The Southwest Florida Management District and Hillsborough County are working together on a project that will improve water quality in the Tampa Bay watershed.
The goal of this project is to reduce the amount of phosphorus, nitrogen and other pollutants in Cedar Lake East by building stormwater treatment systems within three interconnected ponds at Jean Park that drain directly into Cedar Lake East, and ultimately to Tampa Bay. Jean Park is located in the Forest Hills neighborhood, south of Fletcher Avenue and west of North Boulevard.
This project includes removing nuisance vegetation in all three ponds and replanting them with native species. The project also involves expanding the first pond to allow more time for suspended solids, like silt, decaying plants and animal matter, to settle in the pond instead of flowing into Cedar Lake East. In addition, a sponge-like recycled plastic filter will be added to the control structure in the second pond to help reduce bacteria, oil and grease.
The project is estimated to cost up to $150,000. Funding is being split equally between the District and Hillsborough County. The District’s portion of the project is divided between the Hillsborough River Basin Board and the state Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) program.
Construction is expected to begin in June 2009 and be complete by December 2009.
Storm water is water that flows over land during and immediately after a rainstorm. The Environmental Protection Agency has identified stormwater runoff as Florida’s most serious water quality problem today. Pollutants associated with stormwater runoff include sediment, nutrients, heavy metals, oils, greases, pesticides and bacteria. Without proper treatment in developed areas, these pollutants adversely impact the quality of the receiving water.