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July 18, 2017
Temporary Pumps Have Immediate Impact
On High Water Levels in Water Conservation Areas
Pumps at S-176 structure in Miami-Dade County will improve ability to move water out of Water Conservation Area 3A, aiding in response to high water emergency caused by heavy June rainfall
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| Location of S-176 structure where SFWMD crews are installing temporary pumps to aid in the lowering of water levels in Water Conservation Area 3A. |
Homestead, FL - South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) teams from the Homestead and West Palm Beach field stations worked through the weekend to install two temporary pumps that will ramp up efforts to lower water levels in Water Conservation Area 3A.
"I am very proud of our staff for working tirelessly to implement this pump installation, as well as
all the other efforts undertaken since heavy rainfall caused this high water emergency in the conservation areas," said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Dan O'Keefe. "Protecting plants and wildlife and the Everglades is important to every Floridian and this latest example once again proves our staff is up for the task."
The two temporary pumps, installed at the S-176 structure in South Miami-Dade County, are part of the South Dade Conveyance System that
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Crews installing pumps at S-176. Click on image for larger version. |
allows water to be moved to tide south through the S-197 structure. The pumps increase the amount of water that can be moved through S-176 south by 175 cubic feet per second, allowing more water to be moved out of Water Conservation Area 3A to the north.
An average of nearly 15 inches of rainfall fell across the District in June, with more than 18 inches falling directly on the water conservation areas in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. This led the Department of Environmental Protection to declare a state of emergency in Water Conservation Area 3A, where the heavy rain caused high water levels that put wildlife at risk of drowning. In the aftermath, SFWMD water managers have been taking every feasible operational step to lower the water levels the maximum extent permitted by the system's design.
Installation of the pumps is expected to be completed this week.
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