By Commissioner Jeff Koons
In 1998, Palm Beach County adopted a long-range initiative to clean up the Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL). As we mark the 10-year anniversary of the Lake Worth Lagoon Management Plan, I would like to acknowledge the outstanding progress being made toward restoring and managing this 20-mile-long urban estuary, which provides habitat for native plants, fish and wildlife, as well as recreational and economic benefits to our residents and visitors.
My sincere thanks to the dedicated staff at the Department of Environmental Resources Management (ERM) and to our many partners over the years, which include the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, South Florida Water Management District, Florida Inland Navigation District, West Palm Beach Fishing Club, Port of Palm Beach, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs.
At our July 22, 2008 Board of County Commissioners meeting, Rep. Mary Brandenburg presented a check in the amount of $500,000 in state funding, one of many appropriations local lawmakers have lobbied for to help protect this beautiful waterway. To date, a total of $54.3 million has been committed for 43 restoration and enhancement projects. Of that, $17 million in grants and $37.4 million in matching local dollars has been awarded.
Some of the more notable restoration projects include environmental and recreational enhancements on Peanut Island and creation of the Snook Islands Natural Area. Created from spoil material that was removed from Peanut Island, the Snook Islands project has resulted in more than 100 acres of new habitat. The site features a new boardwalk system, a fishing pier and floating docks.
ERM is working with the City of West Palm Beach to create a similar natural area known as South Cove along the downtown waterfront. This project will involve filling in a deep dredge hole that’s been collecting muck for more than 75 years. We will fill in the pit, raise the elevation to promote the growth of sea grasses, deposit rock for oyster reefs, and create some new mangrove islands.
At nearby Ibis Isle (Town of Palm Beach), a deep muck deposit is being capped to encourage sea grass growth over an eight-acre area. A little further south at John’s Island, 5,000 tons of limestone rubble will create a new oyster reef.
Along the shoreline and on various natural and man-made islands within the lagoon, harmful exotic trees and shrubs have been removed and replaced with mangroves and other native vegetation. There are also new artificial reefs, breakwaters, and restored wetlands and tidal ponds.
But not all the LWL improvements actually take place within the waterway. Watershed improvements such as stormwater treatment and septic tank retrofits and sediment removal projects -- many in partnership with local municipalities -- are playing key roles in cleansing freshwater before it enters the lagoon.
Palm Beach County Engineering is managing such a project in the Glen Ridge/Cloud Lake area. It reduces sediment runoff from the Stub Canal into the C-51 Canal, which discharges directly into the LWL. A recently completed dredging project between the county, the South Florida Water Management District and the City of West Palm Beach near the city’s municipal golf course has significantly improved water quality in that section of the C-51. We expect this effort to result in an increase in sea grasses and the fish that feed on them.
I’m very excited about how well the restoration of the Lake Worth Lagoon is going, but it’s far from finished. Please tell your state and federal legislators that we need their continued support. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Please feel free to contact me or my staff at 355-2206.
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