The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working with the City of Winter Haven to improve water quality in Lake Howard by treating stormwater runoff that flows into the lake.
Lake Howard is a 628-acre lake located west of downtown Winter Haven and is one of 16 interconnected lakes known as the Southern Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, which is a State Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Priority Water Body.
During the past 10 years, the water quality in Lake Howard has improved as a result of three completed stormwater treatment projects: the Lake Howard Habitat ad Water Quality Improvement Project, the Lake Howard Alum Treatment Project and the Janphyll Village Wetland Treatment Project.
This project will expand on the Lake Howard Alum Treatment Project by installing devices to remove trash and sediment from the three largest outfalls before the stormwater is treated by alum.
Alum is a chemical agent that promotes the formation of large particle aggregates, or floc. The floc is made up of aluminum hydroxide and absorbed constituents of the stormwater. The floc precipitates out of solution, removing a variety of pollutants from the storm water.
This project will remove trash and sediment from almost 156 acres of urbanized watershed, most of which is impervious surfaces like parking lots, buildings and roads. Construction of the trash and sediment removal devices is expected to be complete by December 31, 2007.
This project is a cooperatively funded effort between the City of Winter Haven, the Districts Peace River Basin Board and the SWIM program. The project is expected to cost $600,000. The City of Winter Haven will receive up to $120,000 from the District’s Peace River Basin Board and up to $180,000 from SWIM.
The Florida Legislature established the SWIM Act in 1987, requiring the five water management districts to maintain a priority list of water bodies of regional or statewide significance. The districts develop plans and programs for the improvement of these water bodies.