News Update
SFWMD approves deal expediting Biscayne Bay coastal wetlands restoration
Staff report
Enviro-Net
In early March, the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board approved a cooperative agreement with Miami-Dade County that allows for the use of county lands to support the restoration of Biscayne Bay.
Under the agreement, 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 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.
Land acquisition and construction is well underway on the first phase of the project that 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.
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.