A cooperatively funded project among the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Polk County and the City of Frostproof will reduce flooding in the Lake Clinch area by improving flow between Lake Clinch and Reedy Lake.
Lake Clinch is part of a chain of lakes in Polk County. Water flows from Crooked Lake into Lake Clinch and then into Reedy Lake. However, the conveyance system between these lakes has been altered many times over the years, significantly reducing the rate at which water can flow out from Lake Clinch. The reduction in capacity contributed to last year’s flooding.
Last summer Polk County, with assistance from the District and City of Frostproof, replaced sections of undersized pipes to relieve flooding on County Road 17 in Frostproof.
This project will expand upon those emergency actions by replacing the outfall from Lake Clinch to Reedy Lake with an operable water control structure on Lake Clinch and larger pipes along the conveyance to Reedy Lake.
The goal is to complete the first phase of the project before the upcoming wet season.
The first phase involves installing the water control structure and a portion of the pipe system. The estimated cost of this phase is $1.92 million. Funding will be equally divided between the District’s Peace River Basin Board and Polk County.
The second phase involves installing the remaining pipe system. The estimated cost for this phase is $1.958 million. Funding for this phase will be considered for inclusion into the basin board’s fiscal year 2007 budget. If approved, funding will equally divided between the basin board and the county.
Any outside funding through the state legislature or through other grant programs would be used to equally offset the District and County costs.
Polk County and the City of Frostproof will administer all contracts and hire the consultants and contractors.