A cooperatively funded project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Lakeland will restore Lake Morton shoreline, which in turn will prevent erosion, improve water quality and provide natural habitat.
Lake Morton is a 40-acre lake with approximately 1 mile of shoreline. The lake, located in a highly urbanized part of Lakeland, is a headwater lake in the Peace River system that discharges into Lake Hollingsworth. Its water quality and wildlife habitat are considered to be poor.
Aerial photographs of Lake Morton show that during the past 20 years about 18 linear feet of uplands have eroded away. The erosion is caused by a lack of shoreline vegetation and the heavy concentration of waterfowl that walk along the bank and uproot any existing vegetation. In the past, fill material was brought in to rebuild the eroded areas, but that only provided temporary relief and, in the long-term, had an adverse impact on the lake.
The Lake Morton Shoreline Restoration project will restore select portions of the shoreline. The project will use a combination of different stabilization methods and shore protection structures, including riprap, re-grading of the shoreline and planting aquatic vegetation along the shoreline. Rip rap is rock material used to prevent erosion. Eroded sediment in the lake will be used in the re-grading process where it is feasible.
The project is expected to cost up to $136,332. Funding for the project will be divided equally between the District’s Peace River Basin Board and the City of Lakeland. Because the City of Lakeland has completed the design and permitting phase of the project, funding from the District’s Peace River Basin Board will be designated for construction only.
The project is expected to be complete by November.