these strategies, the District is creating more than 6,500 acres of new STAs and three FEBs that will store 116,000 acre-feet of water. The A-1 FEB -- the largest of the three -- is nearly operational following completion of construction in June.
  
You can read more about these water quality projects and the Restoration Strategies plan at www.sfwmd.gov/restorationstrategies or in our news release.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE BENEFITS FROM RANCHLANDS' ONGOING TRANSFORMATION TO WETLANDS
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is continuing to transform ranchlands in Martin County into specialized wetlands that will clean stormwater bound for Lake Okeechobee.
  
This month, the SFWMD Governing Board agreed to invest $35 million in construction of the southern Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) at Lakeside Ranch. The project will remove phosphorus from water in the Taylor Creek/Nubbin Slough sub-watershed -- a nutrient "hot spot" in the larger Lake Okeechobee watershed -- before it reaches the lake.
  
The companion northern STA has reduced phosphorus levels in the water it has treated by 82 percent since it began operation in 2012. In the last two years alone, the northern STA has prevented 23 metric tons of phosphorus from entering the lake, exceeding the design rate of 9 metric tons per year.
  
When complete, the southern STA is expected to combine with the northern wetland to reduce phosphorus loads entering the lake by 19 metric tons annually.
  
You can read more about Lakeside Ranch STA in this fact sheet.

ANSWERING THE ALARM BELLS
IN FLORIDA BAY
By Sam Accursio, SFWMD Governing Board member
It's no longer a question whether two years of localized drought might mean trouble for Florida Bay. It clearly does, because this vast, shallow area between the mainland and Florida Keys is now in distress. The bay's waters have become much saltier than they should be, and seagrasses are dead or dying. Algae blooms are starting to appear, painful reminders of a sick bay back in the 1980s.
 
As a recently appointed Governing Board member of the South Florida Water Management District -- and as part of a family that has been farming in Miami-Dade County since 1948 -- I ask a lot of questions about water. One of them is, "Why do Everglades National Park and Florida Bay have too little fresh water, but there is way too much water on my nearby farm?"
 
It doesn't make sense.
 
Experts agree that scant rainfall over two years is central to the current conditions, and no one can change that. But water managers, federal officials and environmental groups each have played a part in affecting the bay's long-term health and its resiliency to drought. Consider this:
  • When Everglades restoration was initiated in the early 1990s, one of its primary goals was increased water flow into Everglades National Park. Florida Bay, at nearly 1,000 square miles, is part of the park. Regrettably, the projects to deliver more water are not yet constructed, although project components, scientific analyses and engineering designs are in place.

  • Moving more water through the existing system is an especially complex challenge. It is restricted by federal operational plans, bird species protection, groundwater seepage, flood control requirements, landscape features, conveyance limitations and other significant factors, which -- as always -- require adequate rainfall so there's enough extra water to move.
I want to be part of solving this challenge, and I do believe there are short-term steps to take, even as we work on implementing the projects that will provide longer-term improvement.
 
At the SFWMD Governing Board's direction, a South Dade Investigation effort has been convened to explore innovative ways to move water south to Florida Bay. Participants include water managers, federal agencies, environmental advocates and farmers in the region, which includes me and my family business.
 
We all recognize the competing needs for water management decisions in South Dade. Farmers need water to support the fruit and vegetable production that is an important source for America's domestic food supply (yet too much water destroys huge fields of crops). Like our urban neighbors to the east, we all expect and need flood protection and adequate water supplies in our communities. At the same time, federal park managers have a responsibility to preserve existing flora and fauna, even as some environmentalists advocate for single-species protection above all other needs.
 
As a fundamental goal, it makes sense to move water away from areas where there is too much and into areas, like Florida Bay and Everglades National Park, where there is not enough. It's especially frustrating that growers' fields are too wet now -- even after this summer's near-drought conditions -- yet only a few miles to the west, the natural systems of Everglades National Park and Florida Bay are suffering for lack of fresh water.
 
The South Dade Investigation is tasked with identifying the projects and operational changes that will provide relief. As a Governing Board member, agricultural stakeholder and one who shares public concern for responsible water management, I am committed to finding and implementing solutions to this critical problem.

MANATEE PROTECTION AT WATER MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES GOING HIGH TECH
With nature lovers around the state celebrating Manatee Awareness Month in November, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is in the early stages of taking a bold technological leap forward in its decades-long efforts to protect these gentle, slow-moving giant water mammals while managing water in South Florida.

Since the 1980s, various operational changes have been made at water control gates to help keep manatees safe. These include slowing the rate that gates close and increasing the minimum opening size of gate openings. Over the past 20 years, electric strips with rubber plungers have also been installed on 42 gates at 19 structures. This feature enables closing gates to re-open when bumped by a passing manatee. The strips work well, but occasionally malfunction and do not allow reliable tracking of the number of manatee passing through the gates.

SFWMD scientists are now exploring a touchless manatee protection system. This high-tech system would involve cameras, radar, ultrasonic beams or laser lights to sense passing manatees and other seafaring animals without them having to actually touch the gate. The current system only records an event if it is hit while closing. A touchless system could record and differentiate all the different creatures passing through the gates for more precise data. Plans are for a prototype to be developed within two years, and new devices installed on gates in about five years.

Click here to learn more about the diverse wildlife and habitats of South Florida.

SMOKE ON THE WATER: LAKE OKEECHOBEE BURN REJUVENATES ENVIRONMENT
Smoke billowing into the air and flames towering several stories high could usually cause alarm and panic. For state agencies managing the water and wildlife of South Florida this month, those flames were a beautiful sight.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) worked with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Florida Forest Service on a prescribed fire that burned nearly 7,000 acres of cattails down to the water line in Moonshine Bay near Moore Haven from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.

The burn consumed about 90 percent of the dead cattails in areas where the plants had previously been treated and killed and about 70 percent of the plants in areas that had not been treated. State officials used a helicopter and crews in boats with special drip torches to conduct the burn. Boating trails through the marsh became natural breaks to contain the burn. SFWMD land managers used sophisticated weather predictions and atmospheric modeling to predict where the giant plume of smoke from the burn would go and keep it from adversely impacting populated areas.
 
This was the third prescribed burn on Lake Okeechobee this year. In January, 100 acres were burned near Cochran Pass and another 150 acres were burned in February near Buckhead Ridge.

Because cattails can crowd out other plant life needed to maintain a healthy balance, burning these plants under controlled conditions periodically helps to rejuvenate and restore the ecosystem for fish, birds and other wildlife. Burning can also have a flood control benefit as large clumps of dead cattails can come loose and block water management structures in the lake. Prescribed fires on the lake also help improve the overall performance of vegetation in the 100,000 acres of littoral zones to absorb excess nutrients such as phosphorus in the water.

Learn more about SFWMD's prescribed burn program. See photos from the burn in our Flickr album .

TURN YOUR BACKYARD INTO A WILDLIFE REFUGE
The headquarters campus of the South Florida Water Management District is for the birds ... and the butterflies, squirrels and rabbits! Staff are volunteering their weekends to create a wildlife refuge at the workplace. You, too, can plan and plant your own yard for this winter's hungry foragers, especially the genuine snowbirds flying south to Florida for the season.

Anyone can bring nature a little closer to home by planting a diverse mixture of shrubs, vines and trees that feed the birds and provide habitat for nesting. Even elusive hummingbirds cannot resist coral honeysuckle, cross vine and red buckeye plants. The plant list is endless for other Florida birds such as the red-bellied woodpecker, chickadee, warbler, cardinal and sparrow. Beautyberry and wild coffee shrubs produce fleshy berries, and along with cocoplums, seagrapes and muscadine grapevines, are sweet additions to the avian picnic basket.

The gumbo limbo tree produces clusters of red fruit enjoyed by the mockingbird, the state bird. Oak trees' limbs and cavities offer habitat for tree-hopping squirrels. Florida's cottontail rabbits enjoy tree bark and anything green and leafy. Native ground covers like beach dune sunflower offer excellent habitat for shy reptiles and amphibians that keep the insect population in check.

The novice gardener can start small with a butterfly garden. Butterflies flittering through an array of petaled pentas -- in colors of white, pink, purple or red -- can turn the most somber to giddy. Wild confetti lantana and pink porterweed, once regarded as unruly weeds, have now found a place in the natural landscape as butterfly plants. The spindly milkweed plant serves as both nectar for the brilliant orange and black monarchs to feed and host for their caterpillar stage. Parsley, dill and fennel serve as host plants for black swallowtail butterflies and can also be enjoyed by the "gardener." 

Creating a wildlife refuge goes hand-in-hand with using Florida-Friendly Landscaping. Planting drought-tolerant and low-maintenance plants instead of large expanses of grass will substantially reduce your outdoor water use. See our online WaterWise Guide for lists of plants and Florida-friendly water conservation tips.