IRLNews:SJRWMD Amends Crane Creek M-1 Canal Restoration Project
Item 5: Acquisition of a 267-acre parcel in Brevard County, Florida
The Property is a 267-acre parcel located along the north and south sides of U.S. Highway 192 in western Brevard County, Florida. Two hundred fifty-nine acres is located north of US-192, and the remaining 8 acres lies south of US-192 and closes an inholding within the District's Three Forks Conservation Area. The Property is almost entirely comprised of wetlands, consisting of freshwater emergent wetlands and freshwater forested/shrub wetlands. The purchase price of the Property is $320,400 based on an estimated 267 acres of Property.
Item 6: Acquisition of a 119.58-acre parcel in Brevard County, Florida
The Property is a 119.58-acre parcel located along the north and south sides of U.S. Highway 192 in western Brevard County, Florida. 33.38 acres is located north of US-192, and the remaining 86.20 acres lies south of US-192 and closes an inholding within the District's Three Forks Conservation Area. The Property is almost entirely comprised of wetlands, consisting of freshwater emergent wetlands and freshwater forested/shrub wetlands. This Property lies directly west of the 267-acre parcel from Agenda Item 5. The purchase price is $298,950.
Item 7: Approval to amend the Crane Creek / M-1 Canal Flow Restoration Project Contract
Approval to amend Crane Creek M-1 Restoration Project's contract to add additional funding and to extend the expiration date.
SJRWMD Staff is asking the Board to consider increasing the design contract by $549,117 to accommodate a project redesign. This $549,117 contract amendment consists of two components:
1) A work order for design in the amount of $374,439.
2) A change order in the amount of $174,678 to the previously approved construction phase engineering services.
Engineering's opinion of probable construction cost (OPC) for construction is $19.3 million. Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Brevard County Save Our Indian River Lagoon Program are contributing $2,450,000 and $2,033,944, respectively.
This contract amendment will extend the completion date from January 23, 2023 to September 30, 2024.
Crane Creek Project Background
In early 2017, the St. Johns River Water Management District (District), in partnership with the Indian River Lagoon Council, completed the IRL Stormwater Capture and Treatment Project Development and Feasibility Study to identify the next generation of large, high-benefit projects to improve the water quality of the IRL. The Crane Creek / M-1 Flow Restoration Project was among the top ranked projects evaluated in the study due to its relatively low cost per pound of nutrients removed, and alternative water supply benefit to the St. Johns River.
The M-1 Canal is a century old, man-made flood control feature that cuts through the coastal ridge with the result of diverting stormwater flow from approximately 5,300 acres of the historic St. Johns River basin to the IRL. Once completed, the stormwater baseflow will be re-routed back to the west and treated in a constructed stormwater treatment area (STA) that will reduce nutrient concentrations prior to reaching the St. Johns River.
The estimated water quality benefits to the IRL are significant, including a total nitrogen load reduction of approximately 24,000 pounds per year, and a total phosphorous load reduction of approximately 3,100 pounds per year, as well as decreasing freshwater sediment loads to the IRL. Furthermore, the Project will provide approximately seven million gallons per day of supplemental flow to the St. Johns River.
The District has obtained permits and authorizations from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), United States Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Power and Light, the City of West Melbourne (zoning changes and site plan approval), the Florida Department of Transportation, and Florida Gas Transmission Company. Furthermore, the FDEP and the Brevard County Save Our Indian River Lagoon Program are contributing $2,450,000 and $2,033,944, respectively.
The design was completed and the District’s Governing Board approved construction of the project at the November 10, 2020, Board meeting. As mentioned in the November 10, 2020, Governing Board memo, execution of the construction contract was contingent upon acceptance of a flowage easement by all parties. Unfortunately, flowage easement negotiations were not successful. Therefore, a redesign of the discharge location for the water treated in the proposed STA is necessary.
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