A project cooperatively funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hillsborough County will reduce flooding near Stearns Creek and Lithia-Pinecrest Road and improve water quality entering the Alafia River.
The first phase of the project will be to complete a hydrologic analysis that will determine the current drainage patterns of the area. The analysis will enable the project designers to determine the proper size culverts to use and how to best route the stormwater to prevent flooding.
Phase two of the project involves modifying an abandoned fish farm to provide additional stormwater storage and water quality treatment. Stormwater from the watershed will be routed through the pond, which will be planted with native plants to provide stormwater treatment, before it flows into Stearns Creek, which is a tributary to the Alafia River. A control structure will be used to maintain a desirable water level in the pond.
The cost of the project is expected to be approximately $2.9 million. Much of the funding comes from Hillsborough County and will be used for land acquisition and construction costs. The project design and portions of the construction costs will be reimbursed through the District’s Alafia River Basin Board, a grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the state’s Water Protection and Sustainability Program Trust Fund.
The project is expected to be complete by June 2011.