The Polk County Builders Association board of directors signed a resolution last week supporting the Southwest Florida Water Management Districts West-Central Florida Water Restoration Action Plan (WRAP.)
The WRAP is a long-term water resource protection, restoration and water sustainability initiative developed by the District to address water resource concerns in the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA), which encompasses the southern eight counties of the District. Decades of over-pumping groundwater in the SWUCA has resulted in lowered aquifer levels leading to saltwater intrusion, reduced flows in the Peace River, and lowered lake levels.
In a supporting statement, the Polk County Builders Association recognized that Governor Charlie Crist has made a commitment to water supply and environmental resource sustainability by including $25 million for the WRAP in his 2008-09 recommended state budget. The builders association further stated that it supports the WRAP and urges the State Legislature to fully fund it during the 2008 Legislative Session.
The components of the WRAP include:
- The Central West Coast Surface Water Enhancement Initiative, which includes the Dona Bay/Cow Pen Slough, Shell Creek watershed and Upper Myakka/Flatford Swamp projects.
- The Facilitating Agriculture Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program, which is public/private agricultural best management practices cost-share reimbursement program.
- The Ridge Lakes Restoration Initiative to treat stormwater runoff in select Highlands and Polk county lakes.
- The Upper Peace River Watershed Restoration Initiative, which includes the Lake Hancock, Upper Peace River and Peace Creek Canal projects.
- The Central Florida Water Resource Development project, which will develop alternative water supplies to meet the long-term needs of Polk County and the surrounding area.
Although $36 million has already been invested by the District and its project partners, the total cost of the WRAP is approximately $1.8 billion over the next 17 years. A continuing source of funding is needed to effectively implement the WRAP to meet minimum flow requirements for the upper Peace River, slow salt water intrusion, provide for improved lake levels and water quality along the Lake Wales Ridge and ensure sufficient water supplies for all existing and projected reasonable and beneficial uses.
The SWUCA is an area encompassing 5,100 square miles in all or parts of eight counties in the west-central portion of the District. It includes all of Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee and DeSoto counties and portions of Hillsborough, Charlotte, Polk and Highlands counties.