The Southwest Florida Water Management District has reached an agreement with four homeowners to purchase their property as part of the Lake Hancock Lake Level Modification Project, which was authorized by the District’s Governing Board on Sept. 25.
The Lake Hancock Lake Level Modification Project, will raise the lakes water level to store additional water that later can be released into the Upper Peace River during dry periods. The project is a critical component of the Districts recovery strategy for meeting the minimum flows in the Upper Peace River.
The District purchased four homes and the associated properties for $1,387,000.
The District has already acquired 6,425 acres of property around the lake as part of the Upper Peace River to Tenorac (Green Swamp) Greenway Corridor. This project will require the additional acquisition of approximately 1,902 acres, which includes 60 parcels and 29 homes.
District staff has held multiple public and individual meetings with property owners affected by the project to explain how their property will be affected and the acquisition process. District staff will attempt to negotiate the purchase of as many parcels as possible through voluntary acquisitions. Voluntary acquisition avoids the significant expense and investment of staff time that is required when eminent domain proceedings are initiated. In the eminent domain process the District can incur substantial costs in attorneys and expert witness fees. However, if staff determines an agreement cannot be reached with a property owner, a condemnation lawsuit will be initiated.
Over the last 150 years, land use changes and water withdrawals have significantly altered the Peace River watershed. These activities have
resulted in a reduction in the watersheds ability to store and recharge rainfall, which has led to lowered groundwater levels, extended periods of low or no flows in the Upper Peace River, poor water quality and altered ecosystems.
The District is required by state law to set minimum flows and levels for priority water bodies. A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and the related natural environment. The District has set minimum flows for the Upper Peace River from Bartow to Zolfo Springs, but the river has been failing to meet these flows about 30 percent of the time over the last 30 years.
The District is also required to develop recovery plans for water bodies failing to meet their minimum flows or levels. The District has investigated a variety of options for the Upper Peace River recovery. Staff has found that meeting the minimum flows solely by reducing groundwater withdrawals would require cutbacks of 70 to 80 percent, which would devastate Polk Countys economy. The Lake Hancock Lake Level Modification Project is expected to recover up to 50 percent of the minimum flows for the Upper Peace River.
The higher water levels will inundate some private property on or near the lake.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a conceptual environmental resource permit to the District in June to raise the control elevation of the outflow structure from 98.7 feet above sea level to the lakes historic level of 100.0 feet.
Implementation of the project is expected to take approximately three years, which will include land acquisition as well as the final design, permitting and construction.
Lake Hancock is a 4,500-acre lake in the headwaters of the Peace River watershed, which extends 120 miles downstream to Charlotte Harbor, an estuary of national significance.