The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting the public to comment on proposed minimum levels for Crystal Lake and North Lake Wales, both located within the city of Lake Wales, at a public workshop on Thursday, Oct. 14. The workshop will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Lake Wales City Commission Chambers, 201 W. Central Ave., Lake Wales.
The state Legislature requires the District to set "minimum flows and levels(Minimum Flows and Levels)":/mfl (MFLs) for priority water bodies within the District. A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment.
During the workshop, District staff will review the regulatory framework and the technical basis for the proposed MFLs. The workshop will also provide an opportunity for local governments, citizens and others to be part of the development of minimum flows and levels for these lakes.
Public comment gathered at the workshop will be summarized and presented to the Governing Board when staff submits the results of an ongoing independent peer review in the coming months. Following consideration of the comments and peer review report, the Governing Board may choose to adopt the MFLs into District rules. Governing Board meetings are open to the public where brief oral comments are permitted on meeting agenda items.
Written comments are also welcome and can be submitted via mail or email to Keith Kolasa, senior environmental scientist, no later than Oct. 29. The addresses are 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, FL 34604-6899 or Keith.Kolasa@watermatters.org.
A draft report containing information on the development of MFLs for Crystal Lake and North Lake Wales will be posted on the District's web site approximately one week before the meeting. To locate the report, visit "WaterMatters.org/projects/mfl/":/projects/mfl/ and click on the "MFL documents and reports" link. For more information, please contact Keith Kolasa at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4236.
The state Legislature requires the District to set "minimum flows and levels(Minimum Flows and Levels)":/mfl (MFLs) for priority water bodies within the District. A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment.
During the workshop, District staff will review the regulatory framework and the technical basis for the proposed MFLs. The workshop will also provide an opportunity for local governments, citizens and others to be part of the development of minimum flows and levels for these lakes.
Public comment gathered at the workshop will be summarized and presented to the Governing Board when staff submits the results of an ongoing independent peer review in the coming months. Following consideration of the comments and peer review report, the Governing Board may choose to adopt the MFLs into District rules. Governing Board meetings are open to the public where brief oral comments are permitted on meeting agenda items.
Written comments are also welcome and can be submitted via mail or email to Keith Kolasa, senior environmental scientist, no later than Oct. 29. The addresses are 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, FL 34604-6899 or Keith.Kolasa@watermatters.org.
A draft report containing information on the development of MFLs for Crystal Lake and North Lake Wales will be posted on the District's web site approximately one week before the meeting. To locate the report, visit "WaterMatters.org/projects/mfl/":/projects/mfl/ and click on the "MFL documents and reports" link. For more information, please contact Keith Kolasa at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4236.