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The Lake County Water Authority (LCWA) has announced plans for construction
of an alum treatment facility that would treat water flowing through the Apopka
Beauclair Canal to Lake Beauclair. The project, called the Apopka-Beauclair
Canal Nutrient Reduction Facility (NuRF), is designed to remove nutrients and
solid particles from the water before it leaves the canal. FOLA appreciates the
efforts of the LCWA and although we have several concerns about the project it
is important that we continue to work together to achieve our goal of healthy
lakes in Central Florida.
The FOLA Board of Directors has expressed concerns about the project for several
reasons:
- 1. The primary concern centers on plans to use the CC Ranch
parcel on the northwest shore that was part of the farmlands purchased by state
and federal agencies for restoration to native habitat. This parcel is the only
part of the entire north shore acquisition that was never tilled and the only
piece that can be restored to a valuable wet prairie ecosystem.
- 2. Since the entire restoration process (which cost taxpayers more than $105
million), was justified by the plan to remove pollution sources from the lake
and to restore the 15,000 acres of farmland back to wetland systems, this
industrial use of CC Ranch cannot be justified. FOLA has made it clear that if
another parcel can be utilized there would be no opposition to the project,
though several other major concerns have been expressed.
- 3. There is also the potential for degrading adjacent parcels with the excavated
clay which must be stored on site. Necessary trucking access by tankers
delivering alum and constant noise from machinery required in the process would
also degrade habitat in surrounding areas.
- 4. In addition to the habitat loss at CC Ranch, other concerns related to the
process include the possibilities there will be a diversion of emphasis,
including future funding, from the Lake Apopka restoration. LCWA has already
requested a grant of $500,000 from SJRWMD for this project for the 2005-2006
budget year. (Until headwaters are clean, downstream pollution will continue).
- 5. There is little research regarding long-term effects on benthic (bottom
dwelling) organisms if alum slurry is released into a natural lake system. Most
available research focuses on northern lake systems. There is always a chance
accidental discharges can occur.
- 6. Some have also expressed concerns about the cost of construction (over $5
million) and operation (over $1 million/year). As phosphorous levels in Lake
Apopka continue to fall, concerns about how cost effective the project might be
should be expressed.
- 7. The SJRWMD has already entered into an agreement to lease the 250-acre parcel
to LCWA for $1/year. The LCWA selected this site because the inflow can be
gravity-fed. Other parcels can be used but not for free and intake must be
pumped.
In summary, FOLA expresses opposition to construction of the NuRF project on
the CC Ranch parcel and urges the LCWA and the SJRWMD staff to review other
parcels for construction and to re-evaluate the project costs and feasibility
using current data from Lake Apopka.
In 1991, The Friends of Lake Apopka organized, advocating the restoration of the
lake and the adjacent muck farms on the north shore. This broad-based citizens
group actively continues working towards this goal. FOLA has a strong
membership with a mail-out of over 1000 concerned citizens throughout the Lake
Apopka basin.
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