[0:36] >> Good morning, everyone. If
[0:37] I can ask you to take your
[0:38] seats will get started. It's
[0:49] nice to see the energy in the
[0:50] room this morning. Good
[0:59] morning, everybody. It's
[1:01] 2/13/2025? I'm gonna call the
[1:02] business meeting. The
[1:03] governing board of the South
[1:03] Florida Water Management
[1:04] District order. First as
[1:06] always, we're going to say the
[1:08] Pledge of Allegiance, Mr.
[1:09] Styling. It's like to lead us
[1:09] in the pledge. If you all
[1:10] would stand and face the flag.
[1:33] Thanks, Jane, very much. Nice
[1:33] to see you all Vice Chair
[1:36] Wagner is not gonna be able to
[1:37] join us today. Mr. Martinez,
[1:38] Mr. Bergeron are on their way
[1:39] there in traffic. Ms Meads is
[1:42] joining us remotely. Surely
[1:43] you on. Yes, I'm here. behind
[1:48] here. it. Thanks, Sheryl. Mr.
[1:53] is here. Board members I'm
[1:55] gonna has to make sure that
[1:56] your microphone is on and you
[1:57] please speak into the mic. So
[1:58] the online attendees can hear
[2:00] you when we're talking members
[2:01] of the public on zoom who wish
[2:02] to address the board can use
[2:03] the raise your hand feature.
[2:04] Members of the public are
[2:05] having any trouble and need to
[2:07] help. Please go to our
[2:09] website. Sfwmd Dot Gov and
[2:11] click the Ask Us Button at the
[2:12] top of the page help you out.
[2:14] If using a phone and you'd
[2:15] like to comment, please. Press
[2:16] star 9 to raise your hand and
[2:18] star 6 to mute and Unmute as a
[2:21] courtesy to others who wish to
[2:22] speak. Members of the public
[2:24] are asked to comment only once
[2:24] on each topic. We'll take
[2:27] public comment first from
[2:28] those are here in person and
[2:29] submitted a comment card
[2:30] followed by those with raised
[2:31] hands on Zoom. Now we're gonna
[2:34] go to employee recognitions.
[2:35] We have 2 months of employee
[2:36] recognition. So walking out of
[2:36] the well. Thank you, Mister
[2:41] Chair. All right. Yeah, we got
[2:45] a few of them. So our January
[2:46] 2025 employee of the month.
[2:50] >> As Jamal Es de su section
[2:51] later, water resources and
[2:52] systems model. So as we all
[3:02] know, modeling is as really a
[3:04] cornerstone of what we do with
[3:05] the South Florida Water
[3:08] Management District. Ellis
[3:08] undertook incredible effort to
[3:12] update our regional simulation
[3:12] model for our northern
[3:14] watersheds in order for us
[3:16] this year to do our watershed
[3:18] protection update. So these
[3:19] are the models simulate water
[3:21] movement and Port St. Lucie
[3:23] Estuary Lake Okeechobee
[3:25] watershed and the
[3:26] Caloosahatchee estuary. So the
[3:28] difference. So we've had this
[3:29] model. But the difference that
[3:32] some Ellis undertook was
[3:32] inserting all of our dispersed
[3:35] water management projects into
[3:36] that model. So we had more
[3:36] accurate water modeling and
[3:39] the guess what? There are 29
[3:40] of them. And those those tree
[3:42] watersheds and they're all
[3:44] different. Every single one of
[3:45] them is different. And so that
[3:46] to incorporate them into the
[3:47] model, you've got to. He
[3:50] worked with the approach
[3:51] project managers to understand
[3:52] all the details of how the
[3:52] water flowed the know that up
[3:57] when it seems the seepage, all
[3:58] those types of things that he
[4:00] could get into the model for
[4:01] all. 29 of them. It took a lot
[4:03] of effort, but now we have
[4:04] this new model. We have a
[4:07] model that can that can help
[4:08] us to our planning. It can
[4:10] help us to our waters. All
[4:11] kinds of plans, right? Because
[4:12] it's once you have it, you
[4:14] have And it was only because
[4:16] of him that his efforts and
[4:17] his attention to detail that
[4:18] we have this updated model
[4:20] that not only we can use, but
[4:21] our public and stakeholders
[4:22] can use so for that analysis,
[4:25] our employee of the month. And
[4:26] we really appreciate his
[4:26] efforts.
[5:11] All right. Our
[5:13] January 2025, team of the
[5:15] month as our enforcement
[5:16] wetland protection team. That
[5:18] is Allison Brown, Patricia
[5:21] Guzman, Mary Hall, Emily
[5:23] Johnson Beni Ortiz. Julie
[5:25] Russell, Caleb Signet seconds.
[5:29] Caleb seconds. Darrell
[5:31] Stoddard, Gregory Vasquez and
[5:33] Lashonda Wilson. We had a
[5:43] situation in Miami-Dade County
[5:45] wher70 acres of wetlands are
[5:46] being filled and impacted and
[5:51] that's a bad thing, right? And
[5:52] we take wetlands very
[5:53] seriously. In the South
[5:54] Florida Water Management
[5:56] district. But as they started
[5:58] peeling back the onion on this
[5:59] enforcement case, it got super
[6:01] complex because it was kind of
[6:03] a single operation. But it was
[6:06] 29 different land, landowners
[6:08] and kind of some operations of
[6:11] the operation. So it was a
[6:13] very complex hitting the 70
[6:15] acres. So they had to pull all
[6:15] this data together. Get the
[6:18] detail, right, because when
[6:19] you move into an enforcement
[6:20] action, you got to get it just
[6:22] right. And so then we issued
[6:24] an administrative complaint,
[6:25] order for corrective action
[6:25] for them, too, mitigate coming
[6:29] for permits. Everything they
[6:30] needed to do to come in
[6:30] compliance with the law. And
[6:32] that was hard itself. But then
[6:34] it gets worse because they
[6:38] didn't stop, right? So they
[6:38] they continue to fill. And so
[6:41] they had to mobilize and do an
[6:42] injunction. And in the circuit
[6:44] court, right? And so that's a
[6:48] big deal. And that got this
[6:49] defendant's attention,
[6:50] defendants, plural, attention
[6:54] because that injunction is an
[6:55] enforcement action. Court can
[6:56] issue it. And then there's the
[6:57] police arrived right? And so
[6:59] they started paying attention.
[7:02] And this this settlement
[7:04] negotiation to try to get them
[7:05] in the Cup. Clients took
[7:07] weeks. It was laborious and
[7:11] ultimately resulted in a 44
[7:14] page consent order with very
[7:17] tough milestones, very strict
[7:19] enforcement mechanisms. If
[7:20] they got off track as they
[7:20] lost trust already, right? So
[7:22] they get off track. It was
[7:24] immediate injunction and then
[7:26] $740,000 worth of fines this
[7:29] person is in compliance now.
[7:33] Right? So is 1000. I mean,
[7:34] that that order. 44 pages. But
[7:37] if you put the exhibits and
[7:38] has more than 1000 pages, so
[7:41] and that took a lot of detail,
[7:42] a lot of work to get a tough
[7:44] to get it to together. And it
[7:45] was a it was tough work. But
[7:47] now things are in order in
[7:49] Miami-Dade County on the 70
[7:50] acres. And we really
[7:51] appreciate this team for
[7:52] making it happen for us.
[9:14] All
[9:15] right. Our February 2025
[9:20] employee of the month as in
[9:25] also known as So is actually
[9:39] in the Office of Council and
[9:40] what she is getting recognized
[9:42] for is all of detailed hard
[9:44] work on our resiliency grants
[9:46] program and we have a we
[9:49] resiliency program, as you
[9:50] know, has taken off and part
[9:52] of that taking office pursuing
[9:53] state in federal dollars. And
[9:56] so what this what the agency
[9:57] has been able to do is secure
[10:01] 45 agreements for 600 for
[10:03] 640 million dollars worth of
[10:05] projects through these
[10:05] resiliency grants. When would
[10:09] you put these things together?
[10:12] It takes everyone across the
[10:14] district to make it happen.
[10:17] You need the Administrative
[10:18] Services division,
[10:20] construction, modeling, water,
[10:21] resources, field operations,
[10:22] regulation and ecosystem,
[10:24] restoration permitting. And so
[10:25] when you have all those pieces
[10:27] coming together in a project
[10:27] with that's supported by
[10:29] grant, that then that grant
[10:31] funds further agreements.
[10:32] Everything has to line up and
[10:33] leaders emerge right and Yene
[10:38] became that later when she
[10:38] helped all these programs
[10:40] organized to make sure the
[10:41] details were there to make
[10:43] sure that we use the money in
[10:44] accordance with the grant and
[10:46] who is sub with used the money
[10:47] in accordance with a grant.
[10:49] It's a a minute in order to
[10:49] get reimbursed by these
[10:50] grants. Everything has to line
[10:52] up and those for those 45
[10:53] different agreements that have
[10:54] to line up with these things
[10:57] and really would have happened
[10:59] without you in a kind of
[11:00] showing the leadership
[11:01] stepping forward and making
[11:02] sure everything was lined
[11:05] because when you have
[11:06] something that has so many
[11:07] moving parts, you need that
[11:09] leader to emerge, right? And
[11:10] you any fill that gap and we
[11:12] really appreciate that because
[11:15] if not for our resiliency
[11:15] program wouldn't be where it
[11:16] is. You as a side note and
[11:20] that's why he's getting
[11:21] employee of the month. But as
[11:21] a side note, during this whole
[11:23] time, she was also the lead
[11:26] litigator for litigation on a
[11:27] permit that we had and helped
[11:30] with a 7 week trial. So that's
[11:33] a lot of work for for an
[11:35] attorney. We look for leaders
[11:38] all across This organization
[11:39] and many became one of those
[11:40] and we know are. And that's
[11:42] why she is employ the month.
[11:43] Congratulate.
[12:32] Are February
[12:32] 2025. Team of the month. You
[12:33] may have heard of this project
[12:35] is the Western Everglades
[12:37] Restoration Project that
[12:38] consists of Larry Brady on
[12:39] Michael Cheek. Eric Klein,
[12:43] Nancy Demme and strong land
[12:44] Fernandez, Marissa Code app.
[12:48] Jody Hutchens. And then that
[12:48] air you can. Halle Jarveon
[12:53] Amanda Con Julie and Little
[12:54] Rock. Wayne Lewis, John
[12:56] Madden. Amanda McKenzie, Alexa
[13:02] Menashe, Savannah, Middle Bush
[13:02] Sesh year 9 year. She now
[13:06] year. Sarah. Only Mendy
[13:10] parrot, Armando Ramirez, Peter
[13:11] Raw, like Fred Sklar, Naim
[13:15] Ming Leslie Waugh and Lori,
[13:15] when Kurt Lane. This is this
[13:26] is a big team because it was a
[13:27] big planning effort. But it
[13:28] started in 2016 and kind of
[13:29] take the long it was very
[13:33] difficult. It's a difficult
[13:34] planning project because you
[13:34] have 2 tribes, a national big
[13:38] Cypress preserve national
[13:38] lands and then a lot of sort
[13:41] of legacy landowners around in
[13:43] the bay in the basin as well.
[13:44] So it it took a lot of
[13:46] coordination. And as this
[13:47] board knows very well, it had
[13:50] some bumpy parts and that's
[13:50] putting it mildly but this
[13:54] district doesn't buckle under
[13:55] bumpy parts, right? We try to
[13:56] figure out a solution and it
[13:57] was really this team that up
[14:01] put their heads you know,
[14:02] rolled up their sleeves and
[14:05] figured out how to get the
[14:07] right place that worked with
[14:08] all the stakeholders that had
[14:10] the right modeling the right
[14:11] support to get authorized by
[14:13] Congress. And that's a lot of
[14:15] detail that's cost estimates
[14:16] that's designed. That's
[14:18] engineering. That's working
[14:18] with stakeholders primarily in
[14:20] this And this team really just
[14:24] spearheaded that. And over the
[14:25] last year in 2024, it was it
[14:30] was days and days of work
[14:30] nights of work. Weekends of
[14:32] work to try to get this thing
[14:34] ready for Congress. And by
[14:35] golly, it got Got authorized
[14:36] in 2024. And if you had asked
[14:40] us in 2023, whether it was
[14:41] going to authorize you to send
[14:42] out. But it's because of this
[14:45] team. And I I do think that
[14:46] from the bottom of my heart
[14:48] that it did get authorized in
[14:50] 2024. And so I want to thank
[14:52] them for their service and
[14:53] congratulations for being team
[14:54] of the month.
[15:49] it's really just
[16:55] I think Amando. Thank you. I
[17:01] Thank you.
[17:22] >> Okay, we have a 30 year
[17:24] service award. That's it for
[17:26] teams. So now we have a 30
[17:27] year service award and that is
[17:31] Benjamin Boland. He's a senior
[17:31] scientist in our field
[17:34] operations center, then came
[17:35] to us 30 years ago in 1995.
[17:37] And jumped right into water,
[17:38] quality sampling and he
[17:42] sampled everywhere around the
[17:43] water management district, an
[17:45] order watersheds the southern
[17:45] Everglades everywhere. And he
[17:46] did for 18 years. He knows how
[17:49] to collect samples and how to
[17:50] get that data in the field.
[17:52] And and he did that for 18
[17:56] years going through the swamps
[17:58] and air boats and outboard
[18:00] boats swamp buggies and
[18:02] everything out there in the
[18:04] field, getting the samples
[18:05] making sure they were
[18:06] collected correctly. And then
[18:08] after those 18 years, he
[18:09] realized that we hadn't
[18:09] actually invented
[18:11] airconditioning. And so and so
[18:14] he decided that he was going
[18:15] to move into the laboratory
[18:17] where he put his skills to
[18:19] work in the laboratory because
[18:20] he knows the field, right? He
[18:21] knows the field. And so he
[18:23] went into the sample. sample
[18:25] log in unit, which is
[18:28] basically the interface
[18:29] between getting those fields
[18:30] samples and getting him into
[18:31] the lab, making sure all the Q
[18:33] A is correct. All the
[18:36] documentation. Is there all
[18:37] kinds of different sample
[18:38] soil, water, you name it. He's
[18:38] they're making sure that it
[18:40] gets into the lab. He's a
[18:43] problem solver because it
[18:44] doesn't always come in, you
[18:45] know, with all the night, all
[18:45] the things you need. So was
[18:48] able to solve the problems,
[18:49] make sure that the Q A was
[18:50] there. And we've talked about
[18:51] how important Q A IS because
[18:54] we don't have Things really
[18:56] fall apart. So he was there to
[18:56] make sure that work the work
[18:59] he does such a good time job
[19:01] that he was promoted in the
[19:02] client services, right where
[19:03] he worked with the project
[19:05] managers, making sure that
[19:07] that design was right. The
[19:07] sampling was right. everything
[19:08] was coordinate its not only
[19:11] that with our lab, but with
[19:14] external labs, other ones that
[19:15] we contract out. So he became
[19:16] that customer client and her
[19:19] face again showed his problem
[19:21] solving skills, make sure all
[19:22] the data was there on
[19:23] everything went according to
[19:25] plan and we do science. We do
[19:27] it right here on You don't
[19:29] ever hear where we messed that
[19:31] up right. And that's because
[19:31] of folks like then eventually.
[19:35] So he did that so well. And
[19:37] yet such good attention to
[19:38] detail that they said, Hey,
[19:39] Ben, won't you? also? Some
[19:40] budget work for us. And that
[19:43] was like budget gross suspect.
[19:48] But now he jumped into a cause
[19:49] that's ban and and, you know,
[19:53] we care about efficiency. We
[19:54] care about stretching the
[19:55] dollar and so he was able to
[19:58] help plan budget help manage
[19:59] budget to make sure that we
[20:00] were able to get the job done
[20:01] with the budget. We had look
[20:02] for those efficiencies as our
[20:05] workload group and really
[20:06] became not only sort interface
[20:10] with the client, but also just
[20:10] a manager of the budget within
[20:11] the lab. And then he was
[20:15] recently and 2024 promoted to
[20:17] the senior environmental sent
[20:18] scientists or now he's leading
[20:20] a team training. Everybody
[20:21] making sure they have his same
[20:22] work ethic. It's been a great
[20:25] 30 year. See, you from from
[20:28] his beginning, he's created
[20:30] the data that we still use
[20:32] today. And we will use way
[20:33] into the future. So Ben, thank
[20:35] you for your service over
[20:35] those 30 years.
[21:21] All right. One
[21:21] more service award. 35 years
[21:25] of service for Marsy's Under
[21:26] Section administrator.
[21:37] >> Yeah, Marcia is a fan
[21:39] favorite like I So she she
[21:39] came to us in 1990, and she
[21:40] was a title examiner,
[21:44] basically and and she was that
[21:46] until 2015 when she became
[21:48] section administrator. Now she
[21:49] is one of the best title
[21:50] people that I've ever met
[21:52] actually haven't met that
[21:54] many. But and that's sheet.
[21:56] But I know and we all know
[21:57] that when she does that title
[21:59] work her staff does that title
[22:02] work? It is correct. It is
[22:02] always correct. And and so she
[22:05] she is that encyclopedia of
[22:09] knowledge when it comes to
[22:10] district real estate. We use
[22:13] all the time when we're in
[22:14] meetings with her and she says
[22:15] something we know it's it's So
[22:19] so weak. She brings that
[22:20] amazing amount of credibility.
[22:22] I would also say that she has
[22:23] the patience of job because
[22:26] she has to work with all the
[22:28] local governments, all the
[22:29] other government agencies, the
[22:30] core, everyone that has our
[22:32] own rules, their own way of
[22:34] doing real estate and try to
[22:35] sort it out with the district.
[22:36] And there's been experience
[22:39] recently where that was tested
[22:40] tested very hardly. And and
[22:44] she she helped us out. We got
[22:44] through it. It's actually on
[22:45] the agenda today of. But
[22:48] Marcia was wonderful in that.
[22:50] She's also she was also part
[22:52] of the statutory change that
[22:53] she led the effort on from the
[22:54] district where, you know, we
[22:55] have reservations right? But
[22:58] that the statute used to kind
[22:59] make those vulnerable, you
[23:00] know, to take over whatever.
[23:04] But now that statue change.
[23:05] And now there are solid. You
[23:07] know, we have actively release
[23:07] them for them to be used and
[23:08] other things. So she's looking
[23:11] out for our resources and our
[23:11] land and our real estate. And
[23:13] she does a great job on that,
[23:14] too. I also understand she's
[23:18] fast. Not me literally fast.
[23:22] Apparently like 5 years. And
[23:23] over time, the men real estate
[23:24] were bragging about how fast
[23:25] they can run and Marcy like I
[23:27] can run and so the survey team
[23:33] put staked out very accurately
[23:33] 100 yard dash. Along our all
[23:38] right away behind the building
[23:40] here and they took off and
[23:41] raced and Marcy came in second
[23:43] place, just barely but way
[23:46] ahead of 3rd place. And so
[23:46] she. She she wrote that
[23:51] stamped her name as fast and
[23:53] right now, survey staking out
[23:54] another 100 yard meter dash.
[23:56] And we're going to try to
[23:57] create recreate that moment.
[24:05] also, she is a mother of 2
[24:06] grandmother of 4. That sounds
[24:07] like a wonderful set up. She
[24:10] is enjoys hiking, gardening
[24:12] spending time with her rescue
[24:12] dog Juno traveling. But she is
[24:15] intense gator football fan and
[24:19] and baseball and its. And
[24:20] while that can be annoying at
[24:21] times, this really charming
[24:21] coming from her. So anyway,
[24:25] thank you so much. Marseille
[24:26] for 35 years of service.
[26:41] thank
[26:41] you so much for doing that.
[26:42] True.
[26:46] >> We'll move now to agenda
[26:46] item number 4, which revisions
[26:50] see if there are any real
[26:50] revisions that Molly. There
[26:52] are none. Mister Chairman, you
[26:54] revisions. Do we have any
[26:56] abstentions by board members?
[26:57] I'm going to pull you on this
[26:57] and we'll start with Mister
[26:58] Bergeron. Thank you, Mr. I
[27:02] have girl. None genus Thank
[27:05] you, Mr. Butler, I have thank
[27:08] you. And this means none.
[27:09] Thank you. Now we're going to
[27:14] go to the chairman of the
[27:14] Audit and Finance committee
[27:15] Mr. Stein Lee for his report.
[27:17] Okay with me. Why? she's
[27:19] finding classes thank you. For
[27:32] the meeting held on December.
[27:33] 12th the Audit and Finance
[27:37] Committee report started
[27:39] investment. investment update.
[27:40] This is through act. The end
[27:43] of October.
[27:43] >> And that was district
[27:45] continued its strategy of
[27:46] maintaining 5 Million. Thanks
[27:47] in Operating county today and
[27:51] investing all excess cash in
[27:52] overnight money market funds
[27:53] with an average yield of 4.5,
[27:56] 3%. So again, that the idea is
[27:58] to increase the yield versus
[27:59] the one percent operating
[28:02] account. This active
[28:04] management strategy allows
[28:04] staff to maximize returns
[28:07] ensure and also ensuring tale
[28:08] daily liquidity through
[28:12] October 31st. 20 for the
[28:13] portfolio. Balance was
[28:16] 388 million dollars.
[28:19] investment allocation of 70%
[28:20] in long-term investments and
[28:21] 30% in cash and cash
[28:24] equivalents district will
[28:25] continue to hold onto until
[28:27] maturity or until rates point
[28:28] for the district will realize
[28:31] losses or would realize
[28:32] potential gains on any bond
[28:32] sales. We discussed the
[28:36] committee discussed the
[28:37] district's increase spending
[28:39] requirements and the
[28:40] importance of liquidity which
[28:41] this plan is maintaining. We
[28:44] then moved on to the inspector
[28:45] general's audit. Reports you
[28:49] presented to our reports for
[28:51] the committee for approval.
[28:52] The first was for monitoring
[28:53] review of construction change
[28:55] orders. And this was a period
[28:58] from April. 24 through
[29:01] September. 24, that review
[29:03] found that the change orders
[29:04] were properly input into Eve
[29:06] builder authorize
[29:06] appropriately and accurately
[29:08] calculated change order.
[29:11] Average percentage was
[29:12] calculated at 24.5%. With all
[29:14] the contracts considered and
[29:19] 4.5%, 3 out lighter contracts
[29:22] excluded. So this was within
[29:24] the industry standard range of
[29:25] approximately 8 to 14%.
[29:27] Actually lower than it when
[29:28] excluding outliers. The 3
[29:32] outliers were result of
[29:33] significant changes in the
[29:34] scope of work. The second
[29:37] audit report was the audit of
[29:39] Department of Motor Vehicle
[29:40] Fire File security. The
[29:43] objective was to determine
[29:45] whether district internal
[29:46] controls related to employee
[29:49] driver's license. Information
[29:50] received from the DMV were
[29:50] adequate to ensure that the
[29:53] DMV records were protected
[29:54] from on authorize use. And
[29:56] that audit found that overall
[29:58] adequate internal controls
[29:59] were in place to protect DMV,
[30:00] personal data. Lastly, Mr.
[30:06] Parents presented the proposed
[30:07] audit plan for fiscal year. 24
[30:10] 25 in the long term audit plan
[30:10] for fiscal years. 26. Through
[30:16] the committee approved both
[30:16] auto plants and that
[30:17] adjourned. The meeting. Mister
[30:18] Chair. Thank you. Chair
[30:22] Stoney's. Anyone have any
[30:22] questions or comments. Thanks.
[30:26] Hearing on. We'll move on to
[30:28] the approval of the minutes of
[30:30] the December. 12th 2024 board
[30:31] meetings. Anyone have any
[30:32] changes to the minutes for
[30:33] that meeting.
[30:35] >> A move to approve Mister
[30:37] Chair. Thank motion. Second
[30:39] second, a motion a second. Is
[30:39] there further discussion? If
[30:41] not, we'll call that question,
[30:43] Mr. Bergeron. Yes, thank you,
[30:45] Mr. Styling. Yes, I'm gonna
[30:47] vote. Yes, Caron. Yes. Thank
[30:48] you, Mr. Mr. Butler. Yes, MS
[30:52] meads. Yes, thanks. That
[30:54] passes unanimously. We'll move
[30:58] now to the executive director
[30:58] report with Mr. Bartlett.
[31:00] Thank you, Mr. Chair.
[31:04] >> First thing I like to do
[31:05] today as address the South
[31:06] Southland Reservoir proposal.
[31:10] As you know, last year,
[31:12] Phillips and Jordan approached
[31:13] the district with a proposal
[31:14] to build storage on private
[31:16] land in the Everglades
[31:17] Agricultural area. For context
[31:20] in a water management system
[31:23] storage is the critical
[31:26] component to conduct a flood
[31:27] control without harming
[31:28] downstream resources
[31:29] downstream water bodies. And
[31:33] once it's in the storage
[31:34] recourse, you have it during
[31:35] the dry season for water
[31:36] supply for people and the
[31:36] environment. Naturally one
[31:40] more story. Opportunities
[31:42] present themselves. The
[31:42] district will entertain the
[31:44] idea by doing our due
[31:46] diligence to see if those
[31:47] opportunities are meaningful
[31:48] and feasible. In this case,
[31:52] the district is interested in
[31:55] more storage and more
[31:56] treatment in this area to help
[31:57] manage lake levels. Help
[32:01] control harmful estuary
[32:02] discharge and send more water
[32:03] South. However, we cannot just
[32:06] jump into a proposal. There is
[32:09] a process under state law to
[32:10] evaluate these proposals. It's
[32:13] called the public-private
[32:15] partnerships statute, which
[32:16] provides guidance for
[32:17] evaluating unsolicited
[32:19] proposals. And that's the
[32:20] process. The district is
[32:21] using. The district's
[32:25] unsolicited proposals. Process
[32:26] can be found on our website
[32:26] under procurement. And all the
[32:30] unsolicited proposals that the
[32:31] district has received can also
[32:32] be found on that website. I
[32:34] provided you a summary, a
[32:37] high-level summary of what
[32:37] that process is. And I've got
[32:41] copies of extra copies. If
[32:42] anyone in the audience would
[32:43] like one but there's a more
[32:46] detailed explanation that
[32:47] process on the website. On
[32:53] that Web pages, the Southland
[32:56] Reservoir proposal and a
[32:57] letter written by district
[32:58] staff sent to Phillips and
[32:59] Jordan conveying where we were
[33:01] in our review and evaluation
[33:03] and the steps necessary to
[33:04] continue our evaluation. The
[33:08] letter does include language
[33:09] regarding the likelihood of
[33:11] the project that the company
[33:11] can use to engage Palm Beach
[33:12] County requirements. Palm
[33:15] Beach counties looking at it
[33:15] from a land use lands. But the
[33:18] water management district is
[33:19] looking at it purely from a
[33:20] water management plans. While
[33:23] we have not conducted our full
[33:25] review. We do know that
[33:27] through our own experience
[33:28] that with the right
[33:29] engineering and configuration,
[33:31] storage and treatment can be
[33:32] accomplished in the area that
[33:34] will improve our operations
[33:36] for the benefit of the
[33:36] environment and people.
[33:38] Ultimately after staff review
[33:41] in vetting staff concludes it
[33:42] is a viable storage and
[33:44] treatment project that will
[33:45] provide regional benefits. It
[33:49] will not impact the
[33:50] construction or operation of
[33:50] the EA Reservoir Project. The
[33:53] staff will bring the project
[33:55] to the board for your
[33:56] consideration before entering
[33:58] into what's called a
[34:00] comprehensive agreement as
[34:01] outlined in Florida statutes.
[34:04] We project that the staff
[34:05] review of this proposal will
[34:06] happen over the next year. If
[34:09] staff concludes that it is
[34:09] viable and does not conflict
[34:11] with the EA Reservoir Project,
[34:13] only then will the district
[34:14] staff bring it to the board
[34:15] for your consideration? At
[34:17] this time? There's really
[34:18] nothing for you to review or
[34:19] approve. That AIDS in from
[34:23] Philips and Jordan is in
[34:24] attendance. If you have any
[34:25] questions regarding their
[34:27] proposal after I conclude my
[34:27] executive director's report,
[34:30] I'll be here to answer any
[34:31] process questions with Mayor
[34:32] Cruz's support and it just
[34:36] goes without saying as always,
[34:37] we appreciate any engagement
[34:38] and stakeholder engagement. We
[34:40] get on any of our projects,
[34:41] including this project from
[34:43] the public, the board,
[34:45] anybody, it only makes
[34:47] projects better and I suspect
[34:48] you might get some engagement
[34:48] on this project. All right.
[34:53] That's all ahead for the South
[34:54] and reservoir proposal. I do
[34:56] want to convey to you the
[34:57] governor's budget request that
[34:57] he submitted to the
[34:59] Legislature because it has
[35:01] substantial funds for our
[35:02] environment and for the water
[35:03] management district.
[35:06] 805 million dedicated to
[35:09] Everglades restoration. That
[35:11] 727 million to serve and
[35:13] 78 million for the northern
[35:13] estuaries and Everglades
[35:15] restoration program.
[35:16] Substantial funds. In
[35:18] addition, 150 million to the
[35:21] water management district
[35:23] dedicated to the operating and
[35:25] maintaining our critical flood
[35:26] control infrastructure and our
[35:27] Everglades restoration
[35:30] infrastructure. Incredible
[35:32] input and to South Florida's
[35:33] resiliency, South Florida's
[35:35] future and the sustainability
[35:36] of our operations. We really
[35:39] appreciate his his dedication
[35:42] to our efforts. Also, FDP is
[35:46] getting significant funds for
[35:47] our environment, particularly
[35:48] in some resources. We care
[35:50] much about 100 million dollars
[35:51] for the Indian River Lagoon.
[35:54] Restoration. 25 million
[35:55] dollars to improve water
[35:55] quality in the Caloosahatchee
[35:57] River watershed 20 million to
[35:59] include improve water quality
[36:00] of Biscayne Bay and an
[36:03] 80 million dollar infusion and
[36:04] the lower Kissimmee Basin
[36:04] stormwater treatment area to
[36:06] treat that hot spot entering
[36:07] Lake Okeechobee. But wait,
[36:09] there's more. FDOT. the
[36:14] governor directed FDOT through
[36:17] their works, plug a program to
[36:19] expedite raising the remainder
[36:21] of Tamiami trail through Big
[36:22] Cypress. That's right.
[36:25] Bridging water conveyance,
[36:29] wildlife protection, all for
[36:29] the rest of Tamiami Trail
[36:30] uncorking the whole thing.
[36:34] That's pretty impressive. And
[36:34] looking forward to seeing
[36:35] that. So while he has
[36:39] champing, a great budget, it's
[36:42] up to us to show why were
[36:43] worth investing right. So what
[36:44] you have in front of you as a
[36:48] flyer that we've been we've
[36:49] put together to demonstrate
[36:51] how we are effectively using
[36:53] taxpayers dollars at the water
[36:55] Management district. And it
[36:57] does convey that over the last
[36:59] 15 years we have been able to
[36:59] reduce costs at the water
[37:01] management district through
[37:03] with fte reductions where
[37:07] necessary and operational
[37:08] budget productions like a
[37:09] percent reduction in the
[37:10] operational budget of the
[37:12] district. While at the same
[37:13] time during those 15 years
[37:17] increasing the our permit
[37:17] reviews by almost 40%.
[37:21] Managing new critical water
[37:22] infrastructure, culverts and
[37:22] gates and structures and pumps
[37:24] increased by 52% over that
[37:27] time period. The land that we
[37:29] manage increased 80% over that
[37:31] time period. And with all the
[37:33] construction were doing, the
[37:35] construction were managing has
[37:35] increased by almost 600% over
[37:36] that time period. Efficient,
[37:39] effective use of water. of our
[37:42] of our resources and the
[37:42] taxpayer dollars. But the
[37:46] district every year is looking
[37:47] for more ways to stretch that
[37:49] dollar more efficiencies in
[37:49] the staff to a great job on
[37:51] that. Then the budget
[37:53] submitted January. There's a
[37:53] long list of efficiencies
[37:55] we've implemented and that
[37:57] puts us into a position to do
[37:58] some more cuts in areas where
[38:00] we can do those cuts and move
[38:03] those those monies and 2
[38:04] operations and maintenance of
[38:05] the sustainability of South
[38:06] Florida. Those are outlined at
[38:06] the bottom of this flyer. So
[38:10] not only is the funding
[38:12] request encouraging. also want
[38:16] to couple that with the fact
[38:17] that we are very efficient and
[38:18] affected district with the use
[38:19] of taxpayers dollars. All
[38:23] right. So as I conclude, I
[38:24] want to say. Congratulations
[38:28] to our swamp, King and Queen
[38:32] Charlotte romance who was
[38:33] crowned at the Everglades
[38:35] Coalition conference, very
[38:36] well-deserved honor for
[38:37] Charlotte Swamp 20. I also
[38:45] want to thank Lieutenant
[38:47] Governor, Jeanette Nunez. She
[38:48] is stepping down to take
[38:49] another great position that f
[38:52] I U. But she's been very much
[38:53] a supporter of Everglades
[38:56] restoration. She was at the
[38:57] seepage Wall. Groundbreaking
[38:59] 44 event, she was in the
[39:01] Everglades with Mister
[39:02] Bergeron and tribal members.
[39:03] And been very supportive of
[39:04] the python challenge, she was
[39:06] always there when we needed R.
[39:07] And so we wanted to thank her
[39:10] for her great service and
[39:11] support over those years.
[39:13] That's all I have. Mister
[39:14] Chair. Thank you. Miss
[39:17] Burleson. Don't have any
[39:18] questions or comments for I
[39:23] thought I just have few quite
[39:24] terms of Southland questions.
[39:24] Now.
[39:26] >> Short, I thank you for now.
[39:29] Obviously there's been some
[39:32] reporting on the on the
[39:36] proposal and I appreciate you
[39:37] guys sharing sort of the the
[39:39] unsolicited proposal process
[39:40] and sort of how we have
[39:41] approached I think it's we're
[39:44] saying that, you know, I think
[39:45] there was impression that we
[39:51] had approved her door a
[39:52] project. And I think it's
[39:53] important. Thank you for
[39:54] clarifying that. There's still
[39:55] a lot to consider and that
[39:58] it's going to be a public and
[40:00] transparent process. clearly
[40:01] one of those things for mine
[40:04] close to a reservoir that's
[40:06] close to the EA Reservoir that
[40:07] we're spending investing so
[40:08] much money in. We want to be
[40:12] we want to take into
[40:13] consideration any of the
[40:15] insular effects of a blasting
[40:17] everything I'd be interested
[40:19] if you don't mind just a few
[40:19] questions to learn about the
[40:25] business plan and sort of the
[40:27] transition from a mining
[40:27] operation to a water quality
[40:31] feature. Excuse me, a
[40:32] reservoir features so, you
[40:34] know, specifically as you guys
[40:36] look at this, what is the
[40:40] business plan look like in the
[40:42] form of how revenues are going
[40:44] to be dedicated to delivering.
[40:46] And I know we're at the early
[40:47] stages of this in terms of
[40:48] planning but to delivering
[40:51] sort of a finish reservoir
[40:53] product project and then on an
[40:55] ongoing basis. Obviously, you
[40:58] know, the district has a ton
[40:58] of projects were making a lot
[40:59] of process or progress but as
[41:03] we do that and get things
[41:06] online, our operation and
[41:08] management budget continues to
[41:09] I'm really interested in how
[41:14] you guys are exploring how
[41:15] some of those revenues can be
[41:17] considered for the future
[41:20] operations of of a potential
[41:24] reservoir. There's 2 parts of
[41:25] Yeah, there from from reading
[41:26] this correctly. The initial
[41:27] part of that is is how we are
[41:30] creating water reservoir
[41:30] itself and how those revenues
[41:31] are generated there, which is
[41:32] coming from the agger move a
[41:34] lot obviously.
[41:35] >> And we will construct those
[41:36] those watersheds cells from
[41:37] that from that process.
[41:40] Already, the team has borne
[41:41] the cost of all the
[41:42] engineering design.
[41:46] environmental research that
[41:46] has to been done within that
[41:47] extensively so far we've
[41:48] learned that call so far. As
[41:51] you said, we're still quite a
[41:52] ways away to working with the
[41:54] district of to finish out the
[41:54] process and come up with the
[41:55] rest of the budget as far
[41:57] within this concern, we've
[41:58] recognized that when it was a
[42:00] problem and issue for the
[42:02] district long before Southland
[42:02] came to like. And it's been a
[42:06] discussion that continue to
[42:07] have over the years that we've
[42:08] worked for the district and
[42:09] we're working to those ideas.
[42:10] Now, there've been several put
[42:11] on the table work, executive
[42:15] director develop those ideas,
[42:17] whether the set asides out of
[42:17] the project cost of the
[42:19] project Revenue Weathersby. We
[42:20] continue to handle it involve
[42:21] were on site for the years to
[42:24] come. And that's the case. You
[42:25] have 5, 10, 20 plus years for
[42:29] handling not only but the
[42:30] those are all still details or
[42:30] working out, not just for this
[42:31] project, but for other
[42:32] projects. We're doing the same
[42:34] thing north of like they're
[42:34] just a seven-year process.
[42:36] Their work Hanley, 5 of 7
[42:38] years of successful operations
[42:39] of the district gets the Keys
[42:40] to the project of the
[42:43] >> And and and in terms of I'm
[42:46] sorry,
[42:46] >> Government, can we get your
[42:48] name? Matt Matt, it's and
[42:49] Phil's son Jordan.
[42:56] >> There's been little
[42:57] discussion sort of a quality
[42:58] component that could
[42:58] potentially be in in
[42:59] considered in the plant. Who
[43:01] is that? Is that still the
[43:03] direction you guys are
[43:04] considering? It's still a
[43:05] consideration right now. We're
[43:06] still vetting that through the
[43:07] district, obviously right now.
[43:09] Initially we're trying to
[43:10] create as much storage can the
[43:11] next 5 years. We understand
[43:12] STA 5, 6, 8 of the water
[43:14] transfer to the other side
[43:14] because it does experience dry
[43:16] out.
[43:16] >> Our initial efforts will be
[43:17] to give that first 20,000 acre
[43:18] feet under 5 years. And that
[43:20] will immediately start to feed
[43:21] the offsets for STA 5, 6, as
[43:25] we work through this process
[43:25] and continue with the district
[43:26] will consider looking at
[43:27] future technology.
[43:30] >> Yeah, listen on. I'm
[43:33] interested in staying, you
[43:35] involved in an updated on on
[43:36] how you guys are looking at
[43:36] this. I think I think there's
[43:39] broad consensus that.
[43:43] >> More water storage is
[43:47] beneficial.
[43:48] >> especially if it includes
[43:48] water, quality component and
[43:52] listen, especially if it's at
[43:54] a lower cost to taxpayers in
[43:58] terms of finished product and
[43:58] the and the ongoing
[43:59] management. So hope you'll
[44:03] just consider those factors.
[44:04] If you don't mind, I'd like to
[44:05] take a second to address
[44:06] another couple of items
[44:09] actually matter where don't
[44:09] want to do a presentation on
[44:10] this because we did not
[44:11] advertise it that way. And I
[44:12] don't think it's fair to
[44:13] people.
[44:14] >> don't have a chance to
[44:15] maybe rebut if they if they
[44:17] don't like the project are at
[44:20] the end and I think they
[44:21] should have that opportunity
[44:22] should should have been
[44:22] noticed. And we didn't notice
[44:23] it. So I don't mind us in
[44:25] question, particularly since
[44:25] this is in your district. I
[44:27] will ask you one further
[44:28] question. But this is more
[44:29] process than actual project.
[44:33] And that's 8. Do anticipate
[44:33] taxpayer money being used on
[44:36] Right now? We have worked
[44:37] through the rest of the budget
[44:38] for the pump stations, canal
[44:39] improvements. We obviously
[44:40] have to connect to the Miami
[44:41] Canal and as whole.
[44:42] >> Board member Stanley, we're
[44:43] still working to that with the
[44:44] district.
[44:44] >> looking for an
[44:45] appropriation this year. No,
[44:46] okay. Anyone else question on
[44:48] process. Yeah, I had a
[44:54] question, Matt, that came up
[44:56] due to the fact there was some
[45:00] lack of clarity and what was
[45:02] required by Palm Beach County
[45:03] wind through this process.
[45:06] Could you shed some light on
[45:07] what you're required to do
[45:10] early on why you had to reach
[45:11] out to the water management
[45:12] district to some.
[45:15] >> So it's it's it's a lengthy
[45:17] process to get through DP and
[45:19] Palm Beach County. We have to
[45:20] go through It's been over a
[45:21] year and a half now with the
[45:23] FDP to get to the process of
[45:24] middle for the ERP permits and
[45:26] those plans, the county does
[45:27] require us to get through.
[45:28] Those ERP says to have clean
[45:30] no, no, a clean aria from BP.
[45:32] That's part of the process.
[45:34] The other part of the process
[45:35] is to get this through
[45:37] district and, you know,
[45:37] identify Kaisha letter for
[45:38] them of the potential project
[45:40] of so as we work for that
[45:41] project, we've had to work
[45:42] county zoning now and we
[45:43] submitted that process. We're
[45:44] looking to get a commission.
[45:47] Any other questions. But Mr.
[45:52] What is the depth?
[45:55] >> That you're intending did.
[45:58] And that's the debt. The
[45:58] deepest part of this reservoir
[45:59] is -9. That was that 30 feet
[46:05] -9. The current grand ovation
[46:06] is an average of 4 to 5 feet.
[46:07] So about 12 feet deep over all
[46:08] of current elevation, which is
[46:09] comparable to the EA Reservoir
[46:10] Bar area intake Canal. And to
[46:13] us, can take now. So working.
[46:17] We're not any excavation.
[46:19] We're not in the deeper than
[46:20] any other project. Okay. And
[46:22] you're delivering. Different
[46:26] phases over time, correct?
[46:28] Correct. What the
[46:31] improvements, the levees,
[46:33] correct? Chief, brothers, all
[46:37] of the different components
[46:40] storing water. So we enlisted
[46:44] the same team that was on the
[46:45] design team for the EA
[46:46] Reservoir. Most of those were
[46:47] from bay to STA as well. All
[46:50] of the subcontractors
[46:51] participated in that. So we
[46:52] listed that team on purpose to
[46:53] make sure that we didn't
[46:54] affect the other surrounding
[46:56] projects. Ours also includes a
[46:58] safety barrier canals, and it
[46:59] does delivered and self so
[47:00] faces. Your your storage
[47:06] Guesses.
[47:08] >> The water table. To
[47:11] whatever level you're going to
[47:12] store above. The water level,
[47:15] 4 feet. So we're an average 12
[47:20] to 13 feet death across the
[47:22] entire STA.
[47:23] >> So we're about 8 feet to 9
[47:24] feet below the water table and
[47:25] only 4 feet above. We're has a
[47:27] reservoir low as president. So
[47:31] what will be the depth of the
[47:31] storage the average?
[47:34] >> Water level. average water
[47:36] table before feet of storage
[47:37] above the average 4 foot. Yes.
[47:47] There's no more questions for
[47:50] Mr. Bartlett, we'll move now
[47:51] to a public comment. let you
[47:56] take over.
[47:56] >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman
[47:57] will hear first Kelly Ralston
[47:59] followed by Newton Cook.
[48:07] >> Good Morning, Mr. Chairman
[48:08] governing board members, jail
[48:09] house are voted on today. Tom
[48:12] Kelly Ralston representing
[48:13] Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. And
[48:14] I appreciate the opportunity
[48:15] to kind of give some insight
[48:17] as to why the TT is so
[48:19] invested in Everglades
[48:21] restoration, the conductivity
[48:23] of healthy landscapes to
[48:24] healthy coastal and offshore
[48:25] habitat and water quality
[48:27] really drives healthy aquatic
[48:28] ecosystems and fish stocks
[48:32] given the TT is focus on
[48:32] sustainable and a bone
[48:33] abundant bonefish, tarpon and
[48:36] permit and their prevalence in
[48:37] South Florida, Everglades
[48:39] restoration was and is an
[48:39] extremely high priority for
[48:40] our organization. We've been
[48:44] actively engaged in the
[48:44] process over the years,
[48:46] particularly in supporting the
[48:46] planning funding and
[48:47] construction of the EA
[48:48] Reservoir. We recognize the
[48:51] importance of a comprehensive
[48:52] everglades restoration plan,
[48:54] but also recognize that
[48:55] surface, not the complete
[48:57] solution in both of his
[48:58] environmental executive
[48:59] orders. Governor DeSantis
[49:01] directed the district to,
[49:02] quote, expedite restoration
[49:04] efforts and quote, projects
[49:06] that minimize the risk of
[49:07] harmful discharges and cent of
[49:08] water south. The Florida
[49:11] legislature has backed this
[49:12] directive with its own support
[49:13] for Everglades restoration
[49:14] each year through record
[49:15] funding. The tts grateful for
[49:19] the leadership of this
[49:20] governing board. And director
[49:21] Bartlett in seeking
[49:23] opportunities to identify and
[49:23] expedite meaningful projects
[49:25] that may not be part of sir,
[49:26] but to compliment Proof surf
[49:28] efforts. Knowing that we need
[49:31] extensive storage throughout
[49:33] the system and water flow to
[49:35] support existing restoration
[49:36] elements like St Ays. The
[49:40] district has continued to
[49:40] think outside of the box to
[49:41] look for additional needs and
[49:42] opportunities. For example, he
[49:45] worked with the Army Corps to
[49:46] inform where and how asr can
[49:47] safely and effectively be
[49:48] used. And you work with
[49:50] Everglades National Park to
[49:51] construct projects to improve
[49:52] water flow into Taylor Slough.
[49:55] The district is also recognize
[49:56] that no single entity,
[49:57] including the state as
[49:58] supportive as engaged as it
[50:00] is, doesn't have all the
[50:01] answers and has continued to
[50:02] explore public-private
[50:04] partnerships through a defined
[50:06] process to achieve a dense but
[50:08] additional benefits for the
[50:08] system center. To be clear,
[50:11] these comments are not
[50:12] directed at any specific
[50:13] project, but more to the
[50:14] ongoing need for collaboration
[50:16] and innovation. As we identify
[50:18] additional needs with them.
[50:18] The South Florida ecosystem.
[50:21] It's this creativity that 6th
[50:21] expediting Everglades
[50:24] restoration, progress and
[50:26] results. And we strongly
[50:27] encourage the district to
[50:27] continue with this innovative
[50:29] thinking to ensure that we
[50:30] achieve our restoration goals
[50:31] as quickly and efficiently as
[50:33] possible. And I can't let the
[50:35] time do without congratulating
[50:36] Charlotte on her. Her crown.
[50:39] Did you not bring it today?
[50:40] I'm very disappointed. Well,
[50:46] you're such a deserving
[50:47] recipient of of the Swamp
[50:48] Queen Award. I can't think of
[50:49] anybody who is more
[50:51] enthusiastic, engaged
[50:52] knowledgable and it's such a
[50:53] pleasure to having not only on
[50:55] the board, but that is the
[50:57] recipient in your king was
[50:57] pretty full 2 years. with
[50:58] that, thank you very much.
[50:59] Thank you. Miss Ralston.
[51:01] >> We'll hear next from Newton
[51:02] Cook, followed by Ernie Cox.
[51:10] >> Thank you very much. And
[51:10] you can cook United
[51:11] Waterfowlers Florida. I want
[51:13] to thank God, Jim staff. Who
[51:17] helped us put on. 2 wounded
[51:20] warrior hunts. We had. 51
[51:23] warriors twice. You just have
[51:26] to go see. expression on these
[51:32] guys faces. I see that sunset
[51:32] sunrise coming up and all of
[51:37] job. And it's an incredible
[51:38] thing for him. And we put on a
[51:39] good weekend. They have a
[51:40] shooting afternoon at the Palm
[51:40] Beach County. Shooting range
[51:43] at Foreman. And the hot the
[51:46] next day. we repeat that the
[51:47] second weekend. And if it
[51:50] wasn't for the district could
[51:51] happen. Yes, the A's are not
[51:54] in real good shape, but we
[51:55] still 5.15, holes put him and
[51:58] they had a wonderful time. And
[52:01] then on the new pop, we do.
[52:04] About 30 kids show up. And
[52:05] then, course, you've got their
[52:07] supervisors and and all these
[52:08] talks, we feed them all
[52:09] launch. And for the kids, they
[52:13] all get free raffle prizes and
[52:15] again, it's something to see
[52:15] the young. first time out. The
[52:20] hunt. To a great night. But
[52:25] alligators for sunrise and the
[52:26] real red eyes when having
[52:30] their It's a great time and
[52:32] the district makes it possible
[52:33] without it wouldn't happen in
[52:34] the staff here. kind of tired.
[52:38] We're not going to get to 12
[52:39] feet. We're not going 90 days.
[52:42] Hopefully we might get to 13
[52:43] feet. We're glad to get where
[52:47] we can get on the lake. We're
[52:49] getting a little bit of
[52:49] growth. But the Lakers they
[52:54] And it's going to go into the
[52:55] rainy season. They had. I'd
[52:59] only did with the fish. The
[53:01] fish all find a place to go.
[53:05] The tournament fish find a
[53:05] place chasing fish. But when
[53:08] you have 500,000 acre piece of
[53:10] property out there and 300,
[53:11] 1000 of it. It's not good.
[53:16] We're not meet the
[53:18] responsibilities. Everglades
[53:19] restoration. It is the heart
[53:19] of the Everglades. Summit's
[53:24] fault is fail. We've had 2
[53:25] years in a row. Of dumping
[53:28] water out the Port St. Lucie
[53:30] Caloosahatchee. We have you
[53:31] have a storm yet and way to
[53:32] that storm comes. The summer
[53:35] while summers. Could be a
[53:38] whole. I was year. After
[53:42] little curve today with this
[53:43] rock mine saying. But I just
[53:45] want to say that I think we
[53:46] had a precedent on that. The C
[53:48] 50 want right? We've already
[53:50] have a rock mind that we feel
[53:50] water for storage. I can't see
[53:54] anything wrong quite frankly.
[53:58] I mean, it's probably the
[53:59] least expensive way the world
[53:59] gets towards south. There's
[54:01] somebody else need to talk big
[54:02] hole. I can't see any reason
[54:07] to oppose it and appreciate
[54:09] the district make their
[54:09] comments. Thank you.
[54:13] >> Thank you, Mr. Koch, we'll
[54:13] hear next from Ernie Cox
[54:14] followed by Mark Perry.
[54:19] >> Well, good morning and
[54:20] happy New Year to everybody.
[54:21] It's good to good to see you.
[54:23] Really exciting about the the
[54:27] progress that's being made
[54:28] governor's budget. Another
[54:29] record year for conservation
[54:32] funding and Everglades
[54:35] restoration work on water
[54:36] quality throughout the state
[54:39] I'm here on behalf of filter
[54:40] Jordan and the South when
[54:41] water project on part of that
[54:44] team, it's pretty much the
[54:46] same team that did the C 51
[54:49] reservoir. And as Matt
[54:50] mentioned, same professionals
[54:52] that are doing the engineering
[54:54] and design and modeling for
[54:54] the EA Reservoir.
[54:57] >> And the E A S T a to STA
[55:01] that the folks in Jordan just
[55:02] recently constructed for the
[55:03] district. I was out there
[55:06] Tuesday. Got a chance to see
[55:08] it. And it's very exciting to
[55:09] see it completed STA. That's
[55:11] in the process of growing.
[55:15] Can't wait. 6500 acres of
[55:16] stormwater treatment area
[55:18] completed growing in new
[55:22] control structure connected to
[55:23] the Miami can now begin taken
[55:27] activated, as Matt mentioned
[55:28] to -8 and really exciting the
[55:33] construction of the EA
[55:35] Reservoir that we've all been
[55:35] working on for decades under
[55:39] construction, excavating rock
[55:41] processing the material
[55:45] beginning to build the
[55:46] foundation beginning to build
[55:47] the levees. Can't wait for
[55:47] that project to be done. But
[55:48] as we all know, sir, projects
[55:52] by themselves, don't get the
[55:55] job done. And so that's where
[55:57] the opportunity for
[55:58] complementary projects. As you
[56:00] all know, not just county
[56:03] projects, not just additional
[56:04] district nuance or projects,
[56:08] but public private
[56:08] partnerships like the C 51
[56:10] reservoir and actually like
[56:11] the L 8 flow, Equalization
[56:13] basin. And so again, as you
[56:15] all know, I've been the
[56:16] project manager for the C 51
[56:18] reservoir for seems like a
[56:19] good part of my professional
[56:20] career. And really excited to
[56:24] see that project going forward
[56:26] after the same team built the
[56:28] wait late Reservoir. And so I
[56:31] invite each of you to come out
[56:33] and tour with us to see how
[56:37] we've been able to perfect. As
[56:38] we're learning more and more
[56:39] about how to do this, how we
[56:40] can build storage in phases.
[56:43] It's great to do one big
[56:44] project and bring it all
[56:44] online at the same time 100%
[56:46] favor of that. But the ability
[56:48] to bring in storage in
[56:50] incremental pieces as we go.
[56:52] And so just very excited about
[56:53] it. I mean, C 51 is actually
[56:57] delivering benefits to the
[56:59] Lake Worth Lagoon, delivering
[56:59] benefits to the worries coast
[57:00] and water supply. And it's
[57:02] going to be delivering
[57:03] benefits to the lax. river
[57:05] restoration. So really excited
[57:07] if you guys have any
[57:08] questions. Want to talk about
[57:09] it. You know how to reach me.
[57:10] Thank you very much.
[57:13] >> Thank you, Mr. Cox will
[57:14] hear next from Mark Perry
[57:14] followed by Caitlin Newcamp.
[57:26] Perry, Florida. Oceanographic
[57:30] just want to start out by
[57:31] saying thank you to the
[57:31] district and each and every
[57:33] one of you and the staff here
[57:34] at the district for
[57:34] participating in our.
[57:37] >> Everglades Coalition
[57:37] Conference 2025, it was
[57:41] magnificent man. Of course, we
[57:42] crown the queen and king of
[57:43] the top. But we have over 460
[57:47] participants. 43 different
[57:48] panelists, 10 great panels,
[57:50] keynote speakers and
[57:51] involvement of the tribes,
[57:52] which was really, really good
[57:54] to see over recent year want
[57:59] to talk about low sum that we
[57:59] got into it after 15 years, a
[58:00] new schedule lake, as you
[58:01] know, last August. But right
[58:05] away in December, we had to go
[58:05] into Lake Okeechobee recovery
[58:07] operations that meant to
[58:09] discharge water out of the
[58:10] lake to recover the like we're
[58:11] all about. The health of the
[58:13] lake is Ben mentioned about
[58:14] losing the SA be so. Were
[58:17] taken the water to the
[58:19] estuaries, but we're not
[58:19] sending enough maximum water
[58:20] to the south. We really need
[58:24] to maximize our our flows to
[58:25] the south from the lake in
[58:27] order to get down. Right now,
[58:29] we're supplying a lot of water
[58:32] supply to through history
[58:32] outlet south by the district.
[58:33] But we need to maximize more
[58:35] flow to the south to alleviate
[58:40] this flows to the estuaries
[58:41] right now during the dry
[58:42] season, especially since the
[58:43] Everglades needs it during the
[58:45] dry season it gave years South
[58:46] Florida and para. This is a
[58:50] collection by the 62nd
[58:50] Congress. Back in 1911, in the
[58:54] Senate required the government
[58:54] printing office to put
[58:55] together all the reports,
[58:59] statements, papers and
[58:59] everything to do is Florida's
[59:00] Everglades. But to us and
[59:02] federal and then the
[59:03] reclamation of the Everglades.
[59:06] This is really a fabulous of
[59:08] history. The government
[59:10] documents of how we got there.
[59:12] There were 2 maps and they're
[59:12] one of the front cover of the
[59:15] 18 56 map. Military map. This
[59:18] shows the Everglades the way
[59:18] it was back in 1956. And then
[59:22] on the back cover is the
[59:23] drainage now the Everglades
[59:25] drainage map district map that
[59:26] was back in 2007. I mean, 19.
[59:30] 0, 7, I'm sorry. So we've had
[59:30] a long history of kind of, you
[59:32] know. Draining and filling in
[59:36] the Everglades with different
[59:38] uses, particularly agriculture
[59:40] and working with that
[59:41] agriculture now is the time we
[59:43] need to send that water south.
[59:46] And there there are a lot of
[59:47] components that were suggested
[59:48] back in 1994. 95 with the Re
[59:50] study to make up. way I'm in
[59:52] North River Canal and the
[59:54] components need to be
[59:58] restoring those Everglades.
[59:59] That agricultural area back to
[1:00:00] Everglades the way it was and
[1:00:03] not necessarily to any other
[1:00:04] land use and then to
[1:00:06] Everglades. And where do that
[1:00:07] through the STA as we do that
[1:00:08] through everything we can and
[1:00:10] we're trying to store treat
[1:00:11] water and move it south
[1:00:13] instead of east and west of
[1:00:16] these estuaries and it needs
[1:00:17] it sounds. So I encourage you
[1:00:19] to keep looking ahead to any
[1:00:21] way we can. And we did that
[1:00:22] back in 1999. With that
[1:00:23] Hausman property week did some
[1:00:25] of it in 2010 with U.S. Sugar
[1:00:30] Land purchase. So we're
[1:00:30] looking to try to continue to.
[1:00:33] Store treat that water but
[1:00:36] move it through natural
[1:00:38] processes that the Everglades
[1:00:39] back 18, 100's. So thank you
[1:00:40] for your attention. Have a
[1:00:43] good read on this. And answer
[1:00:44] and thank you, Mr. Perry.
[1:00:47] >> We'll hear next from
[1:00:48] Caitlin Newcamp followed by
[1:00:49] Yves samples.
[1:00:53] >> Morning governing remembers
[1:00:54] and thank you for the
[1:00:54] opportunity to comment.
[1:00:55] Caitlin Newcamp with Audubon
[1:00:57] Florida it's great to see some
[1:00:59] of you cold. So we just wanted
[1:01:02] to highlight and thank the
[1:01:04] governor for his continued
[1:01:05] commitment to the restoration
[1:01:06] and protection of the
[1:01:08] Everglades ecosystem. We
[1:01:10] acknowledge the significant
[1:01:11] allocation of over 1.5 billion
[1:01:12] in the proposed state budget
[1:01:14] for Everglades restoration and
[1:01:15] water quality improvements,
[1:01:18] which demonstrates the
[1:01:19] dedication to preserving this
[1:01:19] invaluable natural resource.
[1:01:21] Not only that, but 150 million
[1:01:24] is dedicated to which is vital
[1:01:26] to ensure projects continue to
[1:01:27] function into the future. The
[1:01:29] Everglades is a national
[1:01:31] treasure crucial not only to
[1:01:33] Florida's environmental
[1:01:33] health, but also to its
[1:01:36] economic prosperity. The
[1:01:37] proposed funding is an
[1:01:38] essential step towards
[1:01:39] restoring this vital
[1:01:40] ecosystem, ensuring clean
[1:01:41] water and securing a
[1:01:42] sustainable few. Sure for
[1:01:44] South Floridians. We cannot
[1:01:45] call out every allocation
[1:01:47] because so many are important.
[1:01:49] But we want to highlight 2
[1:01:49] particular items. First, the
[1:01:52] Kissimmee Basin STA has
[1:01:53] 80 million in the proposed
[1:01:55] budget. A project Audubon has
[1:01:57] supported from the beginning
[1:01:58] to reduce high phosphorus
[1:02:00] levels. And in one of the most
[1:02:01] played watersheds of the
[1:02:03] region. So we're looking
[1:02:05] forward to this project moving
[1:02:05] forward and attending some up.
[1:02:07] Coming up, workshops in the
[1:02:07] spring. In addition, we are
[1:02:11] very happy to see funds
[1:02:12] dedicated, expediting the
[1:02:13] Tamiami Trail project, a
[1:02:16] crucial collaboration between
[1:02:17] the district, the Coran FDOT
[1:02:19] to bridge this road that has
[1:02:20] essentially plug fresh water
[1:02:22] flow from reaching Florida Bay
[1:02:23] for many years. Building these
[1:02:25] next 6 bridges ensures that
[1:02:27] many northern projects will
[1:02:27] reach their full benefits. So
[1:02:30] we commend the governor's
[1:02:32] foresight and prioritizing
[1:02:33] Everglades. And we believe
[1:02:33] that this investment will
[1:02:34] yield long-term benefits for
[1:02:36] wildlife communities and
[1:02:37] industries that depend on it.
[1:02:40] We think the district for
[1:02:41] their leadership in restoring
[1:02:41] the Everglades. Thank you.
[1:02:42] Thank you. Miss Newcamp. We'll
[1:02:46] hear next from eve samples
[1:02:47] followed by.
[1:02:47] >> Kris Whitman.
[1:02:56] >> Good morning. Chairman gas
[1:02:57] governing board members,
[1:02:57] Director Bartlett, I samples,
[1:02:59] executive director of Friends
[1:03:00] of the Everglades. We were
[1:03:01] founded by Marjorie Stoneman
[1:03:01] Douglas in 1969. And since
[1:03:05] Marjorie is founding, we've
[1:03:06] had a deep commitment to water
[1:03:07] quality because there is no
[1:03:09] Everglades restoration without
[1:03:11] water quality. I'm here today
[1:03:12] to talk about the Southland
[1:03:13] Rock Mine and the lack of
[1:03:15] water quality and also the
[1:03:16] process by which this has been
[1:03:19] brought forward. This has been
[1:03:21] discussed behind the scenes
[1:03:22] for more than a year without
[1:03:23] do public input. So almost 6
[1:03:27] years of ago, most of you were
[1:03:29] appointed to this governing
[1:03:30] board because something did
[1:03:30] not smell right in the
[1:03:31] Everglades agricultural area.
[1:03:34] Back then it was the midnight
[1:03:35] LAN Lee says that Florida
[1:03:37] crystals tried to push through
[1:03:38] in a shadowy maneuver
[1:03:39] conducted outside the public
[1:03:40] eye. Your predecessors, where
[1:03:42] else did and you all join the
[1:03:44] governing board, sending a
[1:03:45] signal to the sugar industry
[1:03:46] that they don't call the shots
[1:03:48] on land owned by taxpayers
[1:03:49] needed for restoration. Now
[1:03:53] something else is rotten in
[1:03:53] the South and rock mine. This
[1:03:57] proposal to extract limestone
[1:03:58] from about 8600 acres south of
[1:04:00] Lake Okeechobee has been
[1:04:02] advance in a matter that a
[1:04:03] manner that has shut out the
[1:04:04] public on Christmas Eve, the
[1:04:07] South Lawn applicants sent a
[1:04:08] letter to your executive
[1:04:10] director seeking a quote,
[1:04:12] Letter of project
[1:04:13] identification needed to
[1:04:14] advance the application Beach
[1:04:16] County. 7 days later, a New
[1:04:18] Year's Eve Mr. Bartlett
[1:04:18] responded on behalf of the
[1:04:20] district. His response was
[1:04:22] issued without public
[1:04:23] discussion during the peak of
[1:04:25] holiday season. When something
[1:04:27] stinks, it's not always
[1:04:28] possible to eliminate the
[1:04:28] source of the rot but airing
[1:04:30] things out certainly helps.
[1:04:33] Today we ask you to air this
[1:04:35] out, have a public discussion
[1:04:36] about the massive rock mine
[1:04:38] proposal and the alarming
[1:04:39] impacts it would have on
[1:04:41] Everglades restoration. We're
[1:04:43] glad to hear it brought to
[1:04:44] light today. All that was not
[1:04:45] notices. Chairman Goss
[1:04:46] mentioned and we hope that
[1:04:47] there's a more robust public
[1:04:49] discussion last week. The
[1:04:52] Everglades Coalition with
[1:04:53] which represents about 60
[1:04:54] Everglades organizations sent
[1:04:54] a letter to Director Bartlett
[1:04:56] copping you all asking for a
[1:05:00] public discussion to ensure
[1:05:00] transparency and allow for
[1:05:01] adequate stakeholder input. We
[1:05:03] are awaiting a response. You
[1:05:06] all are astute observers of
[1:05:08] Everglades restoration. You
[1:05:10] know that what happens in will
[1:05:11] determine the survival of the
[1:05:13] Everglades, its the single
[1:05:15] greatest factor in the success
[1:05:15] of everything's restoration.
[1:05:18] The future use of these
[1:05:18] 400,000 or so acres that are
[1:05:21] currently insured and
[1:05:23] cultivation will dictate our
[1:05:24] success or failure its the
[1:05:27] missing link of the river of
[1:05:28] grass. Well, this land, the
[1:05:29] mines piece meal the sugar
[1:05:33] industry be granted favors
[1:05:34] approvals to maximize their
[1:05:35] already handsome profits. Will
[1:05:37] taxpayers be asked to foot the
[1:05:38] bill yet again? The sugar cane
[1:05:41] industry has already caused
[1:05:42] South Florida taxpayers. Well
[1:05:45] over 2 billion dollars and
[1:05:45] pollution cleanup costs or
[1:05:48] will this land be used for
[1:05:50] true restoration to safeguard
[1:05:51] our health, our economy and
[1:05:53] access to clean water in south
[1:05:55] Florida. That's certainly our
[1:05:55] preference. Thank you.
[1:05:56] >> Thank Samples. We'll hear
[1:05:59] next from Chris Whitman
[1:06:00] followed by Alex Larson. Good
[1:06:08] morning. Governing board.
[1:06:10] >> And This agency has done so
[1:06:16] much for Everglades
[1:06:16] restoration. Made so much
[1:06:20] progress and has expedited and
[1:06:22] move forward with restoration
[1:06:23] projects. Carefully with
[1:06:26] deliver it vetting and
[1:06:27] analysis. I saw a news article
[1:06:32] Drew, I think referenced
[1:06:33] recently that said that the
[1:06:35] the governing board approved
[1:06:37] the Southland Water Resource
[1:06:38] Project. I I was not aware
[1:06:43] that don't think that's what
[1:06:44] happened. I came before you to
[1:06:48] respectfully ask that you
[1:06:50] bring this before the
[1:06:51] governing board for
[1:06:51] discussion. For a thorough
[1:06:54] analysis before the district
[1:06:55] takes any position on it. I
[1:07:00] you know, I think some
[1:07:01] questions to be asked what was
[1:07:02] the governing board aware that
[1:07:04] a letter was going to be sent
[1:07:05] on New Year's Eve? Did you
[1:07:10] recognize the implications of
[1:07:12] sending the site letter to
[1:07:13] Palm Beach County. It seems
[1:07:15] like maybe the intent of the
[1:07:19] letter by the district and how
[1:07:20] the letters being utilized by
[1:07:23] the applicant to Palm Beach
[1:07:24] might not be one in the same.
[1:07:30] We should ask, are we setting
[1:07:31] the precedent that any other
[1:07:35] mining project that classifies
[1:07:35] itself as a resource project.
[1:07:39] We'll get site identification
[1:07:40] letter which basically gives
[1:07:42] them the exception that that
[1:07:46] and did they need to go to
[1:07:46] Palm Beach County to get the
[1:07:48] green light to do mining
[1:07:49] without our own analysis? I
[1:07:52] don't think that is what you
[1:07:53] meant. I think the letter is
[1:07:56] to veg and I want I would like
[1:07:57] to seek some clarity in those
[1:07:57] comments. In the letter said
[1:08:00] that we understand that is not
[1:08:01] what was the intent. The
[1:08:05] proposed project is set to be
[1:08:07] built. You know, Jason, to the
[1:08:09] EA Reservoir, which as we all
[1:08:11] know is the crown jewel of
[1:08:13] Everglades restoration. And
[1:08:16] something that you all have
[1:08:18] staunchly defended in an
[1:08:19] expedited and move forward and
[1:08:22] we would like to make sure
[1:08:23] that this project or any other
[1:08:24] project does not jeopardize
[1:08:25] that in any way. We
[1:08:30] respectfully request that you
[1:08:31] re send the letter until the
[1:08:33] matter can be brought before
[1:08:34] the board for a full analysis
[1:08:35] and discussion with the board.
[1:08:39] Under the direction of this
[1:08:41] governing board. The bar has
[1:08:42] been set to which all other
[1:08:45] restoration projects will be
[1:08:46] measured and under the
[1:08:46] leadership of this board. This
[1:08:49] agency has become to be known
[1:08:51] for its transparency and its
[1:08:53] integrity. And I think that it
[1:08:55] is critical to to recognize
[1:08:56] going forward. This project or
[1:09:00] projects like it processes
[1:09:03] around them may set the
[1:09:04] trajectory in the future for
[1:09:06] what the future of is is that
[1:09:08] one of of rock minds with
[1:09:12] possible benefits. 30, 40 are
[1:09:15] about or is it one of of true
[1:09:16] restoration? Thank you. Thank
[1:09:17] you. Captain Women.
[1:09:20] >> We'll hear next from Alex
[1:09:21] Larson followed by Lisa Inter
[1:09:22] Landy.
[1:09:31] >> I don't even want to come
[1:09:34] here. I stopped for a while.
[1:09:35] My husband passed away, but I
[1:09:37] was called out to come here
[1:09:37] today. Because I am an unpaid
[1:09:40] lobbyist. I am I played for
[1:09:44] everybody and I don't get
[1:09:46] paid. And I remember when we
[1:09:47] were doing the Palm Beach
[1:09:50] aggregates pay 200 million
[1:09:51] dollars for a hole in the
[1:09:52] ground and that day, Andy Kerr
[1:09:55] foot of water in Colorado is
[1:09:58] 100 bucks and in a car for
[1:09:59] here was $5500. I thought
[1:10:02] Colorado has some really good
[1:10:02] water because they had course
[1:10:03] Bieber. I know I I when I hear
[1:10:07] public private partnership
[1:10:09] public is U.S.. The taxpayers
[1:10:12] private is the guy who's got
[1:10:13] his hand out for 200 million
[1:10:14] bucks. pop. Because that's
[1:10:17] what I see. And I get phone
[1:10:17] calls. Some of you to me. Some
[1:10:22] of you don't. But I'm telling
[1:10:23] you, I get phone calls from
[1:10:24] 10, 30 at night, one 30 in the
[1:10:25] morning. I'm tired because
[1:10:27] I've been in meetings for the
[1:10:28] last 3 days. I was it county.
[1:10:32] Somewhere else. And then I'm
[1:10:32] here today and I I just died
[1:10:33] because a S or does it work?
[1:10:36] It didn't work. 20 years ago
[1:10:37] they stood up said doesn't
[1:10:39] work. We're going to try it
[1:10:40] again way some more money when
[1:10:43] you shoot water down into the
[1:10:44] ground and pull it back out,
[1:10:46] it isn't clean. I can show you
[1:10:47] some dish water. That will not
[1:10:48] back up when you pour more
[1:10:49] water into it. It doesn't
[1:10:51] separate like Moses in the
[1:10:52] desert. There's so many things
[1:10:55] wrong with our thought
[1:10:56] processes. And we do great
[1:10:59] science and we need a lot of
[1:11:01] great things here, Florida,
[1:11:02] because the rocket lining
[1:11:03] think really sticks its we're
[1:11:05] at Lindbergh or were doubts
[1:11:06] tilt and it stinks. It does
[1:11:10] not pass the smell test and I
[1:11:10] don't know what to do about it
[1:11:12] because I'm not the Queen Rock
[1:11:13] mining, not the queen of
[1:11:15] anything.
[1:11:15] >> But I know rock mining is
[1:11:16] not good for us. I know Benzie
[1:11:18] gets in the water. I know they
[1:11:21] got blasting permit to right.
[1:11:23] Western me Till 2034 the cows
[1:11:25] run like puzzles. I've never
[1:11:27] seen anything like it. It's
[1:11:29] amazing and I hope you guys is
[1:11:32] aboard. We'll step back and
[1:11:33] hold everybody bay because
[1:11:36] I've watched appear there was
[1:11:37] a guy up here said the reason
[1:11:38] we have shortages of water is
[1:11:40] women with long hair. The guy
[1:11:41] was bald I've seen so much
[1:11:44] here at this district. My
[1:11:46] memory and it's stuck in my
[1:11:47] memory. Commissioners. I'm
[1:11:49] telling ya, it's a rolodex up
[1:11:50] there that just won't stop.
[1:11:53] And this is something they
[1:11:54] need to start. We need to step
[1:11:55] back and look at Everglades
[1:11:57] restoration because in the old
[1:11:59] days, the 1911, that's what
[1:12:01] was like. It was like a hand
[1:12:04] and there were tributaries
[1:12:04] that went down and we close
[1:12:05] them off the Kissimmee for
[1:12:07] Disney. We shut it off. We had
[1:12:08] to redo it. Why do we have to
[1:12:11] make mistakes and redo it
[1:12:12] again? Let's not make mistakes
[1:12:15] and do it right. The first
[1:12:17] time because that Iran from I
[1:12:19] would've got fired from my
[1:12:20] job. If I could screw it up.
[1:12:20] So here we are. Please, please
[1:12:24] look at these rock mining
[1:12:25] operations. They are not good
[1:12:27] for us. And Lake Okeechobee
[1:12:29] has 9 feet of silt. as of
[1:12:31] 2004, they said it out there.
[1:12:35] So how many feet is really in
[1:12:36] Lake Okeechobee up your thank
[1:12:37] you. Thank you. Miss Larson.
[1:12:40] We'll hear next from Lisa
[1:12:42] Inter Landy followed by Nyla
[1:12:43] pipes on Zoom.
[1:13:01] >> Everyone. I'm Lisa inner
[1:13:01] lining of the policy director
[1:13:02] of Law Center. I would just
[1:13:04] ask if we could please get
[1:13:05] some clarification today on
[1:13:08] whether or not the district
[1:13:09] did in time for Its
[1:13:11] correspondents to serve as the
[1:13:12] letter of Project
[1:13:14] identification. That is a core
[1:13:15] about Palm Beach County's
[1:13:17] comprehensive plan because the
[1:13:18] plan requires out in order for
[1:13:19] them to move forward. And the
[1:13:20] district's letter had a lot of
[1:13:22] has that and kind of language
[1:13:23] like it could possibly or it
[1:13:26] might or if it provides water
[1:13:28] storage or other things. But
[1:13:31] what given you some comments,
[1:13:31] this is from the county's
[1:13:33] review process. Is there
[1:13:38] comments? It's basically like
[1:13:39] staff comments and applicants
[1:13:39] response. You can see in the
[1:13:41] second lower a paragraph that
[1:13:45] I highlighted for you where
[1:13:45] they are characterizing this
[1:13:46] letter your correspondents was
[1:13:49] a letter that they need right
[1:13:50] now to get their approval from
[1:13:51] Palm Beach County. So if you
[1:13:53] guys don't clarify whether or
[1:13:54] not you intended to identify
[1:14:00] this project as a viable water
[1:14:01] resource project. It is very
[1:14:06] likely that this project could
[1:14:06] get its approval from Palm
[1:14:08] Beach County and the already
[1:14:11] mining before a year from now
[1:14:13] that you guys actually
[1:14:14] determine whether or not it's
[1:14:14] viable. Because they are
[1:14:16] characterizing this letter as
[1:14:20] the correspondence that is
[1:14:21] needed for them to move
[1:14:22] forward. Under Palm Beach
[1:14:22] County's plan. Palm Beach
[1:14:25] County's plan basically
[1:14:26] prohibits mining in the
[1:14:27] Everglades agricultural area
[1:14:29] only allows it for water
[1:14:30] resources and for a public
[1:14:31] road building projects. And
[1:14:33] that has been that has been
[1:14:35] tested legally, Mr. Version. I
[1:14:36] can tell you that this has
[1:14:39] this project. Okay, whether or
[1:14:42] not this project is viable.
[1:14:44] You guys have not determined
[1:14:45] yet. We just heard that today.
[1:14:47] Yet Palm Beach County is being
[1:14:48] told that you have determined
[1:14:49] that. So that is the problem.
[1:14:52] So that is why we're here
[1:14:53] today asking you, I understand
[1:14:55] the prepared comments, but I
[1:14:56] ask you to please clarify a
[1:14:58] yes or no. Did you intend to
[1:15:01] identify this as a viable
[1:15:01] water resource project? The
[1:15:03] county needs to know whether
[1:15:05] or not they should allow this
[1:15:06] project to move forward. The
[1:15:09] county when they adopted this
[1:15:10] provision in back in 2000,
[1:15:14] they did it to allow
[1:15:14] Everglades restoration, viable
[1:15:15] Everglades restoration
[1:15:16] projects to move forward. They
[1:15:19] didn't want to every with
[1:15:21] restoration, but they didn't
[1:15:22] want to allow commercial
[1:15:22] mining in the Everglades
[1:15:24] agricultural area. You know, I
[1:15:25] heard a comment that more
[1:15:26] storage. It's always
[1:15:28] beneficial. I disagree with
[1:15:31] that. More storage is
[1:15:32] beneficial. If it doesn't harm
[1:15:33] the existing projects that we
[1:15:35] are spending, billions of
[1:15:35] taxpayer dollars to promote.
[1:15:38] The other thing is up to 51. I
[1:15:41] support that project. It's
[1:15:42] doing a lot of good for Lake
[1:15:43] Worth Lagoon and it will do
[1:15:44] good, hopefully for Loche that
[1:15:45] you're ever in the future. It
[1:15:47] has not come without taxpayer
[1:15:49] expense. It has received
[1:15:50] almost 300 million dollars in
[1:15:52] funding from the legislature
[1:15:53] in the last 4 years. Okay.
[1:15:57] These are these are projects
[1:15:57] that have to be vetted. And
[1:15:58] I'm just asking you to please
[1:16:00] do that. And please clarify
[1:16:02] today, what is the status of
[1:16:04] this project? It's not fair to
[1:16:05] lease for Palm Beach counties.
[1:16:06] Palm Beach County will
[1:16:08] possibly approve this project
[1:16:09] NB. They will be digging a
[1:16:09] hole before you guys.
[1:16:11] Determine whether or not its
[1:16:12] final. So please, if you could
[1:16:13] clarify today, we would
[1:16:15] receive. Thank center Landy.
[1:16:17] We'll hear next from Nyla
[1:16:19] pipes followed by Ben Olsen.
[1:16:22] >> Miss pipes, please unmute
[1:16:22] your mic. My check. We hear
[1:16:28] you. And has tick.
[1:16:32] >> Nyla pipes. One Florida
[1:16:33] Foundation. I know that this
[1:16:36] was not on the agenda today
[1:16:39] and I suspect that you guys
[1:16:40] did not necessarily want to
[1:16:41] spend as much time on as we
[1:16:44] are. But since we have, I,
[1:16:46] too, would like to speak on
[1:16:46] the Southland Project. I hear
[1:16:51] that we are in the process of
[1:16:51] vetting. I hear that this is a
[1:16:58] lot of upset. Ms for no reason
[1:17:01] at this point. And I know that
[1:17:05] that's going to be a
[1:17:07] controversial statement. But
[1:17:07] public private partnerships
[1:17:09] have been an important part
[1:17:13] complimenting seed for a
[1:17:13] very long time. Now. For
[1:17:17] decades, environmental groups
[1:17:18] have called for ye farmers.
[1:17:19] Just water on their own plan.
[1:17:22] And now that they're
[1:17:23] attempting to do We have all
[1:17:24] of this up for in advance in
[1:17:28] advance of us even figuring
[1:17:30] out is a viable project or
[1:17:31] not. Every drop does count.
[1:17:35] Does that have to be done in
[1:17:36] the correct way? Absolutely.
[1:17:39] But we've seen with the C 51
[1:17:41] with other projects that these
[1:17:45] things once they go through
[1:17:45] the process and are vetted can
[1:17:48] be very viable and very
[1:17:49] helpful. I find all of this
[1:17:52] uproar, quite frankly,
[1:17:54] disingenuous. And I think it
[1:17:55] stems more from the fact the
[1:17:57] date is on Sugar land. Then it
[1:18:01] does people actually being
[1:18:01] certain about the project.
[1:18:03] Another point that I want to
[1:18:04] make. We are in a worldwide
[1:18:09] aggregate shortage. Do you
[1:18:09] know what we need for surf
[1:18:10] projects? I think that there
[1:18:15] is potential for this to be a
[1:18:16] win-win. I think that we are
[1:18:18] all worried about this
[1:18:22] prematurely. And do think that
[1:18:23] the district is going to go
[1:18:24] through the right process to
[1:18:26] get it there or to say, yeah,
[1:18:29] you know, at this time this
[1:18:30] place, it doesn't work. Either
[1:18:34] way. I do think that we need
[1:18:35] to back the uproar and work
[1:18:36] together. Thank you. Miss
[1:18:40] Pipes. We'll hear next from
[1:18:42] Ben Olsen, Mr. Olsen, please
[1:18:44] unmute your mic.
[1:18:46] >> Good morning to hear me.
[1:18:47] Okay. We hear you.
[1:18:51] >> All right. Thank you. Well,
[1:18:52] as one of those legacy,
[1:18:55] landowners, Mr. Bartlett. But
[1:18:56] I felt it was appropriate to
[1:18:58] speak up and call in and
[1:18:59] recognition of the work to
[1:19:00] myself. And I too want to
[1:19:00] thank the working throughout
[1:19:03] the past few years, water
[1:19:07] management staff have
[1:19:07] seemingly the only government
[1:19:08] employees willing to listen to
[1:19:10] and engage with the landowners
[1:19:10] inside of the project.
[1:19:11] Footprint is all well. We got
[1:19:13] off to a bit of a rocky start.
[1:19:16] Your staff for the agency
[1:19:16] employees to actually consider
[1:19:18] our positions and defense of
[1:19:19] the endangered animals that
[1:19:19] call our properties home. We
[1:19:22] reached out to federal
[1:19:24] agencies, other state
[1:19:25] agencies, nonprofits Audubon,
[1:19:26] Florida, Everglades
[1:19:28] Foundation. No one was really
[1:19:29] interested in the landowner
[1:19:30] perspective on. Even if that
[1:19:32] perspective founded in both
[1:19:34] environmental protection and
[1:19:34] private property rights. So I
[1:19:36] really just want to call in to
[1:19:38] thank the work staff. I know
[1:19:39] they're busier than ever
[1:19:40] working with the Federal Canal
[1:19:41] Basin, Water Quality Program,
[1:19:43] staff to fix what the federal
[1:19:45] work design left out got wrong
[1:19:48] as well as expediting work on
[1:19:49] the Tamiami trail, which is
[1:19:50] something I think everyone
[1:19:50] agrees is absolutely
[1:19:53] essential. I'm looking forward
[1:19:54] to working with staff
[1:19:54] personally. I know we should
[1:19:55] have a meeting on the book
[1:19:56] shortly to go over the
[1:19:58] modeling south of Wingate
[1:19:58] myself and my neighbors. But
[1:20:01] there was one thing I wanted
[1:20:02] to point out. And that was the
[1:20:04] public face of America's of
[1:20:05] warmth currently to be blunt
[1:20:08] since its passing nonprofits,
[1:20:09] who lobbied so hard for work
[1:20:12] as it was designed, have now
[1:20:13] started pushing this narrative
[1:20:14] that were pushed stores,
[1:20:15] panthers and wood stork Lance.
[1:20:16] They're raising funds on that
[1:20:17] narrative. I think it's
[1:20:19] imperative we all remind the
[1:20:21] public and nonprofit at large
[1:20:23] that what was early authorized
[1:20:24] would have significantly
[1:20:25] damaged. And store glance so
[1:20:28] much so that water management
[1:20:29] would not implement region to
[1:20:29] have work plans for the
[1:20:31] future. Bateson says that were
[1:20:32] designed. The project is the
[1:20:35] size of Rhode Island. And
[1:20:38] while regions, 1, 3, 4, are
[1:20:38] seemingly solid region to
[1:20:39] certainly wasn't the water
[1:20:42] management work team is
[1:20:44] absolutely deserving of team
[1:20:44] of the month because they
[1:20:45] recognize this and they're
[1:20:46] actively working to remedy it
[1:20:46] with us. But I believe it's
[1:20:47] crucial. We acknowledged, but
[1:20:50] this project needs a lot of
[1:20:51] work in region to make it
[1:20:53] viable. We're only going to
[1:20:54] get there through a
[1:20:55] transparent process, engaging
[1:20:58] the experts of their own land
[1:20:58] without closed across the book
[1:21:00] next, Water management staff
[1:21:01] have been the vanguard of this
[1:21:04] process and I can't be more
[1:21:06] appreciative. Unfortunately,
[1:21:07] this process now includes
[1:21:09] ensuring the nonprofits don't
[1:21:10] raise funds off a misguided
[1:21:11] merits. They don't listen to
[1:21:13] the landowners, but they do
[1:21:13] listen to the agency. So your
[1:21:17] voices will once again have to
[1:21:18] be the vanguard's and getting
[1:21:20] this project fixed and keeping
[1:21:22] to, quote, must paddy power's
[1:21:23] loud voices spreading
[1:21:23] misinformation on both at
[1:21:24] that. So again, I just want to
[1:21:27] thank you guys. Miss Reynolds
[1:21:29] said this is just the
[1:21:31] beginning for work and I look
[1:21:31] forward to fixing authorized
[1:21:34] blunt with you guys to ensure
[1:21:35] that was actually restore
[1:21:35] pampered. One start lands
[1:21:38] without flooding. There
[1:21:38] already bursting habitat this
[1:21:41] past week. We have dozens of
[1:21:42] wood storks and our pond right
[1:21:43] outside our house out there.
[1:21:45] It's a beautiful sight to see
[1:21:46] that. I'm going to continue to
[1:21:47] fight for. Thank you very
[1:21:48] much.
[1:21:48] >> Thank you, Mr. Olsen, Mr.
[1:21:51] Chairman, we have no
[1:21:52] additional general public
[1:21:52] comment. Thankfully, thank you
[1:21:56] all for your comments.
[1:22:01] >> Going out for comment. I
[1:22:05] think it's only appropriate
[1:22:05] the Swan Queen start she wants
[1:22:07] to. Well, that's a first that
[1:22:11] I get to go. The first
[1:22:14] speaker. Thank you so much.
[1:22:15] Mister Chair. Quite an honor.
[1:22:17] You're probably wondering why
[1:22:21] I brought this cake in today.
[1:22:22] That's at least what Charlie
[1:22:26] was asking.
[1:22:27] >> Well, then was kind of
[1:22:28] chuckle in over there because
[1:22:29] he knew it wasn't going to be
[1:22:30] a cake this time. So I wanted
[1:22:33] to share this valuable crown
[1:22:35] that I received. That was
[1:22:39] created by. Michelle Arquette
[1:22:43] Palermo from the conservancy
[1:22:43] of Southwest Florida. And as
[1:22:46] you can tell this, crown is
[1:22:48] very and but the front of the
[1:22:53] crown for the embellishment is
[1:22:56] the vertebrae of a python that
[1:22:58] was captured in southwest
[1:23:00] Florida. So how appropriate?
[1:23:03] So as you can imagine, I was
[1:23:04] thrilled. To be surprised at
[1:23:09] the of Co conference with this
[1:23:10] WABC coins stuff and honored
[1:23:14] to share the throne with the
[1:23:16] swamp. Kidding. Dr. Paul Gray.
[1:23:19] I who doesn't want a swamp
[1:23:21] king like that? I mean, talk
[1:23:22] about an awesome guy South.
[1:23:25] I'm going to do on my crown.
[1:23:28] So that you can see it in full
[1:23:31] Splendor.
[1:23:32] >> And thank court for the
[1:23:32] honor. I didn't want. To go
[1:23:38] without. Giving a nod to
[1:23:43] alligator. Ron. So in my new
[1:23:44] placard. I have little
[1:23:49] Alligator. Ron, chilling in
[1:23:51] this wall with the swab queen
[1:23:53] for 2020. 25 thank you so
[1:23:58] much, everyone for the
[1:24:00] recognition. And it so much
[1:24:01] fun and I'll just put my
[1:24:02] little placard right there so
[1:24:04] that, you know, that this my
[1:24:08] new era, which is the swamp,
[1:24:09] Kuwait. I don't know if it's a
[1:24:13] lower wrong or a higher rod,
[1:24:14] but thank you, drew for the
[1:24:15] shout out and thank you all
[1:24:16] for for that. All right. I
[1:24:18] have several things here. I
[1:24:21] think I've already started
[1:24:24] with the EV Co comments. What
[1:24:25] a great conference. I spent 3
[1:24:29] days with the conference and
[1:24:32] all the people that I had a
[1:24:32] chance to have conversations
[1:24:33] with. And I got to tell you
[1:24:36] that that was some of the
[1:24:39] greatest dialogue that I've
[1:24:41] I've really experienced at the
[1:24:43] conference and I've been going
[1:24:45] since I've been on the board
[1:24:47] for 6 years and having those
[1:24:49] conversations. But the
[1:24:51] indigenous knowledge panel was
[1:24:51] very, very enlightening. And I
[1:24:55] thought the other panel that
[1:24:56] talked about the on serve in
[1:24:57] the next 40 years was also
[1:25:03] really valuable along with all
[1:25:04] of the panel's. Everything was
[1:25:05] great. So hats off to coach.
[1:25:07] Here's Mark Perry and Kelli
[1:25:08] Cox. I know it's a lot of
[1:25:09] work, but it was really,
[1:25:11] really a wonderful conference.
[1:25:12] The first one on tribal land.
[1:25:14] So I really appreciated that.
[1:25:19] Also, I visited the C 43 water
[1:25:22] quality treatment and testing
[1:25:22] project that the site the
[1:25:27] governing board members. If
[1:25:28] you haven't had a chance to
[1:25:29] see what we have done as a
[1:25:31] district with the boneless I I
[1:25:32] strongly recommend it. We've
[1:25:36] done several things that I
[1:25:36] thought were really positive.
[1:25:40] First of all, the cells that
[1:25:41] are there for the science it's
[1:25:47] going to be a test cell study
[1:25:49] to remove nitrogen to look at
[1:25:50] ways to remove nitrogen from
[1:25:54] the water. it's cutting edge
[1:25:57] science. And I want to thank
[1:25:58] Casandra Armstrong for for
[1:26:01] talking me through through the
[1:26:02] weeds as she likes to say it
[1:26:05] was great staff. And on the
[1:26:05] day that I visited, the
[1:26:07] project was being turned over.
[1:26:11] And so there were a lot of
[1:26:12] people on site that we're
[1:26:15] looking at the project. And I
[1:26:17] just was so impressed with
[1:26:17] what we have done there
[1:26:21] because we partnered with
[1:26:22] another project right on site,
[1:26:24] which is the a flow,
[1:26:25] Equalization basin. So we
[1:26:27] looked for an opportunity as
[1:26:28] the district to say, how can
[1:26:29] we use this site? Well, we
[1:26:32] could use the test cells and
[1:26:34] do some experiments. Some
[1:26:35] studies on removing nitrogen
[1:26:36] from the water, we could also
[1:26:39] berm it nfp be there. And in
[1:26:44] partnership used that
[1:26:44] property. So I thought that
[1:26:45] was really great jury. Drew,
[1:26:47] you and your team put that
[1:26:48] together and I want to thank
[1:26:50] Anthony Betts, Lori, when Kurt
[1:26:54] the J Mishra Natasha Warrick,
[1:26:56] Jennifer Reynolds, Megan
[1:26:56] Jacoby and Jose Otero for Your
[1:26:59] your time that day because it
[1:27:00] was a whole full court press
[1:27:01] out there. And I really
[1:27:02] appreciate it. Also, speaking
[1:27:09] of conservation that it's come
[1:27:10] up earlier in the meeting, I
[1:27:12] had the chance yesterday
[1:27:15] evening to visit Eagle Haven
[1:27:17] Ranch. This was my second
[1:27:20] visit with a totally different
[1:27:20] focus. This time when I
[1:27:25] visited Eagle Haven Ranch, the
[1:27:27] focus was on conservation and
[1:27:33] the view the view of all of
[1:27:33] the eagle nesting habitat.
[1:27:37] >> That is out on Eagle Haven
[1:27:38] Ranch in the various stages of
[1:27:38] the chicks in the nest.
[1:27:39] >> That were out there. It was
[1:27:42] a great, great visit. That's
[1:27:46] 3300 acres in the northern
[1:27:48] Everglades. That is put under
[1:27:51] a conservation easement and
[1:27:53] now the Cyprus chapter of the
[1:27:56] Isaac Walton League of America
[1:27:59] is going to do some projects
[1:28:03] out there concert with the
[1:28:05] landowner there. And it was
[1:28:06] just a great visit. Plenty of
[1:28:07] eagles were on display at the
[1:28:09] site. And the last comment
[1:28:13] that I have is about some of
[1:28:16] the public comment today on
[1:28:18] South I think that that this
[1:28:20] board is set a high bar in the
[1:28:23] past 6 years for transparency
[1:28:29] and getting getting public
[1:28:30] employee and I feel strongly
[1:28:32] and I saw I know, Drew, does
[1:28:35] that in this case with this
[1:28:37] project? That's that's
[1:28:38] something that I I want to
[1:28:38] continue to do with with the
[1:28:41] public that that always gives
[1:28:44] us input to consider before
[1:28:45] making a decision. That's all
[1:28:47] I have. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
[1:28:49] Thank you starting U.S.. Comes
[1:28:52] to Mr. Butler.
[1:28:58] >> Thank you, Mr. Chair
[1:28:59] congratulations. Want Queen.
[1:29:03] got that on Snapchat. By the
[1:29:05] way.
[1:29:07] >> was I
[1:29:13] >> Want to say congratulations
[1:29:14] once again to the district low
[1:29:17] cars, law of the land. low car
[1:29:21] and work but look are being
[1:29:27] law of the land. That's heavy
[1:29:28] lift. And that was 2 years. 2
[1:29:29] years, right? One? Well, okay.
[1:29:34] Yeah. One year from the
[1:29:36] district and then another year
[1:29:36] through the federal process.
[1:29:39] while that that was
[1:29:40] impressive. Look forward to 26
[1:29:44] and drew look forward to
[1:29:45] hearing the plans and what
[1:29:47] we're going. Join us on the
[1:29:48] core. What's going to be an
[1:29:50] were 26. Hopefully it will
[1:29:50] include. Some of these other
[1:29:54] northern features and so also
[1:29:56] look forward to to your update
[1:29:58] there on that. Also since our
[1:30:02] board meeting, I December
[1:30:06] right afterwards we did the
[1:30:07] ribbon cutting Maximo look
[1:30:12] forward to when we get in the
[1:30:12] race season to see in that
[1:30:13] project in full full effect be
[1:30:16] 7,000 acres, water storage
[1:30:19] there. Well, north of Lake
[1:30:23] Okeechobee picking up like a
[1:30:24] bay like a semi. So look
[1:30:25] forward to seeing that
[1:30:26] appreciate Garcia family and
[1:30:27] Fpnl for being our partners in
[1:30:28] that. Finally, let's say, a
[1:30:37] divisive We've all got to the
[1:30:38] lives. yeah, I had. I had
[1:30:42] spent some time with my family
[1:30:44] in lieu of bit of code this
[1:30:46] year. So I hate to miss that
[1:30:48] Tuesday. 2 days ago. The
[1:30:52] Florida Agricultural Hall of
[1:30:54] Fame. The Florida State Fair
[1:30:56] might actually go building
[1:30:57] dedicated to the Florida
[1:30:57] Culture Hall of Fame, but
[1:30:59] inducted 3 new members into
[1:31:01] it. And I want to recognize
[1:31:02] recognized 2 members. It all
[1:31:05] come from the South Florida
[1:31:06] area. One being Jim
[1:31:07] Strickland. He's a cattle
[1:31:10] rancher for over Manatee
[1:31:10] County Black Beard Ranch. But
[1:31:14] a long history of
[1:31:15] conservation. And he has been
[1:31:19] an advocate for advocate for
[1:31:21] conservation easements for as
[1:31:22] long as I can remember, he is
[1:31:25] on the he was on the cusp of
[1:31:28] getting that program going in
[1:31:29] Florida and it's become such
[1:31:30] an Aunt Horton program for
[1:31:32] preservation of our open
[1:31:34] spaces he was recognized as an
[1:31:37] inductee in the Florida poll
[1:31:38] of Fame. another one that
[1:31:44] another couple. But you'll
[1:31:45] recognize its Kerry and
[1:31:46] Marshall White Sea. They were
[1:31:49] inducted to the Agriculture
[1:31:49] Hall of Fame. If you would
[1:31:53] hear him, Chairman, I just it.
[1:31:54] Just 3 paragraphs here. Real
[1:31:55] quick bio Mr. Lightsey. And as
[1:31:56] Marcia. Carry Lights a 6
[1:32:01] generation. Florida cattle
[1:32:02] rancher who married his high
[1:32:04] school sweetheart. Marcia in
[1:32:05] 1973, together. They not only
[1:32:08] save the family ranch during
[1:32:09] hard economic times. They also
[1:32:11] expanded and diversified the
[1:32:13] operations and became leaders
[1:32:14] in the conservation arena. The
[1:32:18] Lightsey strongly believe that
[1:32:19] landowners participating in
[1:32:20] strategies that benefit all of
[1:32:22] society. They strive to
[1:32:24] highlight the stewardship.
[1:32:25] Ranchers provide for wildlife
[1:32:27] and water. They've committed
[1:32:29] 80% of their land to
[1:32:31] conservation easements in
[1:32:33] doing so. preserve thousands
[1:32:34] of environmentally sensitive
[1:32:36] acres, wetlands and areas
[1:32:38] populated by endangered plant
[1:32:39] and animal species creating a
[1:32:41] vast holding of lands that
[1:32:44] will allow generations of
[1:32:45] Floridians to see landscapes
[1:32:47] much like those of centuries
[1:32:47] ago. This includes the notable
[1:32:52] Brahma island home, the bald
[1:32:54] Eagles. Kara Cares snail kites
[1:32:56] and dozens of other rare and
[1:32:57] endangered species. The light
[1:33:01] Cesar also passionate about
[1:33:02] sharing their conservation
[1:33:02] story. They have been featured
[1:33:06] in several documentaries,
[1:33:07] media pieces and social media
[1:33:08] posts throughout the years.
[1:33:10] Their latest focus is working
[1:33:11] in the Florida wildlife
[1:33:13] Corridor Foundation and its
[1:33:14] path to the Panther Project.
[1:33:16] They have also hosted numerous
[1:33:17] tours of the ranch's
[1:33:19] ecological sites to allow
[1:33:21] students and other groups to
[1:33:23] see the operations first hand
[1:33:25] and for a better appreciation
[1:33:26] of their impacts.
[1:33:28] Congratulations to Carrie and
[1:33:30] Marshall Lightsey Jim Strick
[1:33:32] shunned for their induction
[1:33:33] into the Florida Culture Hall
[1:33:33] of Thank you, Mr. Chairman,
[1:33:34] thank you, Mr. Butler. Mr.
[1:33:36] Tiley.
[1:33:42] >> We did not have general
[1:33:45] board meeting in January, but
[1:33:47] we but we all I think most of
[1:33:50] us and event by Governor
[1:33:53] DeSantis worry requested the
[1:33:54] state be allowed to leave more
[1:33:57] of the Everglades restoration
[1:34:00] projects in order to do things
[1:34:02] more quickly at a lower cost
[1:34:05] to taxpayers. As we all know,
[1:34:07] structures of cost share
[1:34:09] between the federal government
[1:34:11] and state of Florida where the
[1:34:12] Army Corps the federal side
[1:34:14] and district, it leads the
[1:34:15] state side. And just to be
[1:34:20] clear as well, sensor was
[1:34:22] adopted. We've had incredibly
[1:34:25] strong partnership with the
[1:34:25] court a and share a common
[1:34:30] commitment to projects large
[1:34:31] and small. That will help and
[1:34:32] Everglades restoration.
[1:34:37] However, as of as a federal
[1:34:38] agency, the course subject to
[1:34:40] greater bureaucracy, red tape,
[1:34:43] lengthy legislative process
[1:34:45] season political
[1:34:45] considerations that
[1:34:46] significantly slow the
[1:34:47] progress. And drive up costs
[1:34:50] in excess of what we do, what
[1:34:51] we've been able to achieve at
[1:34:52] the state level. So what I
[1:34:53] wanted to do was share some of
[1:34:56] this has been posted. But I
[1:34:57] thought was important to share
[1:35:00] 3 examples of the difference
[1:35:03] in speed and cost between the
[1:35:08] agencies. The first is called
[1:35:09] her as we all know, culverts
[1:35:11] or water to pass on dirt
[1:35:11] roads, an embankment. The
[1:35:15] district recently broke ground
[1:35:17] last year in 24 3 culverts in
[1:35:19] the Big Cypress Preserve
[1:35:21] Acosta. 47 Million. course,
[1:35:25] started 3 called for a colder
[1:35:28] project, different to move
[1:35:30] water into Everglades National
[1:35:32] Park in Twenty-twenty at a
[1:35:33] cost of 65 Million. So the
[1:35:36] district's costs for 3
[1:35:38] culverts is 28% less or an
[1:35:42] 18 million dollar difference.
[1:35:42] Both projects are expected to
[1:35:44] be closed completed at the
[1:35:44] same time, the beginning of
[1:35:45] 27. So that would mean that
[1:35:47] the core we take 7 years to
[1:35:49] complete projects. The
[1:35:50] district 3 years. Pretty good
[1:35:56] example of significant cost
[1:35:57] savings and a double the speed
[1:35:58] efficiency. A pump station
[1:36:03] comparison. The court just a
[1:36:04] word, a contract for 650 CFS
[1:36:06] Pump Station for the C 23. 24
[1:36:09] for 193 Million. The district
[1:36:13] completed a similar size pump
[1:36:15] 690 CFS, a slightly larger for
[1:36:19] the C one. 39 for 80 million
[1:36:21] dollars. So that's 11 she was
[1:36:27] 11113 million or 60% cost
[1:36:29] difference. Obviously a
[1:36:30] meaningful number. And then
[1:36:33] last example is canal
[1:36:35] Construction district recently
[1:36:37] completed construction of an
[1:36:39] inflow outflow canal as part
[1:36:41] of STA to cost of 5.7 Mile.
[1:36:45] The Corps constructing inflow
[1:36:47] outflow for the EA Reservoir
[1:36:48] at a cost of 9.7 dollars a
[1:36:51] mile 9.7 million dollars a
[1:36:55] mile. The district's work
[1:36:56] moved 30 feet to 40% faster
[1:36:58] than the courts can now work
[1:36:59] and cost 42% less than the
[1:37:01] core show. I'm sure there's a
[1:37:04] number of other examples. But
[1:37:06] the I think, you know, the
[1:37:07] experience is clear and I
[1:37:07] think it makes sense for what
[1:37:10] government Governor DeSantis
[1:37:11] asked for. We can avoid much
[1:37:13] of the bureaucracy and the
[1:37:14] delays that the federal
[1:37:15] government cannot. And make
[1:37:19] progress quicker while using
[1:37:20] fewer taxpayer dollars. Not to
[1:37:24] say that there are clearly
[1:37:29] areas where we where the Corps
[1:37:33] has expertise, but seems like
[1:37:34] a smart Pat Toomey to explore
[1:37:38] inappropriate giving given the
[1:37:39] focus at the federal level
[1:37:43] spotlighting efficiencies and
[1:37:43] spin and spending. So I just
[1:37:47] thought that was important to
[1:37:49] mention since we have not
[1:37:50] talked about it, put I think
[1:37:51] it I a legitimate ask of of
[1:38:01] the governor for for reasons
[1:38:02] that can help us achieve all
[1:38:05] of our goals sooner at a lot
[1:38:05] of lesser cost to taxpayers.
[1:38:06] Thanks. Thank you, Mr. Silent,
[1:38:10] Mr. Bergeron. Thank you, Mr.
[1:38:12] Chairman. But first all, happy
[1:38:16] New Year, too. My board
[1:38:20] members, our staff. All of our
[1:38:25] stakeholders. I'm excited
[1:38:25] about to. 2025, a lot of
[1:38:29] things going on let me talk a
[1:38:34] little bit about Everglades.
[1:38:37] Western Everglades
[1:38:37] restoration. That's moving
[1:38:41] forward. And I have written
[1:38:45] when we're talking about
[1:38:47] Western. We're a portion of
[1:38:49] that from a property owner. I
[1:38:52] will be abstaining from any
[1:38:54] voting and that. Western we're
[1:38:58] portion of Western Everglades.
[1:39:01] But I reserve the right under
[1:39:03] the statues. I'm allowed to
[1:39:06] voice my opinion which I think
[1:39:10] is important try. Lived in
[1:39:14] that environment for 3
[1:39:15] quarters of a century. We'll
[1:39:19] be following that stretches
[1:39:19] from I do want to compliment
[1:39:26] the Everglades Coalition, all
[1:39:30] the environmental groups, the
[1:39:32] conservation groups coming
[1:39:34] together and discussing. The
[1:39:38] largest environmental
[1:39:39] restoration ever attempted in
[1:39:40] the history of the world.
[1:39:43] Coming up with solutions with.
[1:39:48] State and federal agencies.
[1:39:52] The environmentalists,
[1:39:52] conservationists. The hunters.
[1:39:55] The fishermen. So important. I
[1:40:01] thought it was extremely
[1:40:03] productive and it's just a
[1:40:08] great group of people as we
[1:40:08] continue to go forward. The
[1:40:11] one thing I you hear me all
[1:40:14] the time and I know sound like
[1:40:14] a broken record. But but I do
[1:40:18] this because I keep hearing.
[1:40:20] All the stakeholders. Move
[1:40:22] water South. We have the
[1:40:26] opportunity to do that. We're
[1:40:28] on the threshold. Huge
[1:40:31] benefits. And being able to
[1:40:37] move water South. 10 years
[1:40:41] ago, we built all these
[1:40:42] bridges. Or where elevating
[1:40:46] the road and with discussions
[1:40:52] with DOT and the critical path
[1:40:53] schedules that that I've
[1:40:53] looked at. The road could be
[1:40:57] completed as early as March of
[1:40:58] next year. That could slip.
[1:41:05] But what are the other option
[1:41:06] to calls that we have to
[1:41:07] address? We're shooting there
[1:41:11] with 3 miles of Bridges, 6
[1:41:13] additional bridge is going.
[1:41:17] Lined up woodridge and sluice
[1:41:19] the part of the highway
[1:41:20] construction. So I think it's
[1:41:22] important. That we're looking
[1:41:24] at. Any obstacle or any
[1:41:27] barrier. When we complete that
[1:41:32] road that we can move water
[1:41:33] south and what is that? We
[1:41:37] have to address the Osceola
[1:41:38] camp that has to be elevated
[1:41:41] we have to address and make
[1:41:42] sure that the park service all
[1:41:46] of the airboat concessions.
[1:41:48] They're on the south side of
[1:41:49] the road. That were funded to
[1:41:54] elevate docks, elevate to be
[1:41:55] compatible. With raising Neil
[1:41:59] 29 and getting the benefit of
[1:42:03] up to 2.5 million acre feet of
[1:42:05] water under the plan. We
[1:42:09] started with 25 years ago.
[1:42:14] Extremely important where 60%
[1:42:14] of that water flows too. The
[1:42:17] eastern side of Shark River
[1:42:19] slew and 40% on the western
[1:42:22] side into last month's Lou and
[1:42:22] onto the 10,000 islands.
[1:42:27] Between our federal partners
[1:42:30] and our our staff South
[1:42:31] Florida, water management. We
[1:42:32] have done a lot. Removing
[1:42:35] these barriers. Like the
[1:42:38] seepage wall. Like removing
[1:42:41] the old Tamiami trail.
[1:42:45] Installing the 3 new called
[1:42:46] Virgin Deal. 28. And our staff
[1:42:49] as they proceed forward.
[1:42:53] Modeling the Tamiami trail
[1:42:55] west of the L 28, our Red
[1:42:57] Cross. Modeling Lube Road. In
[1:43:02] order to have water flowing by
[1:43:06] gravity based upon the
[1:43:07] science. We started with 25
[1:43:07] years ago. I'm looking drew
[1:43:13] working with. Our staff and
[1:43:17] you and our federal partners,
[1:43:19] the core Department of
[1:43:20] Interior, the Park service
[1:43:23] that we're all on the same
[1:43:24] page. And that we're
[1:43:27] addressing any barriers. I
[1:43:30] don't want to be sitting here
[1:43:31] a year from now. March of next
[1:43:34] year. The roads done and we
[1:43:35] still can't move water. If we
[1:43:39] have to have a. Workshops with
[1:43:46] our federal partners. Once a
[1:43:49] month for the next year to
[1:43:52] make sure that everybody's on
[1:43:53] the same page. I I want to do
[1:43:57] that. It would be a shame to
[1:44:00] be sitting here. And the
[1:44:06] bridges are there. The roads
[1:44:07] elevated the seepage walls and
[1:44:08] the Tamiami trail old trailer
[1:44:11] removed all of these barriers.
[1:44:15] And we're not being able to
[1:44:16] move water. I'm excited. I
[1:44:21] apologize for talking so much.
[1:44:24] This is critical. We have.
[1:44:27] Billions of dollars. We've
[1:44:29] already spent. The day we can
[1:44:35] let that water flowing
[1:44:36] naturally by gravity. Will be
[1:44:38] the biggest benefit. So if we
[1:44:41] started 25 years and it will
[1:44:46] benefit Central Everglades,
[1:44:47] big Cypress Fakahatchee
[1:44:48] Picayune Panther Refuge. It
[1:44:53] will benefit the
[1:44:54] Caloosahatchee, the Port St.
[1:44:55] Lucie, the Indian River
[1:44:55] Lagoon. The lake. Because just
[1:45:01] cumulative backup. Affects the
[1:45:04] whole system all the way up to
[1:45:05] Orlando. On the bottom end of.
[1:45:12] What very close to completing
[1:45:16] it will hugely globally
[1:45:18] benefit the global ever
[1:45:18] pledge. I always look at the
[1:45:21] global. From the Kissimmee
[1:45:27] River floodplain just to all
[1:45:29] our rivers to the lake to
[1:45:30] heart to the central all the
[1:45:33] way across and Everglades
[1:45:35] National Park, Florida Bay,
[1:45:35] 10,000 Islands. We have to get
[1:45:39] this water moving south. And
[1:45:41] fortunately. 95% the
[1:45:44] infrastructure is there.
[1:45:49] Whatever it takes to make
[1:45:51] sure. All of these little
[1:45:55] barriers. That that we haven't
[1:45:58] resolved. Sea water moving
[1:46:04] south. Wait. Under. The
[1:46:08] modified water delivery, the 2
[1:46:11] and a half million acre feet
[1:46:12] of water. So important to
[1:46:17] Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay
[1:46:19] and the 10,000 Islands stop
[1:46:22] seagrass from Diane. Like in
[1:46:26] 2015, 50,000 Acres, 5,000
[1:46:27] animals drowned on the north
[1:46:29] side on the miccosukee and are
[1:46:32] our public Central Everglades.
[1:46:35] This will be a great day. And
[1:46:38] I I just think it can be.
[1:46:40] Connected. In 2025. And we
[1:46:46] will be getting beneficial.
[1:46:49] Projects we built. 25 years
[1:46:49] ago. I apologize for talking
[1:46:54] so much. But but I just think
[1:46:55] this is extremely important.
[1:47:00] As we move forward. The new at
[1:47:05] this new rock pit thing. I
[1:47:06] think we need to do an awful
[1:47:07] lot of studying him. One thing
[1:47:13] that we have to be concerned
[1:47:16] about when you're talking
[1:47:17] about storing water. Once you
[1:47:20] drill and blast excavator. Can
[1:47:24] we retain storage? Without
[1:47:27] having led rule. She pitched
[1:47:32] 200 pressure. There's got to
[1:47:36] be a lot of determination is
[1:47:38] on the geology of soil at the
[1:47:41] bottom and the lateral
[1:47:42] movements to see if there.
[1:47:45] That you can store water. I
[1:47:50] would suggest would be very
[1:47:51] careful that project. I think
[1:47:58] it's very sensitive in
[1:48:00] geographical area that it's an
[1:48:01] to start And there has to be
[1:48:04] tremendous benefits. To
[1:48:08] Everglades restoration and
[1:48:14] storage for anything like that
[1:48:15] ever occur. So thank you,
[1:48:19] Paula Judge, for talking too
[1:48:20] much. But redneck cowboy
[1:48:23] alligator wrestlers like talk.
[1:48:27] You never have to apologize.
[1:48:28] someone once said, you paid
[1:48:29] for that microphone. it's
[1:48:31] yours. As long as you're
[1:48:31] sitting to a point. Thank you,
[1:48:34] Mister Chairman Ms Meads.
[1:48:40] >> Charlotte, I want you to
[1:48:41] know that you are so well
[1:48:43] deserving of being the swamp I
[1:48:49] know you're with that group
[1:48:49] people who know how lovely
[1:48:55] swaps what what a great thing
[1:48:56] it is. I will say that your
[1:48:58] crown looks a little bit tiny
[1:49:02] bit And it reminded me 70's,
[1:49:04] which which wasn't a bad
[1:49:08] thing. Chairman Goss, happy
[1:49:11] birthday to you. Next Tuesday.
[1:49:13] I think bright the 18th. We
[1:49:14] don't do anymore. Yeah. Happy
[1:49:17] birthday to you. And I you
[1:49:20] know, my only comment is I
[1:49:21] want to address Lisa or I want
[1:49:25] to chairman conversation is
[1:49:27] with you that I haven't Lisa
[1:49:29] in a land. These question
[1:49:32] seems to me to be a fair one.
[1:49:36] If there is a process such
[1:49:37] that Palm Beach County cannot
[1:49:38] move forward without our
[1:49:42] approval. In a letter. Is it
[1:49:47] appropriate to have some
[1:49:51] discussion about that process
[1:49:53] and the intent of the letter
[1:49:55] and not of that letter was
[1:49:56] that tent of that letter
[1:49:59] before the governing board had
[1:50:01] an opportunity to discuss
[1:50:02] that. And I'll just leave that
[1:50:03] question with you whether to
[1:50:07] take that forward or not. But
[1:50:08] it seems it's a fair thing to
[1:50:09] answer. My comments. I want
[1:50:17] first of all, start by
[1:50:18] thanking the governor for the
[1:50:19] budget. It's it's amazing to
[1:50:20] be able to have a governor
[1:50:22] who's?
[1:50:23] >> This is focused on this
[1:50:24] issue and has remained that
[1:50:26] way for Not one term, but the
[1:50:26] term and a half. And I
[1:50:30] encourage the legislature to
[1:50:31] follow his lead as they have
[1:50:33] done in the past and keep it
[1:50:33] working because those funds
[1:50:34] are giving us incredible
[1:50:37] success. And so want thank you
[1:50:38] for all of that. I also like
[1:50:40] to think of Co for putting
[1:50:41] together another great, great
[1:50:45] conference. It's, you know,
[1:50:45] some people wonder of
[1:50:46] conferences are worth it or
[1:50:47] not. I I might be one of those
[1:50:48] people every now and then. But
[1:50:51] they are, it is is wonderful
[1:50:54] to be able to get together
[1:50:55] with so many people don't
[1:50:56] always and some of its
[1:50:57] unsolicited and some of its
[1:50:59] just impromptu. And it's just
[1:51:00] nice. Bill will have those
[1:51:01] conversations because we have
[1:51:02] so many partners and so many
[1:51:04] stakeholders in the business
[1:51:05] we're doing it. It's a good
[1:51:05] way to do that. So I
[1:51:08] appreciate that as 6 years we
[1:51:12] I guess, 6 years ago about
[1:51:13] this time we were all asked to
[1:51:14] to do this job and the first
[1:51:17] thing we had to do was to find
[1:51:18] an executive director. And so
[1:51:22] we searched around high and
[1:51:24] low and found someone who was
[1:51:24] a consensus builder because
[1:51:27] that's something we really
[1:51:28] needed at the time was to
[1:51:28] rebuild trust and that
[1:51:32] person's Drew Bartlett and
[1:51:33] I've watched over the last 6
[1:51:35] years as Drew has gone out and
[1:51:36] build consensus and he's been
[1:51:37] phenomenal with stakeholders
[1:51:39] and phenomenal with the
[1:51:41] scientific community. He's
[1:51:43] been phenomenal with dealing
[1:51:44] with the bureaucratic process
[1:51:44] like nobody I've ever met. I
[1:51:47] thought I was patient. He's
[1:51:48] he's incredibly patient and
[1:51:49] work through it. So just want
[1:51:51] to say my lead up to say I
[1:51:52] trust Drew Bartlett. When
[1:51:56] people are calling and saying
[1:51:57] why on Earth that you guys
[1:51:58] signed this letter, is this
[1:51:59] all about that? My first
[1:52:01] instinct is I trust regard
[1:52:03] right because Drew didn't do
[1:52:07] anything that he wouldn't have
[1:52:08] done if he didn't think it was
[1:52:10] appropriate for this
[1:52:13] organization or appropriate
[1:52:14] for the 9 million people who
[1:52:14] live in South Florida. And I
[1:52:16] believe strongly. I look at
[1:52:20] The 2 pieces of paper AF
[1:52:21] sitting here. One is an
[1:52:22] unsolicited proposal process
[1:52:24] and the other is the Palm
[1:52:25] Beach code and it's a chicken
[1:52:27] and egg problem because one
[1:52:28] can't be done without the
[1:52:28] other. But they are both
[1:52:29] waiting for someone to go
[1:52:30] first. But it's hasn't been
[1:52:33] thought through very well. I
[1:52:34] don't think procedurally. So I
[1:52:37] think Drew's letter, I don't
[1:52:37] know what the answer to Lisa's
[1:52:39] question is. But in my mind,
[1:52:41] it troost answer was yes, this
[1:52:43] could be a project. We haven't
[1:52:46] looked at it yet. We don't
[1:52:47] know if it's a project. We've
[1:52:49] got a long way to go. This is
[1:52:50] a marathon. The gun is maybe
[1:52:51] not even been shot yet. We're
[1:52:52] all sliding up on the starting
[1:52:53] line. And so that's the way I
[1:52:55] look at this. And we've got a
[1:52:56] long way to go. So I'm not I'm
[1:52:59] not terribly worried because I
[1:53:00] know that we as a governing
[1:53:02] board are going to hear all
[1:53:03] the arguments. And I know that
[1:53:04] we as a governing board not
[1:53:05] gonna make a decision that's
[1:53:05] going to harm all that
[1:53:08] process, progress that we've
[1:53:10] to date. So I drew, I don't
[1:53:11] know if you have anything you
[1:53:12] want to address specifically
[1:53:13] there. You don't have to. But
[1:53:14] it Not good. fine. So we will
[1:53:22] move on and in and the agenda
[1:53:22] and I'm going to go to. Mr.
[1:53:27] Chairman can say one of the
[1:53:27] things I want to congratulate
[1:53:31] to the Queen. Africa that and
[1:53:38] I did Did you see the little
[1:53:41] alligator I have on think it.
[1:53:42] That's the not alligator. Ron.
[1:53:45] >> he's totally Everglades. So
[1:53:45] I'm the king. alligator
[1:53:51] >> and I want I want to
[1:53:55] Colonel Rentals and all our
[1:53:55] staff for all the hard work
[1:53:58] they're doing in Western
[1:54:00] Everglades. Especially in the
[1:54:02] Western wear section to make
[1:54:05] sure at the end of the day,
[1:54:07] we're truly restoring and
[1:54:08] we're respecting the the the
[1:54:13] tribes and we're respecting
[1:54:14] the private property owners in
[1:54:15] where we're coming up with
[1:54:17] solutions that we're truly
[1:54:19] restoring. And I want everyone
[1:54:24] Realize. But at the end of the
[1:54:24] day. It's so important that
[1:54:28] we're truly restoring. we've
[1:54:34] been so blast for the kind of
[1:54:36] money that's been funded for
[1:54:39] continue to move forward. So I
[1:54:40] want I want to thank all our
[1:54:42] staff for working with. The
[1:54:47] someone else to make a keys.
[1:54:48] The private property owners
[1:54:49] and the number one stakeholder
[1:54:51] is the environment as we
[1:54:53] continue to. To go for the
[1:54:57] other thing, I would. want to
[1:54:59] say is that I think. Projects
[1:55:03] that are. Extremely.
[1:55:08] Important. Moving water south.
[1:55:12] And to benefit. The global
[1:55:17] system like the Blues Channing
[1:55:21] that's the last piece of the
[1:55:21] puzzle. That will let water
[1:55:25] moves south. Projects like
[1:55:31] that. And Western Everglades
[1:55:35] I'm recommending that these
[1:55:37] projects are. Move forward
[1:55:40] with. South Florida water
[1:55:43] management. And the reason why
[1:55:47] I'm saying that the core. The
[1:55:53] greatest, builders across the
[1:55:54] world. And there. We've got to
[1:55:58] do this together. But the
[1:56:00] projects that are critical to
[1:56:02] get the benefit or what
[1:56:04] started building. 25 years
[1:56:06] ago, the state's process, I
[1:56:07] think A little bit quicker.
[1:56:12] And those projects. I would
[1:56:13] hope we can work. With the
[1:56:14] core. Which is just as capable
[1:56:19] as South Florida water
[1:56:20] management. But our processes
[1:56:23] so much quicker. These high
[1:56:28] priority projects like the
[1:56:30] Bush and the Western
[1:56:31] Everglades I hope we can.
[1:56:35] Workout too, for. Since our
[1:56:38] processes faster. And they
[1:56:44] allow us to get the benefit of
[1:56:44] what we've developed. Some
[1:56:47] projects 25 years ago that we
[1:56:51] shift those projects, too.
[1:56:54] Continues a 50, 50. Ship,
[1:56:59] those high priority projects
[1:57:01] just South Florida. Thank you,
[1:57:04] Mr. Chairman. Thank you. As
[1:57:08] Versed on, we're going to move
[1:57:09] now to consent agenda. Is any
[1:57:10] board member want to move any
[1:57:11] item to accent?
[1:57:13] >> Are there any public
[1:57:13] comments on consent? Yes,
[1:57:18] Mister chairman.
[1:57:19] >> We'll begin with Mark Perry
[1:57:19] followed by Caitlin Newcamp.
[1:57:26] >> Morning governing board
[1:57:28] Mark Perry, Florida,
[1:57:29] oceanographic just 2 items on
[1:57:30] the consent. Real quick up
[1:57:30] item. 16 obviously is dealing
[1:57:34] with Sepp South and the
[1:57:36] Tamiami trail. A very small
[1:57:37] acreage in can Vance, but
[1:57:40] relates to Mr. Bergeron is
[1:57:41] comments definitely about
[1:57:42] Tamiami Trail and lifting at
[1:57:45] trail up working with DOT FDOT
[1:57:46] has a partner. appreciate
[1:57:50] going forward with that.
[1:57:51] Obviously, too, everything we
[1:57:53] can to get that Trey lifted
[1:57:55] and the bridge is opened up so
[1:57:57] we can move that 2.5 million
[1:58:00] acre feet the number 19 to 10
[1:58:01] Mile Creek Water Preserve
[1:58:04] areas 7725 Acre empowerment
[1:58:10] 143 STA. The designation is
[1:58:14] basically to get the water
[1:58:14] preserve very STA and and the
[1:58:18] empowerment area so that it
[1:58:20] can be managed for public use
[1:58:20] and recreation and it's a
[1:58:23] beautiful area up in the upper
[1:58:24] North Fork of the Port St.
[1:58:25] Lucie. Preserve. It helps too
[1:58:28] Storen treat that water that
[1:58:29] normally would run directly
[1:58:30] off through the cordon road
[1:58:30] structure into the. Into North
[1:58:35] Fork. So appreciate appreciate
[1:58:36] approving both Thank
[1:58:39] >> Thank you, Mr. rry will
[1:58:40] hear next from Caitlin Newcamp
[1:58:41] followed by Alex Larson.
[1:58:47] >> Warning governing board
[1:58:48] members. Thank you for the
[1:58:49] opportunity to comment.
[1:58:50] Caitlin, with and you can't
[1:58:51] with Audubon Florida. This is
[1:58:54] in regards to number 16 on the
[1:58:55] consent agenda. Audubon
[1:58:59] appreciates the ongoing
[1:59:00] efforts of the district and
[1:59:01] its partners, including the
[1:59:02] court in advancing the Central
[1:59:05] Everglades Planning project
[1:59:07] south fees, the construction
[1:59:09] of the S 3.56 pump station is
[1:59:12] a significant component for
[1:59:12] restoring the natural
[1:59:13] hydrology of the Everglades,
[1:59:16] which benefits but the
[1:59:16] ecosystem in the communities
[1:59:17] that depend on clean water
[1:59:20] last fall, Audubon and others
[1:59:21] noticed delays on the IDs for
[1:59:23] several sub south features,
[1:59:24] including this one. And upon
[1:59:25] further research to stop
[1:59:28] discovered some real estate
[1:59:29] issues are unresolved. We
[1:59:32] recognize the necessity of
[1:59:33] acquiring the required
[1:59:34] easements inland rates to
[1:59:35] facilitate the construction of
[1:59:37] this project and the
[1:59:38] importance of the proposed
[1:59:39] exchange between the district
[1:59:39] and DOT. we support the
[1:59:43] proposed actions and we're
[1:59:44] very happy to see this is back
[1:59:46] on track. So thank you for
[1:59:47] getting this pump station back
[1:59:47] on track as south features
[1:59:51] contain critical components,
[1:59:53] critical conveyance necessary
[1:59:54] for moving water south and
[1:59:55] ensuring the right balance of
[1:59:56] water is in proper location.
[1:59:57] Thank you. Thank you. Miss
[2:00:01] Newcamp.
[2:00:01] >> We'll hear next from Alex
[2:00:02] Larson followed by Newton
[2:00:03] Cook.
[2:00:14] >> I am always said when I see
[2:00:15] the wave and slip. Everybody
[2:00:19] leaves us with one hand and
[2:00:20] then slaps the c*** out of the
[2:00:21] taxpayers and ratepayers in
[2:00:22] the world. I don't want that
[2:00:25] to happen. I hope that we will
[2:00:26] deal with. The rock by the
[2:00:30] situation inhat letter that
[2:00:31] went out Christmastime. I
[2:00:32] think it should be pulled or
[2:00:34] rescinded if the county is
[2:00:34] going to OK, which they will.
[2:00:37] I am concerned about that.
[2:00:37] Lease is right. Anyway. I'm
[2:00:40] gonna go to my issue number.
[2:00:41] 24. The North County Airport
[2:00:45] is a really better place for a
[2:00:47] heliport for the South Florida
[2:00:48] Water Management district. You
[2:00:50] want to put a heliport for
[2:00:54] your guys at flying Howard and
[2:00:55] State Road 7, you know, 80
[2:00:58] Southern Boulevard. It doesn't
[2:00:58] belong there. Because to the
[2:01:02] South is the author. Marshall
[2:01:04] 147,000 Acres to the North JW
[2:01:05] Corbett. 60,000, 388 Acres. We
[2:01:09] don't need any more poison out
[2:01:11] there. The Marshall doesn't
[2:01:12] need that. everything goes
[2:01:14] downhill. All I want, I don't
[2:01:18] say the word that what flows
[2:01:20] downhill, but we all know what
[2:01:20] that word is. And I do. This
[2:01:23] is something that doesn't
[2:01:25] belong there because even it,
[2:01:27] you know, it's going to be
[2:01:28] taken off 7, 8 times a day,
[2:01:31] even hit and a little bit the
[2:01:32] way because they say they will
[2:01:34] fly 1800 hours. Okay. So you
[2:01:38] can up. However, you days off
[2:01:40] weekends, whatever, but we
[2:01:41] don't need that. We already
[2:01:43] have people violating the air
[2:01:43] space out there flying lower
[2:01:45] than 500 feet. That's
[2:01:48] happening all over. But I
[2:01:50] think the water management
[2:01:50] district to find a better
[2:01:52] place. The North County
[2:01:53] airport would be a nice place
[2:01:54] because it's airport. I know
[2:01:57] you got a problem with Palm
[2:01:58] Beach International. God help
[2:01:59] us. We got a lot of problems
[2:02:01] with Palm Beach International
[2:02:02] for the next 4 years. But we
[2:02:05] do not need any more problems
[2:02:05] out where we live. I don't
[2:02:08] want any more poison out where
[2:02:09] I live. We've got a power
[2:02:11] plant. It was supposed to use
[2:02:13] reclaimed water. Now it has 5
[2:02:14] permits to just take water
[2:02:17] because those reclaimed water
[2:02:17] splurges up their c***. So
[2:02:19] 21 million gallons a day is be
[2:02:21] s***** out of my area for that
[2:02:25] power plant and then they
[2:02:27] shoot it down into the ground.
[2:02:29] proprietary says we don't need
[2:02:29] to know what's going into the
[2:02:30] ground. Elevate it will
[2:02:35] elevate it will come Vertical
[2:02:36] migration does happen. It was
[2:02:40] I forget actor's name, Buddy.
[2:02:41] 3 of them did a study on it
[2:02:42] and we've got too much poison.
[2:02:45] And Florida's to susceptible.
[2:02:49] We fight phosphorus and
[2:02:50] nitrogen. And then we got
[2:02:50] mosaic on the other side of
[2:02:51] the state. Its an oxymoron
[2:02:54] every day of my life. I'm so
[2:02:55] tired. I'm sick of it. After
[2:02:58] 25 years, I'm sick of all of
[2:03:01] the smoke and mirrors and
[2:03:02] we're doing this over here
[2:03:03] would It's not our fault. They
[2:03:06] did well, they the days are
[2:03:08] are really destroying Florida.
[2:03:12] And I I wish and I hope Mother
[2:03:13] Nature gets bays because we
[2:03:18] are going to get another flood
[2:03:18] situations because your
[2:03:19] comments, I want to do a quick
[2:03:22] 3 floods. 95 2012 and go
[2:03:24] outside and look at where the
[2:03:25] answer planning themselves up.
[2:03:27] We're going to get flooded
[2:03:29] again. Just talk to the dance.
[2:03:34] that think you missed one
[2:03:35] missed. Larson will hear next
[2:03:36] from Newton Cook. New Coke.
[2:03:45] And I want follow Florida.
[2:03:49] >> I just want to support a
[2:03:50] couple items on consent
[2:03:51] agenda. involved a lot of
[2:03:54] incredible recreation. wide
[2:03:56] variety of people. And item
[2:04:02] number 19. And this is best 10
[2:04:04] Mile Creek. Project as an STA
[2:04:08] which opens the door. district
[2:04:12] aligned public access. a lot
[2:04:15] of appropriate. Recreation out
[2:04:18] there. I'm not so sure, sir.
[2:04:20] Big kind of area, but we get a
[2:04:24] lot of folks out. I think
[2:04:26] you've heard me say a dozen
[2:04:27] times. All right. This moment
[2:04:30] where we're standing here,
[2:04:31] those thousands and thousands
[2:04:32] of people on district land
[2:04:32] recreated right now. And it's
[2:04:35] very much appreciated. The
[2:04:39] item is item. 23 that
[2:04:42] corkscrew regional ecosystem.
[2:04:47] Watershed Bird Rookery
[2:04:48] boardwalk. Now this boardwalk
[2:04:49] at 1400 feet. understand a big
[2:04:52] project to replace for 200
[2:04:53] feet aboard. Well. Here is the
[2:04:56] part. The boardwalk leads to a
[2:05:02] 12 mile Road Trail. And I do
[2:05:04] is for the people who are
[2:05:06] watching frequently used by
[2:05:08] the public for outdoor
[2:05:09] recreation activities, such as
[2:05:10] hiking. Running, biking,
[2:05:14] nature photography, Geale
[2:05:16] catching All these activities.
[2:05:22] All these people. And it's
[2:05:25] very much appreciate it.
[2:05:29] >> Thank you, Mr. Cook, we
[2:05:32] have no hands raised on Zoom,
[2:05:34] Mr. Chairman that public
[2:05:35] comment on this item.
[2:05:39] >> members on what you know,
[2:05:40] the consent item. 6 teen
[2:05:41] requires a two-thirds majority
[2:05:44] vote. Kind of a motion, a
[2:05:45] second to approve consent
[2:05:46] approve consent motion motion
[2:05:48] a second, Mr. Butler, Mr.
[2:05:49] Martinez. Any further
[2:05:53] discussion hearing none. We'll
[2:05:54] call that question, Mr.
[2:05:55] Bergeron. Yes, I'm gonna vote.
[2:05:59] Yes, Caron. yes, Mr. Butler,
[2:06:02] states. Yes. Thank you. That
[2:06:04] passes unanimously go now
[2:06:08] discussion agenda, which is
[2:06:09] the Central Everglades
[2:06:10] Planning Project update with
[2:06:10] U.S..
[2:06:27] >> Good morning, Mr. Chair and
[2:06:28] fellow board members. I'm
[2:06:31] gonna provide an update on the
[2:06:33] Central Everglades Planning
[2:06:34] Project known as as you know,
[2:06:37] we like or acronyms. So I'll
[2:06:38] be saying sap often. I will
[2:06:41] have 3 resolutions for you to
[2:06:44] consider. One is for the
[2:06:46] construction of us. 27 bridges
[2:06:47] associated with the CEP
[2:06:49] Everglades, Agricultural area
[2:06:50] phase. And to our for the
[2:06:53] construction or features on
[2:06:54] the set north face. As a
[2:06:59] reminder, this slide shows an
[2:07:00] overview of sept. And how it's
[2:07:03] broken down into 4 phases. So
[2:07:06] the overarching goal of step
[2:07:07] is to provide improve the
[2:07:10] quantity quality timing and
[2:07:12] distribution to help restore
[2:07:14] flow from Lake Okeechobee
[2:07:17] south to the central and
[2:07:18] southern Everglades. From
[2:07:20] north to south said Pa. And
[2:07:25] improves the can band storage
[2:07:26] and treatment capacities by
[2:07:29] improving north New River
[2:07:31] Canal. The Miami Canal.
[2:07:34] Delivering that storage to to
[2:07:37] reservoir and then treating it
[2:07:39] in to STA, which is already
[2:07:40] constructed complete. The next
[2:07:45] phase, the sept north, which
[2:07:47] distributes additional flow
[2:07:49] from the east to the west
[2:07:50] along the northern boundary of
[2:07:51] 3, a and this is done by
[2:07:54] improvements to. Canal
[2:07:58] improvements. New structures.
[2:08:02] And then the backfill of the
[2:08:02] Miami can now. This allows
[2:08:06] sheet flow again to flow
[2:08:07] through here instead of
[2:08:07] discharging straight down a
[2:08:08] canal. So as we move that flow
[2:08:11] in sheet flow South. We sub
[2:08:14] south. Opens up the southern
[2:08:17] system, moving water from 3 a
[2:08:20] into Everglades National Park
[2:08:23] and then the estuaries, the
[2:08:23] southern estuaries. And then
[2:08:25] the last component is SEP new
[2:08:29] water phase of which is
[2:08:31] complete. So it includes 5
[2:08:33] miles seepage wall as well as
[2:08:37] 2.3 miles of a state and a
[2:08:38] half square mile seepage wall.
[2:08:42] This work is complete and it's
[2:08:43] already working and keeping
[2:08:44] water in the park, which we
[2:08:46] think is amazing. Before I get
[2:08:50] to the first project for your
[2:08:52] consideration, I'm going to
[2:08:53] walk through some updates on
[2:08:55] Sept PA starting with the
[2:08:56] stormwater treatment area.
[2:08:58] This work is complete. This
[2:09:02] picture shows the plantings
[2:09:05] and growing phase of this STA
[2:09:06] and how it's working. And and
[2:09:09] it's it's it's working. we're
[2:09:10] very excited about that. To
[2:09:16] describe as a reminder This
[2:09:20] portion of the project
[2:09:21] includes an additional 200 CFS
[2:09:24] flow being added to the north
[2:09:25] river to be able to pull that
[2:09:26] water in. Contract. The north
[2:09:30] new River dredging project is
[2:09:31] under construction. Then on
[2:09:33] the West side. Improvements on
[2:09:37] the order of an additional
[2:09:40] 1001 1000 CFS will constructed
[2:09:42] to bring water from the west.
[2:09:46] So that work is being done in
[2:09:47] 2 north and South package, the
[2:09:51] North package is currently out
[2:09:53] to bid and we intend to bring
[2:09:55] that back to the April
[2:09:55] governing board for your
[2:09:56] consideration. So the South
[2:10:01] package degn will be
[2:10:02] complete this year and its
[2:10:04] construction timeline will be
[2:10:04] based on future your budgets.
[2:10:07] So these 2 canal improvements
[2:10:10] support moving the additional
[2:10:11] flows south from Lake
[2:10:12] Okeechobee to store in tree.
[2:10:15] And to bring this flow into
[2:10:16] the reservoir requires this
[2:10:18] inflow outflow canals,
[2:10:18] approximately. 12 miles long.
[2:10:24] So the portion adjacent to the
[2:10:25] STA, as you know, stays
[2:10:25] complete, that's complete. It
[2:10:27] includes an inflow pump
[2:10:28] station. That's allows us to
[2:10:31] pull water in from the Miami
[2:10:31] Canal. And then the Corps
[2:10:33] completed. A good portion of
[2:10:37] its 7.3 miles. Minus the
[2:10:42] additional segment through
[2:10:45] here. And plus or minus. There
[2:10:49] is a construction village that
[2:10:51] blocks the the balance of this
[2:10:54] construction and traffic for
[2:10:54] construction of the different
[2:10:55] reservoir packages. So and
[2:10:59] then the balance of inflow
[2:11:00] outflow canal will be with the
[2:11:02] U.S. 27 package. That's an
[2:11:05] item on this agenda for the
[2:11:09] bridge crossings that brings
[2:11:09] that North New River flow in
[2:11:10] 2. Into the project. A big
[2:11:19] step forward for the yea. At
[2:11:22] the at the reservoir component
[2:11:26] was awarded by the Corps
[2:11:27] Jacksonville District. It's
[2:11:28] their largest construction
[2:11:29] contract ever. We participated
[2:11:32] in their pre construction
[2:11:33] partner, partnering meeting
[2:11:35] here with the Corps and their
[2:11:37] contractor in this auditorium
[2:11:38] in January. That's pretty
[2:11:39] exciting for us. So the
[2:11:42] existing construction village
[2:11:43] here. Like I is in the way of
[2:11:47] the inflow outflow canal. And
[2:11:51] required to be moved to this
[2:11:52] new location, which will house
[2:11:56] the reservoir contractor as
[2:11:57] well as the other contractors.
[2:12:00] So we took this work on. It's
[2:12:04] complete. It sits on about 70
[2:12:04] acres of district property.
[2:12:08] ready to mobilize for the
[2:12:09] reservoir contractor. Right
[2:12:14] here. You can see this is the
[2:12:15] fpnl Roadrunner substation
[2:12:16] that we. Contracted to bring
[2:12:19] power to the site. So moving
[2:12:24] to the agenda. Item U.S. 27
[2:12:27] runs along North New River
[2:12:29] here it is a major highway. So
[2:12:31] these bridges are necessary
[2:12:33] because the inflow outflow can
[2:12:34] now design. Brings it under
[2:12:37] under the roadway and didn't,
[2:12:40] you know, connecting to canal.
[2:12:41] So the green as the limits of
[2:12:43] the court construction and the
[2:12:45] blue is. DOT portion of the
[2:12:49] project. So we've been. We
[2:12:53] this project is going to move
[2:12:56] the reservoir and STwill
[2:12:58] move additional 370,000 acre
[2:13:00] feet. That's an average annual
[2:13:00] number. And through this
[2:13:05] connection. So you can see how
[2:13:07] important this small little
[2:13:09] project is in the scheme of
[2:13:09] the whole big project. We've
[2:13:13] been working closely with dot
[2:13:14] on the design of this feature
[2:13:15] to sequence work. So that's
[2:13:16] compatible. Various other
[2:13:20] construction contracts as well
[2:13:21] as traffic control for
[2:13:22] producers and other other
[2:13:24] industries. Use highway 27So
[2:13:28] under our existing local
[2:13:28] funding agreement with DOT.
[2:13:32] The board approved in 2021
[2:13:32] completing the design. This
[2:13:37] agreement. The second
[2:13:40] agreement will support the
[2:13:41] construction component of that
[2:13:42] work. To this agreement. Funds
[2:13:53] that allows th to if
[2:13:54] approved move forward contract
[2:13:58] out the work, go out to bid
[2:13:59] and contract out the work
[2:13:59] which builds. To mention 2 new
[2:14:03] bridge crossings and the canal
[2:14:04] connection. For 3,000 CFS
[2:14:08] flow. So that's not small. And
[2:14:13] it also supports the related
[2:14:15] services such as engineering
[2:14:18] during construction
[2:14:19] constructioninspection and
[2:14:20] management services as well as
[2:14:21] contingency. This money will
[2:14:22] be placed in escrow. That
[2:14:28] whatever balances left comes
[2:14:29] back to us that the end of the
[2:14:29] project. So now I move on to
[2:14:33] set north, which I have 2
[2:14:37] resolutions, one for the. For
[2:14:40] the repurposing of the U.S. a
[2:14:41] pump station and the second
[2:14:42] contract. To make canal
[2:14:46] improvements. Conveyance
[2:14:47] improvements to 5 remnant can
[2:14:47] now. Starting from the east.
[2:14:52] You see this picture here.
[2:14:53] This is our first contract out
[2:14:54] the door for Sept north, the
[2:14:58] Essex 20 to 500 CFS gated
[2:15:00] culvert that moves water from
[2:15:00] the L 6 canal to the west.
[2:15:03] Replacing a previous. But that
[2:15:04] was in the system. This
[2:15:06] project will be completed this
[2:15:07] year. So to describe why SEP
[2:15:11] north is important. In this
[2:15:14] graphic you can see over time.
[2:15:17] How projects we've completed
[2:15:20] starting to provide
[2:15:23] improvements and Shark River
[2:15:24] slew as well as Taylor Slew.
[2:15:26] So the blue areas mean more
[2:15:28] water, depth and hydration.
[2:15:30] And benefit to the system. But
[2:15:31] we still need to work on
[2:15:35] moving water to the north end
[2:15:36] of water. Conservation area.
[2:15:39] 3, a and help with hydration
[2:15:40] and she flow. This will help
[2:15:42] us get closer to attempting to
[2:15:45] recreate the river. A dress.
[2:15:50] So set north phase helps us do
[2:15:50] that by distributing water.
[2:15:54] Moving water and distributing
[2:15:54] to it that this north end.
[2:15:58] This by moving this water east
[2:16:00] through the canal
[2:16:01] modifications, new structures
[2:16:02] and backfilling the Miami can
[2:16:03] now it promotes. She flow
[2:16:06] across the in the higher
[2:16:07] topography in the north to the
[2:16:08] lower areas in the South. The
[2:16:11] components of Sepp north on
[2:16:13] the slide or an order.
[2:16:15] Construction packages. And
[2:16:16] we're almost complete with a
[2:16:17] 6.20, located right here. The
[2:16:19] Elf 5 Remnant Canal. Runs from
[2:16:23] the junction of North New
[2:16:25] River to a new structure that
[2:16:27] will will be built at 6.22, it
[2:16:29] has conveyance improvements
[2:16:31] included in that package. The
[2:16:34] has 8. Station modification.
[2:16:37] Also an agenda item is
[2:16:40] repurposing that structure to
[2:16:42] move 3,000 CFS. Into the L for
[2:16:46] Canal System and then south to
[2:16:47] sheet flow. The Essex, 22
[2:16:52] gated culvert is out for bid
[2:16:55] now for a bit. And we will be
[2:16:56] bringing that back to you in
[2:16:58] the March governing board for
[2:17:00] your consideration. So we have
[2:17:00] a lot moving. That's moving to
[2:17:04] construction in construction
[2:17:06] and then in designed. So the
[2:17:11] in order of how we reconstruct
[2:17:12] for would go next. Connecting
[2:17:17] the pump station to deliver
[2:17:17] that 3,000 CFS. And then the
[2:17:21] balance of the work the '05,
[2:17:23] its design is complete, but we
[2:17:26] but we would be tied into the
[2:17:27] Miami Canal backfill to be
[2:17:30] able to make sure we have the
[2:17:32] capacity on the West. And
[2:17:32] before we backfield the mind
[2:17:34] can now. Reasons why we're
[2:17:42] doing step north and why it's
[2:17:43] important. 7 north step
[2:17:45] overall, the elevation
[2:17:48] difference to the north across
[2:17:50] 3, a has a higher is higher in
[2:17:51] the north end and tends to dry
[2:17:53] down under our current
[2:17:55] hydrologic conditions and
[2:17:56] ponding occurs in the south
[2:17:57] end. And the greatest
[2:18:02] ecological threaten north
[2:18:02] under these dry conditions is
[2:18:04] soil. Last 3 wildfires and
[2:18:05] oxidation leading to habitat
[2:18:06] loss. So this model shows that
[2:18:11] SEP north features, combined
[2:18:12] with increased flow from that
[2:18:15] EA Reservoir. Most significant
[2:18:17] significantly increase hydra
[2:18:18] periods for reducing fire risk
[2:18:22] and allowing the return of
[2:18:22] historic Everglades vegetation
[2:18:24] across the region. As you can
[2:18:27] see, the blues in the Cy and
[2:18:29] mean more days that are hard,
[2:18:30] hydrated. So when to keep
[2:18:36] moving SEP north forward, the
[2:18:38] Elf 5 Remnant Canal Project
[2:18:40] will enlarge and improve
[2:18:41] approximately 5.8 miles of the
[2:18:43] canal to convey 500 CFS of
[2:18:45] Sept lows from the past 6.20.
[2:18:47] That's almost complete to the
[2:18:51] Essex. 22, that will be coming
[2:18:51] to you shortly. This work
[2:18:55] provide that operational
[2:18:58] flexibility and 500 additional
[2:18:58] CFS of new water moving to the
[2:18:59] West. The essay Pump station
[2:19:02] modification. Built back in
[2:19:06] 1962 by the Corps 3 purposes
[2:19:08] for 1160 CFS capacity to flow
[2:19:11] 3,000 CFS to the West with the
[2:19:14] balance flowing south for
[2:19:14] flood control. This work is
[2:19:17] broken out into 2 phases. The
[2:19:19] first construction package
[2:19:21] west for the Crane for
[2:19:22] Richmond project that you're
[2:19:23] approved and it's it will be
[2:19:26] substantially complete in
[2:19:29] March. The secondhase is for
[2:19:30] the balance of the work needed
[2:19:31] to repurpose and bring that
[2:19:32] station into current.
[2:19:35] Standards and current code. As
[2:19:38] you can see, there's a lot
[2:19:39] here that needs to be done. I
[2:19:39] won't read through it. So
[2:19:44] moving to the west portion of
[2:19:46] Seth North, for Canal, as I
[2:19:48] described, needs Includes
[2:19:51] features from the essay all
[2:19:53] the way up to this junction
[2:19:54] here. And the project
[2:19:57] implementation report, meaning
[2:19:58] the planning phase of this
[2:19:59] work. It included degrading
[2:20:01] this Southern Levy. Between
[2:20:05] the canal and water
[2:20:05] conservation area. 3, a so
[2:20:07] when we moved into design, we
[2:20:08] determined. he detailed
[2:20:11] modeling determined that
[2:20:12] degrading this levee found it
[2:20:15] to be an effective in
[2:20:16] delivering the uniform flow
[2:20:16] needed to meet restoration
[2:20:18] goals. So instead of him.
[2:20:22] Instead we're improving the
[2:20:23] ELF or Canal by increasing its
[2:20:25] capacity to 3,000 CFS. We will
[2:20:29] be constructing. We're
[2:20:30] designing new structures. And
[2:20:31] I spreader can now. And what
[2:20:35] this design allows is staging
[2:20:35] up for can now instead of a
[2:20:39] pump station, we will now be
[2:20:41] designing a covert to gravity
[2:20:43] flow for the tribes. Water
[2:20:44] supply needs. In addition, the
[2:20:49] which has that 4,160 C Fs
[2:20:53] capacity, we will design.
[2:20:54] We're designing a connecting
[2:20:55] can now to deliver that
[2:20:56] Theresa 1000 CFS. The
[2:21:00] structure in the Mighty Canal
[2:21:02] to flow the balance going
[2:21:03] South. So moving back to the
[2:21:10] east between asked 8 and has
[2:21:13] 6.22. is the L 5 canal
[2:21:13] expansion. Section commands
[2:21:20] section would be improved to
[2:21:21] fly 3,000 CFS. Allowing us to
[2:21:23] move that water. To the West.
[2:21:28] And like, like I mentioned
[2:21:29] before, we will be combining
[2:21:30] these 2 packages to move
[2:21:31] together. We want to be able
[2:21:34] to excavate. Process the
[2:21:36] material and truck the
[2:21:38] material South to it to
[2:21:41] backfill from the south to the
[2:21:42] North. So to minimize or
[2:21:46] handling of materials. That is
[2:21:47] why combining those 2
[2:21:48] packages. In addition, the
[2:21:51] reason why we went to for
[2:21:51] first. Is because we want to
[2:21:55] make sure we have that
[2:21:56] capacity to move the water for
[2:21:58] flood control before we
[2:21:59] backfill the Miami can now.
[2:22:02] And this will be the last
[2:22:03] component of Sept North.
[2:22:09] Seppi. A has a partnership.
[2:22:13] key partnership crediting
[2:22:15] agreement but set has the PPA.
[2:22:19] Sept north has that PRE
[2:22:22] Partnership crediting
[2:22:25] agreement. So some of the
[2:22:26] changes I now for. Are not in
[2:22:30] that the I R and what that
[2:22:31] required was a validation
[2:22:33] report. And so with that
[2:22:34] validation report. We'll be
[2:22:36] able to. Move on for Canal
[2:22:42] improvements. And that will be
[2:22:42] complete in 2025. But moving
[2:22:46] back to our 2 items on the
[2:22:47] agenda were hoping for our
[2:22:51] permits 4, 0, 8, 4, for
[2:22:52] permits. This march. Moving on
[2:22:56] to the 6.22, we're hoping for
[2:22:58] the amendment to the agreement
[2:23:01] in April with our permits in
[2:23:01] March. Be able to move out on
[2:23:05] those 3 construction
[2:23:05] contracts. All of the futures
[2:23:09] are part of the are covered
[2:23:12] under existing agreements. And
[2:23:17] I will asked for questions
[2:23:18] first. Before moving on to
[2:23:20] resolution. We have public
[2:23:22] comment. Yes, Mr. Chairman, we
[2:23:29] will hear first from Mark
[2:23:30] Perry followed by Caitlin
[2:23:31] Newcamp.
[2:23:37] >> Governing board and just a
[2:23:38] comment that the serve. You
[2:23:40] know, critical components of
[2:23:40] that. Sept in all the set
[2:23:45] features inside. So anxiously
[2:23:49] wanting to go ahead.
[2:23:51] Obviously, was completion of
[2:23:51] all these kind of components.
[2:23:54] And we remember the times
[2:23:55] everything was combined into
[2:23:59] sept north-south and it's
[2:24:00] critical that we get going and
[2:24:02] move these components forward
[2:24:03] so we can get that water
[2:24:03] moving in the right place at
[2:24:04] the right time, right?
[2:24:06] Quantity quality distribution.
[2:24:07] Thank you.
[2:24:08] >> Thank you, Mr. Perry next
[2:24:10] is Caitlin Newcamp.
[2:24:18] >> Good afternoon. Governing
[2:24:19] board members, Caitlin Newcamp
[2:24:20] with Audubon Florida. It was
[2:24:23] just like to commend the
[2:24:26] district's efforts continue to
[2:24:27] work on PA project. We
[2:24:28] recognize the importance of
[2:24:29] the U.S. 27 bridges as a vital
[2:24:31] component of Everglades
[2:24:32] restoration and water
[2:24:34] management, particularly for
[2:24:36] reducing harmful discharges
[2:24:36] from Lake Okeechobee to the
[2:24:39] northern estuaries and
[2:24:40] providing much-needed storage
[2:24:41] treatment and conveys to the
[2:24:43] southern Everglades. It is
[2:24:44] essential that the designing
[2:24:45] conveyance of these bridges as
[2:24:47] well as the canal segment,
[2:24:49] maximize hydrologic
[2:24:50] connectivity and contribute to
[2:24:51] the natural flow of water in
[2:24:52] the southern Everglades. In
[2:24:54] addition, we support the
[2:24:55] continued advancement of the 7
[2:24:56] north features, including the
[2:25:00] L 5 from the canal
[2:25:00] improvements and the S a pump
[2:25:02] station modification, which
[2:25:03] are vital to restoring the
[2:25:04] hydrology of the northern
[2:25:06] Everglades and enhancing water
[2:25:08] management and water
[2:25:08] conservation area. 3, a 7
[2:25:12] north is critical to improving
[2:25:13] water flow, quality and
[2:25:13] habitat in the northern
[2:25:15] Everglades while supporting
[2:25:17] flood protection, wildlife
[2:25:19] conservation and long-term
[2:25:20] ecological health in South
[2:25:21] Florida. It is a key part of
[2:25:23] ongoing efforts to restore the
[2:25:25] Everglades and ensure a
[2:25:26] balanced and viable water
[2:25:27] management system for future
[2:25:28] generations. So overall, out
[2:25:31] of on Florida supports the
[2:25:32] approval of all of these SEP
[2:25:35] projects. And we urge the
[2:25:36] district to continue
[2:25:38] prioritizing environmental
[2:25:39] protection, adaptive
[2:25:40] management and long-term
[2:25:42] restoration goals. As these
[2:25:42] projects move forward. Thank
[2:25:44] you. Thank you. Miss Newcamp.
[2:25:47] We'll hear next from Eric
[2:25:47] Eichenberg on Zoom.
[2:25:51] >> Mr. Eichenberg please
[2:25:52] Unmute your mic.
[2:25:56] >> morning, Mr. Chairman, I
[2:25:58] logged in see the beginning of
[2:26:00] this presentation. was
[2:26:02] excellent. I love hearing
[2:26:03] these wonderful SEP updates
[2:26:05] soon to be on a monthly basis.
[2:26:08] This project, as you all know,
[2:26:09] is so critical to the
[2:26:11] reconnection of Lake
[2:26:12] Okeechobee down the floor
[2:26:14] debates. All of these features
[2:26:15] from Sepp north-central south.
[2:26:15] So critical I want compliment
[2:26:19] ruin his team for the great
[2:26:19] work. They're doing We've got
[2:26:23] to get that blue shanty figure
[2:26:24] it out. We've got to raise the
[2:26:26] Osceola camp. We want to make
[2:26:27] sure all that water is flowing
[2:26:29] and the bridges that desiring
[2:26:32] to see into the park and floor
[2:26:33] debates. thank you all for the
[2:26:34] great work you're doing on
[2:26:34] Sept and good to be with the
[2:26:35] office.
[2:26:36] >> Thank you, Mr. Eichenberg.
[2:26:39] Mr. Chairman, we have no
[2:26:40] additional public comments on
[2:26:41] this item. Thank you. Thank
[2:26:42] you all for your comments.
[2:26:44] Attorney board members
[2:26:45] questions or comments for the
[2:26:46] snake. Mr. Trump, I. think
[2:26:50] this is great. od movement.
[2:26:56] Times right in 2. What I
[2:26:59] talked about for 15 minutes.
[2:27:03] Tamiami trail. All these
[2:27:08] projects we're building that
[2:27:09] are so important north of the
[2:27:11] Tamiami trail and it just
[2:27:15] shows how important the blue
[2:27:17] shunning. Getting that
[2:27:20] completed and all of these
[2:27:23] projects. That we need to do
[2:27:27] it. The trail to where the
[2:27:30] water doesn't cool to flee.
[2:27:31] Back up in the Central
[2:27:32] Everglades. So these are great
[2:27:35] projects. But it just shows us
[2:27:40] how important the Tamiami
[2:27:40] trail. We need continue to
[2:27:44] make sure. That the water's
[2:27:48] moving beyond the trail. And
[2:27:52] very important. Thank you. Mr.
[2:27:59] To Mr. Chair like to make a
[2:28:01] motion to approve the first
[2:28:01] resolution. All second. And
[2:28:05] just resolution. Number 2025,
[2:28:07] Dash, 0, 2, 1, 3, A motion and
[2:28:10] a second. there further
[2:28:11] discussion on that? It's
[2:28:12] called question spectrum. Mr.
[2:28:17] Stanley, Yes, I'm gonna vote.
[2:28:19] yes. MR. T S? Yes, Mr. Butler.
[2:28:23] MS meads. Yes. Thank you.
[2:28:27] Resolution 2025, 0, 2, 1, 3,
[2:28:30] passes unanimously kind. A
[2:28:30] motion on 2025, 0, 2, 1, 4,
[2:28:35] >> So moved second, a motion
[2:28:36] and a second further
[2:28:36] discussion. Hearing none.
[2:28:38] We'll call that question, Mr.
[2:28:40] Bergeron. Yes, Mr. Stanley.
[2:28:42] Yes, I'm gonna vote. Yes,
[2:28:44] Carol. Yes, Martinez, Mr.
[2:28:45] Butler. Yes, this Yes. Thank
[2:28:48] you. That passes unanimously
[2:28:50] resolution 2025, 0, 2, 1, 5,
[2:28:52] Is there a motion? Make a
[2:28:55] motion have a motion and a
[2:28:55] second. Is there further
[2:28:56] discussion? Hearing on call
[2:29:00] that question? Mr. Bergeron.
[2:29:01] Yes, Mr. Stanley. Yes, I'm
[2:29:04] gonna vote. Yes. Colonel
[2:29:05] Roman. Yes, Martinez. Yes, Mr.
[2:29:06] Butler. Yes, this means. Yes.
[2:29:10] Thank That passes unanimously.
[2:29:20] Okay. We're going to break now
[2:29:21] for lunch will be around 12,
[2:29:23] 15 ish.
[3:18:41] Good afternoon. We'll
[3:18:42] go ahead and call the
[3:18:43] governing board meeting back
[3:18:43] to order and will move into
[3:18:45] item number. 28, which is a
[3:18:47] technical reports with Mister
[3:18:47] Mitnick and Mister Glenn.
[3:18:49] >> Thank you, Mr. Chair
[3:18:51] starting off where we always
[3:18:54] do.
[3:18:55] >> looking at the rainfall.
[3:18:56] You can see the month of
[3:18:57] February, there hasn't been
[3:18:58] any ring. At least
[3:19:02] district-wide. So the way this
[3:19:04] graphic is put together, a
[3:19:05] meeting counts for entire
[3:19:06] district. So pretty much over
[3:19:07] the 16 counties so far this
[3:19:09] month, 12 days into it or 13
[3:19:11] days into it. Excuse me.
[3:19:15] really hasn't been a whole lot
[3:19:16] of rain over those 16
[3:19:17] counties, but I will say it
[3:19:18] the green at my house 2 days
[3:19:20] ago. So that was good for the
[3:19:21] dress. That's why you see a
[3:19:24] bunch of red all over this
[3:19:27] graphic. So looking there over
[3:19:30] on the right hand side, pretty
[3:19:32] much for the dry season to
[3:19:33] date with started back in
[3:19:35] October, we've only gotten
[3:19:36] about 40% of the rain that we
[3:19:39] typically get during the dry
[3:19:40] season to date. So it's well
[3:19:42] below average rainfall. What
[3:19:46] we've experienced so far and
[3:19:47] anybody who has a nice crispy
[3:19:48] long can the verify that. So
[3:19:52] as we walk through the rest of
[3:19:53] the system between Lawrence
[3:19:55] and I, you'll start to see the
[3:19:56] effects of that deficit and
[3:19:59] rainfall starting up there in
[3:20:00] the upper right hand corner
[3:20:01] with East Lake Toho. Those
[3:20:05] levels are falling. We're
[3:20:06] bringing beginning to draw
[3:20:07] down and continuing to draw
[3:20:09] down that lake in accordance
[3:20:11] with the fish and Wildlife
[3:20:13] Recession lines trying to get
[3:20:14] back down to the summer pool,
[3:20:18] getting ready for those
[3:20:20] anticipated rains that
[3:20:21] typically happen at the
[3:20:21] beginning of the wet season,
[3:20:23] but doing it in a manner that
[3:20:25] is conducive to fish and
[3:20:27] wildlife not have to steep
[3:20:28] recession. Would occur if we
[3:20:32] had followed the regulation
[3:20:33] schedule all the way there to
[3:20:35] the right to where sharp
[3:20:35] inflection starts heading
[3:20:38] down. Similar stories. You go
[3:20:39] over to West Lake. Continuing
[3:20:42] to draw down Westlake a move
[3:20:43] that water through the system
[3:20:44] down into Kissimmee, Cypress
[3:20:47] and Hatchineha again accords
[3:20:48] with the fish and Wildlife
[3:20:48] Recession. Up in the upper
[3:20:53] left-hand I will say that
[3:20:56] graphic looks a little
[3:20:56] different this time is because
[3:20:58] there's an error in it that I
[3:20:58] did not catch before this
[3:21:00] morning. I just noticed it
[3:21:01] earlier during some of the
[3:21:02] other presentations as I was
[3:21:04] looking ahead. So I apologize
[3:21:07] for that. The air itself is
[3:21:09] the this red line here, which
[3:21:11] is the old regulation
[3:21:13] schedule. He's still plotted
[3:21:15] there on that graphic over top
[3:21:16] of the current increment, one
[3:21:19] regulation schedule. So we'll
[3:21:20] get that fixed for next month
[3:21:23] have it's even get it fixed
[3:21:24] prior to the final publication
[3:21:25] on the website of the meeting
[3:21:27] materials. Similar story
[3:21:31] continuing to draw down Lake
[3:21:35] Kissimmee as we step down
[3:21:37] through the new regulation
[3:21:38] schedule. Increment one.
[3:21:39] There's been the reductions
[3:21:40] inflows. I think we talked a
[3:21:40] little bit about that back in
[3:21:42] December when we last Mr.
[3:21:45] Butler and ask the questions
[3:21:46] when those flows would start
[3:21:47] being reduced. And as we've
[3:21:48] stepped down through the
[3:21:51] different zones in the
[3:21:52] regulation schedule, we sort
[3:21:53] of backed off of the flows
[3:21:54] coming out of Kissimmee,
[3:21:55] accordance with the schedule.
[3:21:58] The was that slight bit of
[3:21:58] rain up there. As you can see
[3:21:59] from the blue bars there at
[3:22:00] the top. Where lake stage came
[3:22:05] up some. once again resume
[3:22:06] that recession. For the most
[3:22:09] part, continuing to manage
[3:22:11] those flows coming out of the
[3:22:13] lake in accordance with the
[3:22:15] new regulation. Increment, one
[3:22:15] scheduled. Similar story there
[3:22:19] and Eastlake is to pump sorry
[3:22:20] in Lake Istokpoga just and
[3:22:23] flat with the regulation
[3:22:23] schedule eventually will start
[3:22:25] coming down as we get deeper
[3:22:27] into the dry season. And with
[3:22:29] that large.
[3:22:36] >> Back
[3:22:36] >> quickly, John's talking
[3:22:37] about this recession line,
[3:22:40] which is right over here. It's
[3:22:42] especially important for snail
[3:22:42] kites. And we got our first
[3:22:44] snow kite nest in Lake Toho.
[3:22:46] So that's the first nest for
[3:22:47] the season across the state.
[3:22:52] Coming down the Kissimmee PC a
[3:22:54] year ago a month ago. And the
[3:22:56] current conditions. So
[3:22:57] currently there's 880 CFS
[3:22:58] coming down the Kissimmee
[3:23:00] River. It's not enough to push
[3:23:02] water up and down into the
[3:23:04] flood plain. So that
[3:23:05] floodplain is starting dry
[3:23:05] down. And then in this
[3:23:10] graphic, this is a new graphic
[3:23:12] in the top. And I wanted to
[3:23:12] really be able to convey the
[3:23:16] range of of discharge
[3:23:18] necessary to begin inundation
[3:23:18] of the floodplain and then to,
[3:23:19] you know, fully inundate the
[3:23:20] floodplain without rainfall.
[3:23:23] So in this graphic at the top,
[3:23:24] I've talked about 1400 CFS
[3:23:28] quite often. And that is the
[3:23:30] discharge that is required for
[3:23:31] this stage. Discharge As you
[3:23:34] start approaching 1400, the
[3:23:36] River Channel is filling up.
[3:23:37] And then when you get to
[3:23:39] starts going over bank the
[3:23:40] dating the floodplain. But it
[3:23:43] doesn't in the entire
[3:23:44] floodplain at 1400. So it's a
[3:23:45] range between 1403,000 without
[3:23:49] rainfall. That is required for
[3:23:51] that. That relationship to
[3:23:52] happen and to get floodplain
[3:23:52] inundation. The graphic on the
[3:23:56] bottom is showing you what the
[3:23:59] seven-day mean. Dissolved
[3:23:59] oxygen level is at 7.3
[3:24:00] milligrams per liter. This is
[3:24:04] well above those limits down
[3:24:06] at the bottom that we start
[3:24:08] being concerned about for
[3:24:08] organisms are acquiring
[3:24:09] option. It's a looking at how
[3:24:16] waters moved around the
[3:24:17] northern parcel portion of the
[3:24:18] system. You can see.
[3:24:21] >> Read about there's been
[3:24:22] about 1.4 million acre feet
[3:24:24] has flowed into Lake
[3:24:24] Okeechobee from the northern
[3:24:25] watershed, but hardly any of
[3:24:27] that. I'm sorry. The majority
[3:24:30] of that was prior to this last
[3:24:32] month because of the month of
[3:24:34] January early hasn't been a
[3:24:35] whole lot of rain. There has
[3:24:35] been a lot of flow.
[3:24:37] >> As indicated by those
[3:24:40] previous graphics over on the
[3:24:41] West Coast, you can see about
[3:24:42] 1.6 million acre feet has been
[3:24:46] moved towards the
[3:24:47] Caloosahatchee estuary with
[3:24:49] about 440,000 acre feet.
[3:24:50] Having originated back in Lake
[3:24:51] Okeechobee. Over on the East
[3:24:55] Coast. Now with the recovery
[3:24:56] operations under way, you can
[3:24:59] see there's been about 253,000
[3:25:01] acre feet of water come out of
[3:25:02] the C 44 basin. Inclusive of
[3:25:07] Lake Okeechobee, adding for
[3:25:09] contributing about 116,000
[3:25:09] acre feet of water from Lake
[3:25:13] Okeechobee through the C 44
[3:25:14] canal, to the Port St. Lucie
[3:25:17] Estuary, looking at other 2
[3:25:20] inputs c, 23. 24, you've got
[3:25:22] about 200 and just shy of
[3:25:23] 250,000 acre feet of runoff
[3:25:25] for the water year to date
[3:25:30] going to the Port St. Lucie
[3:25:31] Estuary and then about 111 or
[3:25:35] so I'm going out. See 25 into
[3:25:36] the Indian River Lagoon up in
[3:25:37] the Fort Pierce area. kind of
[3:25:41] takes us to Lake Okeechobee
[3:25:45] and what there's been a fair
[3:25:46] amount of discussion as you're
[3:25:47] well aware over the forecast
[3:25:50] in the projections of recovery
[3:25:50] operations and where the and
[3:25:53] up. So analysis is that
[3:25:57] conditional position, analysis
[3:25:58] that we switch to a number of
[3:26:00] months ago. It is inclusive of
[3:26:03] recovery operations as
[3:26:05] described in Lowsome and also
[3:26:06] takes into account the climate
[3:26:07] projections for the next
[3:26:09] couple months through rest of
[3:26:10] the dry season that big gray
[3:26:13] box. There's just a meant to
[3:26:14] cover up the wet season
[3:26:15] because the tool that we are
[3:26:19] using does not predict
[3:26:21] reliable results out into the
[3:26:23] wet season. So it's good for
[3:26:25] the application of the dry
[3:26:26] season over from now until
[3:26:26] about June. 1st. But once you
[3:26:29] get past that and sort of
[3:26:32] there's other things that need
[3:26:32] to be taken into
[3:26:33] consideration. So right now
[3:26:37] you can see based on the
[3:26:38] different percentiles. This
[3:26:40] red line here is the 50th
[3:26:44] percentile. So coming down.
[3:26:47] But that should tell you by
[3:26:48] June first, you've got roughly
[3:26:51] 50% chance or probability
[3:26:54] actually that the lake will
[3:26:55] just below 12 feet by June
[3:26:56] first and then 25 percent
[3:27:01] probability the lake has a
[3:27:03] chance of getting down to just
[3:27:04] below 11 and a half feet. So
[3:27:07] that's the tool that the water
[3:27:08] management district has been
[3:27:10] doing using in combination
[3:27:11] with the traditional dynamic
[3:27:13] position. Analysis. Again, all
[3:27:14] of that is posted out the
[3:27:17] district's web page for
[3:27:18] everybody to go view and
[3:27:19] peruse at your leisure. I will
[3:27:23] also share with you. This is
[3:27:25] the forecast that the Corps of
[3:27:28] Engineers presented at the
[3:27:29] public meeting just earlier
[3:27:29] this week. This tool is a
[3:27:34] little bit different than the
[3:27:36] one that we use. It has some
[3:27:38] assumptions built into it. You
[3:27:39] can see up there up in the
[3:27:41] upper right-hand corner. What
[3:27:41] those assumptions are on the
[3:27:44] different scenarios. So
[3:27:45] there's 3 scenarios and the 3
[3:27:46] dotted lines that you can see.
[3:27:48] And then down at the bottom of
[3:27:50] the graphic in the table is
[3:27:54] what the forecasted low and
[3:27:56] the very given day based on
[3:27:57] each one of those scenarios,
[3:27:59] scenarios run. If you continue
[3:28:02] recovery operations through
[3:28:03] May 1st or you stop and
[3:28:07] curtail those recovery
[3:28:08] operations, March 15th or
[3:28:10] versus if you're done it
[3:28:11] earlier in the beginning of
[3:28:11] February and the likely
[3:28:14] outcome given and 80%. I would
[3:28:20] say 80% probability for
[3:28:21] precipitation. So the
[3:28:26] district's tool we take into
[3:28:26] the climate forecast based on
[3:28:27] the Climate Prediction Center,
[3:28:29] this tool just assumes if you
[3:28:30] get 80% average rainfall from
[3:28:34] now through June first. And
[3:28:36] that's inputs into the lake.
[3:28:38] And then you would have these
[3:28:39] protected lake stages. Right
[3:28:42] now we have been tracking
[3:28:43] about 40%. Average rainfall.
[3:28:46] So that's sort of the
[3:28:47] difference between the 2 tools
[3:28:48] as you go. One is in better
[3:28:52] than the other. They're just
[3:28:53] different approaches and more
[3:28:55] information 4 decision makers
[3:28:57] to evaluating as they reach
[3:29:00] their conclusions in the
[3:29:01] operations. are asking a
[3:29:02] question certainly Zeke. So I
[3:29:04] think you said in in November
[3:29:09] average about you think about
[3:29:10] a foot a month that you lose
[3:29:10] off the lake.
[3:29:14] >> Charlies. Yeah. Generally
[3:29:15] speaking over the course of a
[3:29:16] dry normal dry season, you
[3:29:17] lose about 3 feet.
[3:29:21] >> You can generally break
[3:29:22] that up into one foot for
[3:29:25] Operation Transporation one
[3:29:26] foot for water supply and one
[3:29:27] foot for other uses flowing
[3:29:29] water south.
[3:29:33] >> Its February 15th and work
[3:29:33] 14 feet right. And June, first
[3:29:37] 3 and a half months away. So
[3:29:40] my simple math is taking his
[3:29:41] way below 12 feet.
[3:29:44] >> Yeah, that's that's what
[3:29:45] everybody's been evaluating
[3:29:46] right now. There's still a
[3:29:48] likelihood, a high likelihood
[3:29:49] of achieving success in with
[3:29:53] the recovery operations. And
[3:29:54] Lawrence can talk a little bit
[3:29:55] more about what that means to
[3:29:57] the lake and every day below
[3:29:58] 12 feet is a good thing. So
[3:30:04] there's still a likelihood of
[3:30:05] success. Now, having just said
[3:30:06] that there are other
[3:30:08] considerations. And Lawrence,
[3:30:10] we'll talk some about this
[3:30:11] when he talks about the
[3:30:12] estuaries. There's other
[3:30:13] considerations that go into
[3:30:14] recovery operations such as
[3:30:15] the estuary, extreme
[3:30:17] conditions and what impact
[3:30:19] those operations are having on
[3:30:20] the estuaries. If any, as well
[3:30:23] as the impending spawning
[3:30:24] season and the estuaries and
[3:30:27] that reproductive time frame
[3:30:29] that the estuaries go through.
[3:30:30] We don't want to limit that
[3:30:31] any way, shape or form either.
[3:30:33] So right now what we're
[3:30:35] signaling in our weekly
[3:30:40] recommendations that Drews
[3:30:40] talked about with the
[3:30:41] commander is that? For
[3:30:45] recommending that recovery
[3:30:48] operations continue monitoring
[3:30:51] the extreme conditions, but
[3:30:52] with the mindset to start
[3:30:53] implementing reductions in the
[3:30:53] beginning of March. So that's
[3:30:56] sort of the district is
[3:31:00] recommending at this time and
[3:31:00] that we reassess tt
[3:31:01] recommendation every week.
[3:31:03] Chairman forth.
[3:31:09] >> The core forecast. At the
[3:31:12] beginning of the dry season.
[3:31:17] Wouldn't it higher for a
[3:31:18] higher like than what the
[3:31:20] district forecast. And here we
[3:31:20] are now the corps forecasting
[3:31:23] lower. Yes, it was. it is that
[3:31:25] because the recovery mode
[3:31:26] wouldn't put into their
[3:31:28] forecast for what's So they
[3:31:30] did also present that slide
[3:31:31] that you're talking about.
[3:31:32] They had a December forecast
[3:31:34] in the public meeting. I did
[3:31:36] not included in my slide deck,
[3:31:36] but you are correct. The
[3:31:38] December forecast.
[3:31:39] >> Based on the same tool that
[3:31:40] the Corps had predicted a
[3:31:43] higher stage at that point in
[3:31:44] time. The difference between
[3:31:45] then and now is the lack of
[3:31:46] rainfall. We've been tracking
[3:31:48] 40% of precipitation instead
[3:31:49] of an assumed 80%. So that's
[3:31:52] why this forecast has come out
[3:31:56] lower and increase the
[3:31:57] likelihood or the chance of
[3:31:58] achieving success. Because
[3:31:59] Mother Nature simply dried up
[3:31:59] the skies. One more quick
[3:32:02] question on down here.
[3:32:06] >> The gold under recovery as
[3:32:07] part of Lowsome. Was under 11
[3:32:10] for 60 days, 11 and a half
[3:32:13] under 11, a half or 60 days or
[3:32:14] under 12 for 90 days, correct.
[3:32:17] And I see I was to hear doubt
[3:32:20] having to do math in my head.
[3:32:21] Look at the Blue Line
[3:32:22] countdown and get in the days
[3:32:23] of the camera want.
[3:32:27] >> It's already calculated
[3:32:28] down here. bottom, Jenna?
[3:32:31] Dewan, go ahead. Careful.
[3:32:33] That's what saw was 97 days on
[3:32:34] scenario one and 69 days on
[3:32:34] scenario, 2, again, lowsome
[3:32:38] and vision for recovery. 90
[3:32:40] days.
[3:32:43] >> 12 and a or 12 at 12 for
[3:32:46] success. Correct. I will
[3:32:51] follow up after all. I want to
[3:32:52] hear after the estuary
[3:32:54] conditions and the follow-up
[3:32:55] of discussion, maybe at the
[3:32:56] end of this whole
[3:32:57] presentation.
[3:32:57] >> Sounds like you're up arms
[3:33:00] to short.
[3:33:00] >> So what we're seeing here
[3:33:03] is mean the big take home
[3:33:04] message is the graphic on the
[3:33:05] right-hand side where oranges
[3:33:06] combined inflows and the green
[3:33:08] and the blue is combined
[3:33:09] outflows. So they're out
[3:33:11] flowing a lot more than is
[3:33:11] coming into the lake
[3:33:13] currently, you go over to the
[3:33:14] left hand side and you see
[3:33:15] what's coming in at 900.
[3:33:18] Basically 1900 going 77 and
[3:33:21] 740 going out as Now, this is
[3:33:24] a pretty interesting little
[3:33:28] data figure going. You've got
[3:33:28] to 38 CFS going South. You
[3:33:32] have to 35 going out east and
[3:33:34] west and you have 2.39 or 239
[3:33:41] going out 2,390 going up
[3:33:43] through of Apple Transporation
[3:33:44] say have 3 different processes
[3:33:45] there that are taking water
[3:33:45] off of the lake and basically
[3:33:47] the same rate and from this
[3:33:51] point forward Transporation
[3:33:53] starts really picking up.
[3:33:55] We'll get into the next month
[3:33:55] where that will be. I mean, we
[3:33:57] see 3400 so Transporation.
[3:34:01] John has talked about it
[3:34:05] before in the beginning of the
[3:34:07] the dry season is kind of
[3:34:08] operations and then it moves
[3:34:09] how water is moving out. And
[3:34:12] the 2nd half is of Apple
[3:34:13] Transporation water supplies.
[3:34:13] So we're kind of teetering on
[3:34:16] that to that point right now
[3:34:17] we're going to see of Apple
[3:34:17] Transporation really pick up
[3:34:21] do the more than what we're
[3:34:23] doing on either of the other
[3:34:24] outlets. So where are we in
[3:34:28] terms of the different
[3:34:30] ecological out Lopes? If this
[3:34:32] was a regular year, we would
[3:34:32] be at the bottom and of the
[3:34:34] standard ecological envelope.
[3:34:36] But we are in recovery. So
[3:34:40] we're just probably today
[3:34:41] because we're a little lower
[3:34:42] than the number of their 14
[3:34:43] point. 1, 8, ngv where we are
[3:34:49] in the recovery envelope. And
[3:34:50] we're definitely following
[3:34:51] that trajectory. Dow. I had
[3:34:55] those numbers for you here.
[3:34:56] We've already discussed them,
[3:34:57] but it's 90 days that are
[3:35:00] below 12 feet and 60 days at
[3:35:03] or below 11 fee and what that
[3:35:04] looks like. Here's your
[3:35:05] targets stages down in the
[3:35:07] bottom and how long the period
[3:35:10] of time that you lot
[3:35:11] ecological envelope allows for
[3:35:12] those if we were to hit in May
[3:35:16] and that be 135 days, the 12
[3:35:18] foot target. If you hit it
[3:35:20] then or it would be if you had
[3:35:22] 11 point 5 that allows for 105
[3:35:25] days. So you look at the blue
[3:35:26] trace of 2019. You see that it
[3:35:30] hits below are hits levels
[3:35:32] below 11.5 in May. And then it
[3:35:34] starts coming back up in
[3:35:38] August and the same thing for
[3:35:39] 12 feet. It meets both of
[3:35:40] those criteria of the 60 in
[3:35:44] the 90 days. So if we were to
[3:35:46] follow something like that
[3:35:47] because rainfall still, you
[3:35:48] know, usually starts happening
[3:35:49] in July and August. It lets
[3:35:52] you know, likely would have a
[3:35:54] pretty good chance of meeting
[3:35:55] these recovery criteria. And
[3:35:58] one thing I want to kind not
[3:36:02] dismiss, but talk about these
[3:36:03] criteria. Is. 90 days at 12
[3:36:08] feet is 85 days. Not good
[3:36:09] enough. You know, if we go
[3:36:14] even 92 days, is that too
[3:36:14] much? You know, so and as John
[3:36:18] said it and then stole my
[3:36:19] thunder. But it was great that
[3:36:19] he cause, you know, the
[3:36:22] benefits that you get even at
[3:36:24] 70 days. But pretty
[3:36:24] incredible. So 90 days our
[3:36:28] target does what really like
[3:36:29] to see because that's it's
[3:36:32] really based on that. How how
[3:36:34] expansive a nation can be on
[3:36:36] the lake. You know how much
[3:36:38] city that's going to create
[3:36:39] from Anchorage perspective
[3:36:40] across the lake. But
[3:36:42] absolutely getting to 12 for a
[3:36:44] period of time is extremely
[3:36:46] beneficial. And here's some
[3:36:50] more good news. So our crews
[3:36:52] have been out looking at the
[3:36:54] lake and we have found SA V
[3:36:57] numerous areas along Indian
[3:36:59] Prairie shoreline is or 2 to 3
[3:37:01] inch tall plants. And we found
[3:37:02] them up to 6 to 8 inches. So
[3:37:04] even if we didn't get to, you
[3:37:07] know, say we got to 12.5 and
[3:37:09] we didn't get to 12 and we
[3:37:10] weren't getting a lot of new
[3:37:12] germination. We have pockets
[3:37:14] of sat out there that are
[3:37:15] going to benefit greatly and
[3:37:17] become more dense and be able
[3:37:18] to carry themselves through
[3:37:19] time. And that's habitat,
[3:37:21] especially for the bass
[3:37:24] fishery that that, you know,
[3:37:24] people are really concerned
[3:37:26] about. So the operations that
[3:37:29] we're doing, I think are going
[3:37:30] to be very beneficial for as a
[3:37:32] be on the lake this coming
[3:37:33] year. Looking at a sign
[3:37:39] bacterial bloom, potential and
[3:37:41] intensity. So we start to see
[3:37:42] uptick in the pixels that this
[3:37:46] is a NOAA satellite. It's
[3:37:47] looking down at the lake and
[3:37:48] is picking up signatures of of
[3:37:50] photosynthetic pigment on the
[3:37:51] surface of the water. So what
[3:37:53] type of phytoplankton are out
[3:37:54] there that are photo
[3:37:55] synthesizing or the algae or
[3:37:56] they blue green algae. This
[3:37:57] doesn't tell you what they
[3:37:59] are. It just says that there's
[3:38:00] if you look over on the
[3:38:02] right-hand side that there's a
[3:38:04] low probability that there's
[3:38:05] an out algae bloom, a current.
[3:38:08] So we have monitoring that. We
[3:38:11] do. You know, during the bloom
[3:38:12] season, we're out there twice
[3:38:14] a month, looking at 32
[3:38:16] different stations and the
[3:38:18] winter. We have 9 stations
[3:38:19] that we're looking at monthly
[3:38:20] and that sampling occurred
[3:38:22] last week. And really the
[3:38:23] take-home message here is
[3:38:27] there are algal bloom, not how
[3:38:28] come there are Al Ghul species
[3:38:31] out there present. There are
[3:38:32] always present in fresh water,
[3:38:35] but we don't dominant species
[3:38:37] occurring. We get concerned
[3:38:39] when blue green microcystis
[3:38:39] becomes most dominant and that
[3:38:42] is a toxin producer. So you
[3:38:44] see there is no dominant taxa
[3:38:47] and there are no toxins being
[3:38:52] produced currently. We also
[3:38:53] suggested to the Army Corps
[3:38:54] that they initiate early this
[3:38:56] year. There. Daily reporting
[3:38:59] at the structures. So as 308,
[3:39:02] as 80 and the Port St. Lucie
[3:39:05] side at 77, 78 79 in the
[3:39:08] Caloosahatchee side. So every
[3:39:09] day they do a visual
[3:39:09] inspection. Take photos that
[3:39:10] comes to us. We kind of
[3:39:14] package and send it out as a
[3:39:16] report so that the public has
[3:39:17] that data as well. And there
[3:39:18] have been no visual nothing
[3:39:25] has been positive. It's all
[3:39:25] been zeros. They had seen no
[3:39:26] blue green algae at any of the
[3:39:27] structures. We are beginning
[3:39:31] waiting bird season. And so
[3:39:34] we've had 2 samples to date in
[3:39:36] the February. One you see is
[3:39:38] along that just smack dab in
[3:39:39] the middle of the inner core
[3:39:40] Tower range and on the 5 year
[3:39:41] average. That's about 1500
[3:39:44] wading birds using the lake
[3:39:46] currently wading bird use is
[3:39:49] going to really begin to
[3:39:49] increase when we hit 14 feet.
[3:39:53] So I expect to come back next
[3:39:54] month and tell you that wading
[3:39:56] bird foraging has increased
[3:39:56] pretty dramatically. Now
[3:39:59] looking at inflows and
[3:40:00] sanity conditions over in
[3:40:02] this and the Port St. Lucie,
[3:40:05] these blue areas right here
[3:40:06] show and we are Army Corps is
[3:40:11] pulse, releasing water to the
[3:40:13] Port St. Lucie and then you're
[3:40:14] also going to see what the
[3:40:17] difference is in the salinity
[3:40:18] set up between last month and
[3:40:20] this month. And so the forks
[3:40:22] right now are between 0, 5,
[3:40:25] and that's called The Lego
[3:40:26] Hailing zone. And then when
[3:40:29] you start getting to pass the
[3:40:30] forks in the mid estuary
[3:40:31] through here year 5 to 18.
[3:40:37] That's the meso hailing zone.
[3:40:38] And that's the area and the
[3:40:40] salinity condition that is
[3:40:40] referenced over here between
[3:40:42] 10. And 25, which is the
[3:40:47] optimal range for adult
[3:40:49] oysters. And you see that that
[3:40:50] we're in, that we're at the
[3:40:50] bottom, but we're at the end.
[3:40:52] John alluded to it. March
[3:40:56] begins. Reproduction and the
[3:40:58] estuaries. So you have the
[3:40:59] fish beginning. This bond. You
[3:41:00] have the oysters that are
[3:41:00] beginning to spawn. have photo
[3:41:03] phytoplankton and zooplankton
[3:41:04] that are starting to produce
[3:41:05] and that's the base of the
[3:41:07] food that's the extreme food
[3:41:09] lab that is really important
[3:41:10] for sustaining and maintaining
[3:41:12] all of the life in the
[3:41:13] estuary. So I show you on this
[3:41:17] right hand side that that is
[3:41:19] the optimal threshold range
[3:41:20] for adult oysters spat like
[3:41:24] higher salinity than 10. So
[3:41:27] they're more like the 12, 15,
[3:41:28] probably the 15 range that
[3:41:31] that they prefer in order for
[3:41:33] their survivorship. So that's
[3:41:36] where we talked about. And
[3:41:37] John said that we're
[3:41:38] considering ramping down so
[3:41:40] that we can allow those
[3:41:43] salinity ranges to elevate. So
[3:41:45] that newly released that would
[3:41:46] have a greater chance for
[3:41:47] survivor ship. Going over the
[3:41:53] Caloosahatchee. Same sort of
[3:41:54] thing. Here is a pulse
[3:41:54] releases that we're seeing.
[3:41:57] You're seeing the salinity
[3:41:58] gradient through the system,
[3:42:00] which is actually a really
[3:42:01] great salinity gradient. When
[3:42:04] you look at adult oysters for
[3:42:06] both Cape Coral Shell Point,
[3:42:06] you're right in smack dab that
[3:42:10] preferred range. Sanibel is
[3:42:11] always a little salt here. But
[3:42:15] the same thing for this site,
[3:42:16] reproduction occurs just
[3:42:16] similarly as it does in the
[3:42:19] Port St. Lucie side, the
[3:42:20] Caloosahatchee a little bit
[3:42:21] different in its base flow.
[3:42:25] The restoration target is a
[3:42:26] base of 7.50. So this estuary
[3:42:29] is just has a different
[3:42:31] configuration and hydro
[3:42:31] dynamics and the Port St.
[3:42:32] Lucie Side does so. It's
[3:42:34] always looking for 750 and
[3:42:36] above in order to keep this
[3:42:39] salinity and in range with the
[3:42:40] needs of the organisms in it.
[3:42:46] All right. So looking at how
[3:42:47] waters moved around the
[3:42:48] southern portion of the
[3:42:50] system.
[3:42:51] >> You can see the outflows
[3:42:52] from Lake Okeechobee this past
[3:42:53] month with those drier
[3:42:55] weathers, inclusive of all
[3:42:57] destinations flowing water,
[3:42:58] South water supply. Everything
[3:43:01] included just shy of 300,000
[3:43:02] acre feet in the last month.
[3:43:05] So you anticipate seeing those
[3:43:06] numbers continuing to increase
[3:43:07] as we go deeper into the dry
[3:43:08] season. There's been about and
[3:43:13] total just shy of 1.7 million
[3:43:17] acre feet of moved into the
[3:43:17] water conservation areas.
[3:43:21] Currently the S Ten's the
[3:43:22] Corps of Engineers has those
[3:43:24] closed as well as the S
[3:43:26] elevens going from area to
[3:43:28] area 3. Those are also closed.
[3:43:32] However, we are in cooperation
[3:43:33] with the Corps of Engineers
[3:43:34] moving some water out of area.
[3:43:37] 2 through 7 pump station to a
[3:43:39] gravity gate that is OK to
[3:43:41] that station and moving it
[3:43:43] just on the other side of us.
[3:43:44] 27 and trying to put it right
[3:43:46] in here through the S one, 50
[3:43:48] structure to be able to
[3:43:50] hydrate that combat bird
[3:43:50] colony. That is right there
[3:43:52] and maintain some water levels
[3:43:53] around the colonies. So
[3:43:56] continue those operations. The
[3:43:56] best we can. Moving farther
[3:43:58] down in the system. You can
[3:44:00] see in total there's been a
[3:44:04] significant volume of water
[3:44:05] has been moved down into
[3:44:07] Everglades National Park just
[3:44:09] shy of 1.5 million acre feet
[3:44:10] inclusive of some of that
[3:44:12] return seepage and the
[3:44:13] detention cells over here on
[3:44:14] the eastern side along the
[3:44:16] lower East coast from
[3:44:20] Miami-Dade Palm Beach County.
[3:44:21] There's been just shy of 2 and
[3:44:21] a half million acre feet. He's
[3:44:24] been moved off the lower East
[3:44:25] Coast urbanized areas. the
[3:44:31] Intercoastal Waterway with
[3:44:33] about a million and a half of
[3:44:33] that 2 and a half million
[3:44:35] actually being directed
[3:44:36] towards Biscayne Bay. So with
[3:44:42] that looking at the stormwater
[3:44:43] treatment areas you can see so
[3:44:44] far this year, the stormwater
[3:44:47] treatment areas have treated
[3:44:49] just over a million acre feet
[3:44:50] of water and process that
[3:44:51] million acre feet of water
[3:44:53] through them since going back
[3:44:54] to May. 1st of last year, what
[3:44:58] you'll notice different this
[3:45:00] month and when we met in
[3:45:01] December, is this bar down
[3:45:03] here at the bottom is getting
[3:45:04] a lot larger. You can see with
[3:45:08] the drier weather that I've
[3:45:09] already talked about. The
[3:45:12] moving water south. We're
[3:45:13] continuing to process that
[3:45:14] water through the stormwater
[3:45:16] treatment areas and that
[3:45:19] 153,000 acre feet is what
[3:45:20] we've been able to do so far.
[3:45:23] This dry season just coming
[3:45:24] from Lake Okeechobee. And
[3:45:25] you'll notice if you look back
[3:45:26] across the years, that's the
[3:45:30] highest total since 2019 that
[3:45:31] we've been able to process
[3:45:32] through the stormwater
[3:45:33] treatment areas during the dry
[3:45:34] season from Lake Okeechobee.
[3:45:38] Is mainly attributed to the
[3:45:39] drier conditions. When it's
[3:45:43] not raining, then we can move
[3:45:44] a lot more water as evidence
[3:45:45] back here in 2015 when there
[3:45:47] is a sizable amount of water
[3:45:49] moved during the dry season
[3:45:51] that 586,000 acre feet was
[3:45:55] able to be processed through
[3:45:56] the stormwater treatment areas
[3:45:57] because there was a lack of
[3:45:57] rainfall south of the lake. So
[3:45:58] we're on track this year to
[3:46:01] continue to see more water
[3:46:04] moving south right now are
[3:46:04] doing about 1100. 1100 cubic
[3:46:09] feet per second solely
[3:46:11] attributed to moving water
[3:46:12] south through the stormwater
[3:46:13] treatment areas in total
[3:46:15] outflows from the lake this
[3:46:16] morning. We're just over 2000
[3:46:19] CFS with the balance being for
[3:46:21] water supply. But 1100 of that
[3:46:22] 2000 is going to the St Ays
[3:46:24] and down into the Central
[3:46:25] Everglades. With that,
[3:46:27] Lawrence. So John's already
[3:46:31] talked about the numbers and
[3:46:34] we have a substantial amount
[3:46:35] coming from the
[3:46:37] >> always want to keep in mind
[3:46:39] that the dry season is the
[3:46:41] time. Are we going to help?
[3:46:45] Education has been stressed
[3:46:46] through the wet season because
[3:46:47] it cuts deep for long time.
[3:46:48] They're doing their job.
[3:46:49] They're doing their job very
[3:46:51] well. But this is our
[3:46:53] opportunity to go in and do
[3:46:54] that. But we always are
[3:46:55] looking for opportunity to
[3:46:55] move this lake water through.
[3:46:58] So most of the treatment
[3:46:59] cells, as you see in the
[3:47:00] bottom graph, most of the St
[3:47:01] Ays are at their target stages
[3:47:05] except for STA 5, 6, That one
[3:47:08] tends to drive down. But
[3:47:10] that's what the one to c one.
[3:47:11] 39 at the be is gonna come in
[3:47:12] and help ameliorate that
[3:47:14] condition. But you see John
[3:47:16] talked about flows that we've
[3:47:17] been sending through the St
[3:47:19] Ays and in the last week that
[3:47:20] gives you the volumes of where
[3:47:21] they're going. We try to send
[3:47:23] it through 2, 3 for that's a
[3:47:24] central flow. A and these
[3:47:28] numbers what we're putting in
[3:47:30] is is almost exactly what's
[3:47:31] going out. Some state cells
[3:47:33] were actually holding water
[3:47:33] and for different tests. And
[3:47:35] I'll get into that in this
[3:47:37] next slide. So when we look
[3:47:39] for taking lake water, the
[3:47:41] preferred flow path is the
[3:47:42] central flow path. And that is
[3:47:44] STA 3, 4, which is on the
[3:47:46] left-hand side and STA 2 on
[3:47:47] the right hand side. So are
[3:47:50] currently taking 600 CFS into
[3:47:55] STA 3, 4, And that is 200 CFS
[3:47:55] per each flow. A in STA 2.
[3:47:59] We're taking 100 CFS each in
[3:48:02] the for which is this one up
[3:48:03] in the top and flow a 5 at the
[3:48:05] bottom. This. So our is
[3:48:09] offline. Currently has as a V
[3:48:11] recovery is going on in there.
[3:48:15] These to flow ways are not
[3:48:16] being used currently because
[3:48:20] upstream nuisance vegetation
[3:48:22] is being treated that we do
[3:48:23] not want to come into the STA
[3:48:26] is this is vegetation. That's
[3:48:28] not helpful in reducing
[3:48:29] phosphorus. And it's also
[3:48:30] harmful to that plants that
[3:48:31] are in there. So we do a
[3:48:32] really good job of making sure
[3:48:34] to the best of our ability
[3:48:35] that we can keep this type of
[3:48:36] vegetation out. Then we have
[3:48:41] STA One West and one east
[3:48:42] where we actually have found
[3:48:44] capacity. We have 150 CFS
[3:48:48] going through this northern
[3:48:50] here. There's another 50 CFS
[3:48:54] is working Has we still start
[3:48:55] up operations for expansion to
[3:48:59] that is necessary? Then off of
[3:49:00] the slide that I don't have a
[3:49:02] 5 on here today, but we're
[3:49:03] taking 105. And then as you go
[3:49:06] over into the STA One West,
[3:49:07] you see that we're not pushing
[3:49:11] water through here because of
[3:49:11] post-construction vegetation
[3:49:13] grow in. We're leveling in
[3:49:16] this cell and we're keeping
[3:49:17] this one open for any type of
[3:49:20] runoff that we might have. We
[3:49:22] have some rains potentially
[3:49:23] coming up at the end of the
[3:49:24] week at the weekend. All
[3:49:29] right. On that call like
[3:49:31] water, the STA. We're in Lake
[3:49:33] Okeechobee recovery mode.
[3:49:35] >> Which calls for? Maximum
[3:49:40] practical releases to the
[3:49:43] First as a standard year, Lake
[3:49:46] Okeechobee releases to the STA
[3:49:47] Center Dry season. Where are
[3:49:51] Are we maximum practical? We
[3:49:53] are based on what I just saw
[3:49:56] pushing the envelope year and
[3:49:56] we normally would.
[3:49:59] >> We have we're doing what we
[3:50:01] believe for the health of the
[3:50:03] STA to go through the dry
[3:50:05] season to be able to do their
[3:50:07] jobs in the wet season.
[3:50:10] >> We're pushing the maximum
[3:50:11] practicable we can put through
[3:50:14] as we are also doing the work
[3:50:16] that we need to do to get them
[3:50:18] ready you, Bill and current
[3:50:19] all that comfortable. So
[3:50:22] correct. Okay. So you would
[3:50:23] say that we are putting more
[3:50:25] water through the new really
[3:50:26] would like to do in a normal
[3:50:27] year given Q Bell, right?
[3:50:28] Correct. I guess a legend
[3:50:33] didn't really need to know
[3:50:35] that. That's what Pot and we
[3:50:37] need. Our team meets weekly. I
[3:50:39] mean, we are looking at
[3:50:41] conditions and there were
[3:50:42] determining, you know, where
[3:50:43] are we? Where are we with our
[3:50:44] ability to to get where we're
[3:50:45] going to go? We're bringing
[3:50:48] some water and one east right
[3:50:48] now because we're on the cusp
[3:50:49] of meeting 19.
[3:50:51] >> And we did an analysis and
[3:50:52] said, hey, if we can put this
[3:50:53] much water through by the end
[3:50:54] of the year, that is at this
[3:50:57] concentration, we think we can
[3:50:58] meet that number. So, you
[3:51:01] know, we're bringing water and
[3:51:02] therefore one for the ability
[3:51:03] to try to meet Q Bell and then
[3:51:05] we don't put water through
[3:51:06] other places for the same
[3:51:07] reason because we think that
[3:51:09] if we put too much water
[3:51:10] through there and we go
[3:51:11] through a lot of different
[3:51:12] things that we check off to
[3:51:13] make sure that we're not.
[3:51:17] Overly stressing them during
[3:51:18] the time that they are
[3:51:19] supposed to be recovering from
[3:51:22] the brunt of the work that
[3:51:23] they do in the summer season.
[3:51:24] Okay. So looking at the water
[3:51:30] conservation area start in the
[3:51:31] upper right-hand side. There
[3:51:34] >> for conservation area, one
[3:51:34] you can see it's gone flat
[3:51:40] with the lack of outflows
[3:51:41] among the core of engineers
[3:51:42] close the s 10's. So now it is
[3:51:45] sort of stabilizing. Is
[3:51:46] Lawrence talked about removing
[3:51:47] some water into area one which
[3:51:50] is help maintain it. And just.
[3:51:53] Parallel to the regulation
[3:51:54] schedule now is getting back
[3:51:55] close to the regulation
[3:51:57] schedule water levels continue
[3:52:02] to meet and go to the right
[3:52:04] there when they intersect with
[3:52:06] the regulation schedule that
[3:52:06] I'm sure will implement some
[3:52:07] operations to be able to bring
[3:52:09] down area one a little bit and
[3:52:11] coordination with the refuge
[3:52:12] and their input as well as the
[3:52:14] Corps of Engineers. Looking at
[3:52:18] area 2. It's going through a
[3:52:20] nice recession. Lawrence,
[3:52:21] we'll talk about the ecology
[3:52:22] in area 2 here shortly. But
[3:52:24] it's going down through a nice
[3:52:25] recession and was still above
[3:52:29] its regulation schedule. But
[3:52:30] it's sitting in a good place
[3:52:31] for this time of year, given
[3:52:32] the balance of the dry season.
[3:52:33] And we still yet to go
[3:52:33] through. Area 3. Now, as you
[3:52:37] can tell, he's been below
[3:52:39] scheduled for sometime now.
[3:52:39] Its continuing to recede.
[3:52:41] Outflows from area 3 are going
[3:52:45] through s 12 C and e and then
[3:52:47] through the 3, 3, 3,
[3:52:47] structures into the L 29.
[3:52:50] We're continuing to meet the
[3:52:51] Tamiami trail flow formula,
[3:52:52] which is just under 1000 cubic
[3:52:53] feet per second. So we're
[3:52:56] continuing to move water out
[3:52:57] of area 3 in accordance with
[3:53:00] the flow formula. one last
[3:53:06] thing down the South Dade
[3:53:09] conveyance system. We have
[3:53:10] ceased pumping operations at
[3:53:12] 3.56. And instead we're now
[3:53:12] allowing that water to move
[3:53:15] down the South Dade conveyance
[3:53:18] system to the 3, 3, 2 pump
[3:53:19] stations and then effort sort
[3:53:21] of maintain the hydrologic
[3:53:23] courage that sets up by
[3:53:25] putting water in those
[3:53:26] detention cells and therefore
[3:53:28] limiting the amount of seepage
[3:53:29] that comes out of Everglades
[3:53:31] National Park and holding that
[3:53:32] water back in park. You take a
[3:53:39] look at these 3 figures and
[3:53:41] it's going from December
[3:53:42] January and
[3:53:42] >> end of February. And
[3:53:45] there's some circles on here
[3:53:46] to help guide you as we look
[3:53:47] and you see it that top end of
[3:53:51] a water conservation area. 3,
[3:53:52] the northern end, that water
[3:53:55] level has declined comment
[3:53:57] starting to approach soil
[3:53:59] surface. You heard loose in a
[3:54:02] talk about how the and
[3:54:03] significance and the
[3:54:04] importance of Sepp North isn't
[3:54:04] keeping that area hydrated. So
[3:54:08] we get concerned when it does
[3:54:09] dry down completely that soil.
[3:54:13] That's where we've had the
[3:54:15] most soil loss through time in
[3:54:17] the Everglades and see they're
[3:54:19] gonna oxidize and blow away or
[3:54:20] you can have forced, you know,
[3:54:22] fires, wildfires that common
[3:54:23] and Burnet away and member
[3:54:24] that that that peat layer.
[3:54:26] That's there. It took
[3:54:28] thousands of years to to
[3:54:32] buildup and fire can take out,
[3:54:33] you know, several inches of
[3:54:33] that. Very quickly. So that's
[3:54:36] that's a concern. But one
[3:54:40] thing we do know is that the
[3:54:41] operations that we're doing
[3:54:42] and I'll get to this and the
[3:54:44] next one, the operations of
[3:54:46] keeping this area hydrated in
[3:54:47] the water that we are putting
[3:54:50] through the St Ays is keeping
[3:54:51] the recession rate in this
[3:54:53] area. pretty nice. But I'll
[3:54:54] get to that in a minute. The
[3:54:57] pond, that condition that
[3:54:58] occurs down here in the bottom
[3:55:00] of of the system. Has
[3:55:04] definitely diminished. You see
[3:55:06] the greens and compared to
[3:55:07] what that is on the scale
[3:55:09] right here pounded we're
[3:55:10] thinking 2 feet and above that
[3:55:11] is now absent. Big cypress is
[3:55:16] very dry. Currently. Then you
[3:55:19] go down further. And so you
[3:55:21] have a and slow. You have
[3:55:22] Shark River slew and you have
[3:55:24] Taylor Slew that hydrologic
[3:55:26] conductivity is starting to
[3:55:28] manage, but it's still there.
[3:55:29] So it has waters coming down.
[3:55:30] That connectivity is still
[3:55:31] there, especially over on the
[3:55:34] Taylor Riverside to provide
[3:55:34] water to Florida Bay. Now,
[3:55:38] here's where we get into the
[3:55:40] left-hand table are recession
[3:55:42] rates. They have minuses in
[3:55:43] front of the numbers that
[3:55:44] saying how fast water is
[3:55:45] starting to decline and on the
[3:55:49] right hand table is what our
[3:55:51] water depths. So something to
[3:55:52] note right here is that the
[3:55:54] bottom and of 3, a is
[3:55:58] receiving a lot more quickly.
[3:56:02] Then the northern and the So
[3:56:03] the operations that we're
[3:56:05] doing at the northern end are
[3:56:07] definitely beneficial to that
[3:56:09] area. And that's where the Ali
[3:56:10] North colony is an have more
[3:56:11] discussion about that in a
[3:56:12] minute. But that area also is
[3:56:17] the driest. So we're doing I
[3:56:19] think a really great job of
[3:56:22] bringing water through the STA
[3:56:23] is and that operation from
[3:56:24] water Conservation area. 2 to
[3:56:25] keep this area hydrated. We
[3:56:31] had a bird flight this week
[3:56:33] through the Everglades. You'll
[3:56:34] see it's very foggy in the
[3:56:37] morning. At the beginning,
[3:56:38] there was a lot of data that
[3:56:39] came in and water conservation
[3:56:39] areas, one and 2. But for in
[3:56:43] the park, there was good data
[3:56:44] that came What we're seeing is
[3:56:47] that there are still
[3:56:48] relatively large numbers down
[3:56:49] along the coast, right in
[3:56:55] here, forging all of these
[3:56:56] stars are would start nests or
[3:56:57] would start colonies. And so
[3:57:00] there are colonies that are
[3:57:01] out there. There's there's 4
[3:57:03] different there with pears
[3:57:03] ranging from 50 up to 180
[3:57:04] pairs that are nesting Knesset
[3:57:07] a little early this year. One
[3:57:10] of the things that you'll
[3:57:14] notice is this green. So this
[3:57:15] is the optimal water depth for
[3:57:18] foraging. So if it's too deep,
[3:57:22] you don't have a 3 foot leg
[3:57:23] feet water into a wading bird.
[3:57:25] This is too dry as more of
[3:57:28] these greens come in as a
[3:57:30] concession, you know,
[3:57:32] continues through the dry
[3:57:32] season. Those will get larger.
[3:57:36] We normally don't see green
[3:57:37] this much green this early in
[3:57:39] the season. So, you know,
[3:57:40] water levels have come down
[3:57:42] pretty quickly. So for those
[3:57:44] birds that that nested and
[3:57:48] especially wood storks that
[3:57:49] require the longest nesting
[3:57:52] period they that takes and the
[3:57:53] longest time to fledge their
[3:57:55] younger, younger, quite I'll
[3:57:57] get more to that in the next
[3:57:58] one. But there's there's a
[3:57:59] concern that for wood storks
[3:58:03] of can they write out the
[3:58:05] remainder of the dry season
[3:58:06] and still be able to fledge
[3:58:07] their young? So there's 2
[3:58:11] different gauges that we look
[3:58:13] at relative to different
[3:58:14] companies that we have of
[3:58:15] wading birds out and asked.
[3:58:16] And the Everglades, particular
[3:58:20] gauges in the north. And it
[3:58:21] has to do with the Ali North
[3:58:24] colony and for the Ali North
[3:58:25] colony. We like to see. Water
[3:58:29] depths at 9.5 feet or above on
[3:58:31] the 15th of March. And that's
[3:58:35] just data-driven date and and
[3:58:38] water depth that we have seen.
[3:58:39] If it's not 9.5, we do not
[3:58:41] have substantial nesting at
[3:58:42] that's greater than 9.5. We
[3:58:44] have nesting in a successful.
[3:58:46] So it's the ability of having
[3:58:47] the water there and then have
[3:58:51] the recession as the young are
[3:58:53] are hatched and the parents
[3:58:54] can go find food for their
[3:58:55] babies. That's what that
[3:58:55] really relates to. And we're
[3:58:56] seeing currently. We are
[3:58:59] online to to staying on that
[3:59:02] target. So we think we'll have
[3:59:04] a good or an average, at least
[3:59:07] weaving bird nesting season at
[3:59:08] the Ali North. Now further
[3:59:11] south, where stars were and
[3:59:14] the stark mask and water
[3:59:15] conservation area. 3, we would
[3:59:15] like to see water depths of a
[3:59:19] foot and a half at the
[3:59:21] beginning of March, declining
[3:59:23] to about a half a foot at the
[3:59:24] end of the season. difference
[3:59:25] being here. Storks our. The
[3:59:32] spray based. So they're
[3:59:32] looking for fish to feed their
[3:59:34] young. They're not looking for
[3:59:36] anything else like this can go
[3:59:38] and moist soils. You'll see
[3:59:39] him in their yard. Nothing can
[3:59:40] find whatever they need.
[3:59:41] Starks want fish. So if the
[3:59:45] water depth isn't there to
[3:59:47] sustain the fish, you know,
[3:59:48] that's an issue. So what we're
[3:59:49] seeing in this graphic here is
[3:59:50] this is the observed data, the
[3:59:52] blue line and this all
[3:59:54] connected and then stashed
[3:59:56] line is basically the average
[3:59:57] of this recession and how it
[3:59:58] would play out to the end of
[4:00:00] the season. The green boxes,
[4:00:04] in between these 2 deaths that
[4:00:04] are necessary for foraging. So
[4:00:08] we would want that blue line
[4:00:10] to spend a lot of time in this
[4:00:11] green box for nesting to be
[4:00:15] successful in 4 pledging to be
[4:00:17] successful. But it's only
[4:00:19] going through a small part. So
[4:00:20] that's where we're going to
[4:00:21] keep monitoring to see how
[4:00:23] this plays out for wood storks
[4:00:26] a season, whereas I this we
[4:00:27] think we'll have a good
[4:00:27] nesting year. Coming down into
[4:00:32] Biscayne Bay. Salinity ask a
[4:00:33] question for you. Move out of
[4:00:35] the conservation areas. Yes,
[4:00:36] sir. For a foot above schedule
[4:00:39] in 2. And below schedule in 3.
[4:00:45] I know the s eleven's your
[4:00:46] clothes. you have water
[4:00:49] flowing on the the north
[4:00:52] boundary over into. 3 a taking
[4:00:57] water out of to bring it back
[4:01:00] up and bringing it down into
[4:01:01] the tap, into the northeast.
[4:01:03] Yes. What do you got out of 2
[4:01:06] to 3. You know that number
[4:01:06] Jen? Johns, looking for that
[4:01:09] number, OK? It's better
[4:01:15] obviously be at the farther
[4:01:15] north. And as you what water
[4:01:18] to flow across the whole face
[4:01:21] of correct 3, especially where
[4:01:22] these colonies are. But we
[4:01:27] have just over 200 CFS going
[4:01:28] through one 50 right now. Is
[4:01:30] that all you could put through
[4:01:32] there based on the headwater
[4:01:33] and Taylor conditions? But I
[4:01:38] mean, Lawrence can correct me
[4:01:39] if I'm wrong, that is
[4:01:39] sufficient right now to be
[4:01:41] able to maintain the hydrology
[4:01:42] around the super colony.
[4:01:45] >> It is. we would like to
[4:01:46] instead of like opening the
[4:01:48] elevens and trying to bring
[4:01:49] all that volume of water out
[4:01:50] the volume of water that's in
[4:01:51] there. Now, if we can have
[4:01:55] that to maintain this
[4:01:55] operation as long as possible
[4:01:57] as what we think is most
[4:01:57] beneficial. So if you are a
[4:02:02] little larger volume out of 2
[4:02:03] because to a small in
[4:02:03] comparison to 3 having that
[4:02:07] water there least maintain
[4:02:11] this operation is what we
[4:02:12] think would just seem like we
[4:02:13] would be trying to get 2.
[4:02:16] Obviously, you want. 200. Up
[4:02:23] to the north, but it seemed
[4:02:25] like would be trying to get
[4:02:25] too down To Its schedule and 3
[4:02:33] is below schedule. And and
[4:02:39] they're they're. So there is
[4:02:39] some issue with 2.
[4:02:43] >> And and where you are
[4:02:44] relative to schedule because
[4:02:45] it's based on what gauge are
[4:02:46] looking at. 2 is is has a lot
[4:02:49] of tope a graphic difference
[4:02:51] across a very small region.
[4:02:54] And if we were to come down to
[4:02:57] schedule the top end of 2 is
[4:02:58] going to be very, very dry.
[4:03:03] And so what they're looking
[4:03:03] and SEP one point. Oh, and
[4:03:05] we'd be. Thrilled to come down
[4:03:08] and go through you through
[4:03:09] this with you. Is there
[4:03:12] looking at changing how the
[4:03:14] operations for water
[4:03:14] conservation area, 2? And
[4:03:18] water conservation area 2
[4:03:19] because of that hope a graphic
[4:03:21] difference. Really the key to
[4:03:22] getting hydrology right in
[4:03:23] there is to have a more
[4:03:25] constant level of flow because
[4:03:29] the flows going to be coming
[4:03:30] in is if put water in and then
[4:03:32] you don't at a club rates over
[4:03:32] that that difference. And so
[4:03:33] it ponds in the bottom and it
[4:03:34] drives at the top. to really
[4:03:38] needs more consistent flow
[4:03:39] rather than on off switch to
[4:03:41] keep that that more
[4:03:45] meaningful. If all and stage
[4:03:47] that's that's compatible with
[4:03:48] fish and wildlife rather than
[4:03:51] having that on off and then in
[4:03:54] a rates of one and is to try
[4:03:54] and One is too deep. So that's
[4:03:58] what we're going through. And
[4:03:58] the SEP one point. Oh,
[4:04:01] reevaluation. And that's what
[4:04:02] our scientists are saying is
[4:04:06] the best method for that
[4:04:07] particular water conservation
[4:04:08] area. I think Being a foot
[4:04:14] above schedule. Going into the
[4:04:20] rainy season. not not good for
[4:04:20] that area. We have. I'm very
[4:04:26] familiar with it. We've always
[4:04:30] had obviously on the north and
[4:04:30] dry and ponding on the south.
[4:04:34] And we got the same thing in
[4:04:35] area 3. On the south and But
[4:04:39] how do we get the ridge and
[4:04:40] slurs? In 2 A and 2 B? And
[4:04:47] with the proper water flow.
[4:04:51] And stay as much as we can
[4:04:53] within the compatible water
[4:04:57] gaps with the wildlife from
[4:04:57] the plant communities. It's
[4:05:00] always been a concern of mine.
[4:05:01] And I just think that. We had
[4:05:12] some discussions about
[4:05:14] changing the the depth 2, I
[4:05:16] think yes, Are we? Talking to
[4:05:21] the FWC about? These changes.
[4:05:25] Water Dept. Yes. After the
[4:05:31] season partner, the team that
[4:05:32] is evaluating the regulation
[4:05:33] schedule for area too. And
[4:05:35] what changes?
[4:05:36] >> That can be made as part of
[4:05:37] step. One point note in order
[4:05:39] facilitate a bter ecology
[4:05:39] within area too.
[4:05:45] >> Yeah, well, I definitely
[4:05:45] want to be a part of those
[4:05:47] discussions when you all go
[4:05:47] forward because we've
[4:05:50] tremendous devastation to the
[4:05:51] wildlife fund. 2, A and 2 B.
[4:05:58] Duke has the depth of the
[4:05:58] water. I think there's a we
[4:06:04] have to make sure we get it
[4:06:05] right. Absolutely. We'll make
[4:06:08] surehat you know anything
[4:06:09] that progress. Once you get
[4:06:13] over to for water and those
[4:06:13] flows, you're really Started
[4:06:17] to affect the fur bearing
[4:06:18] animals. But fewer left there.
[4:06:21] But I would hope in the future
[4:06:25] as water continues to flow
[4:06:25] south and we get pinch point
[4:06:28] out of our way down the trai
[4:06:29] that. We can have Moore flow,
[4:06:35] not flow, stopped low flow.
[4:06:38] Shut. The cage start again,
[4:06:41] you know, let this moose river
[4:06:43] of grass. She could sway. To
[4:06:46] Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay.
[4:06:52] I'm really concerned about
[4:06:54] area too. And to be. On how
[4:06:56] we're going to. Connect that
[4:06:59] flow. So we keep the ridge and
[4:07:02] slew of facts and up with the
[4:07:07] a depth, the water, this
[4:07:08] compatible to food chain. And
[4:07:10] the plant communities.
[4:07:13] Including for bearing animals.
[4:07:17] It's quite a balance. Quite a
[4:07:18] challenge. I know that. But
[4:07:21] but I think I think we can
[4:07:21] achieve it. Yes, Looking at
[4:07:29] Florida Bay salinity, it's on
[4:07:30] a decline which is great.
[4:07:33] >> So for Florida Bay and like
[4:07:35] any other as 2 area that we're
[4:07:37] looking at the restoration
[4:07:39] target for BBC here was not
[4:07:42] it's not in place at tween 15
[4:07:44] 18. And you see that bottom
[4:07:45] number is trending down
[4:07:48] towards that. So the salinity
[4:07:49] and within Florida Bay right
[4:07:52] now is not really of great
[4:07:54] concern. And as those projects
[4:07:56] come on, we'll see that start
[4:07:57] to be ameliorated. And I'm
[4:08:00] going down at the bottom of
[4:08:01] the system with the Florida
[4:08:04] Bay. So here we on this side,
[4:08:09] the salinities like in the
[4:08:10] eastern and the central and
[4:08:12] Western. You have the hyper
[4:08:12] salinity value of 40. You have
[4:08:16] this gold dotted line down the
[4:08:17] bottom. This is that 1900
[4:08:20] reference period. It's not a
[4:08:21] target. Just saying this is
[4:08:22] where it was in the 1900's.
[4:08:23] And if you're you know, we
[4:08:26] look at the blue and a court
[4:08:27] all range that if we're in
[4:08:29] that range, we think we're
[4:08:30] doing great from a salinity
[4:08:30] standpoint. If we're in
[4:08:34] between that dotted gold line
[4:08:36] and inner core Tower range,
[4:08:36] you're doing even better which
[4:08:37] is occurring right here. So
[4:08:40] going into, you know, the rest
[4:08:41] of the dry season. We're in a
[4:08:45] pretty good, good condition.
[4:08:46] If you look at that, you
[4:08:47] compare it to other dry
[4:08:48] seasons. That was a la Nina.
[4:08:51] This one was a little bit
[4:08:52] lower as it went through over
[4:08:54] here. We are concerned as is
[4:08:59] Taylor Creek is starting to,
[4:09:00] you know, kind of slow down a
[4:09:01] little bit with deliveries.
[4:09:05] But overall where we are with
[4:09:06] with salinity in Florida Bay.
[4:09:10] We're in a really good set up
[4:09:11] for the remainder of the
[4:09:12] season and no concern reaching
[4:09:14] hyper salinity. So you don't
[4:09:21] usually see this graphic. It's
[4:09:23] been a while. Usually the
[4:09:25] island bring this one forward
[4:09:26] when we're in the dry season.
[4:09:27] guess what? We're in the dry
[4:09:29] season.
[4:09:30] >> So here we are talking
[4:09:31] about groundwater conditions.
[4:09:31] What I call your attention to
[4:09:35] is that little red Asterix
[4:09:37] right there over there on the
[4:09:39] lower West Coast that's around
[4:09:40] the Cape Coral area. So that's
[4:09:40] a groundwater. Well, obviously
[4:09:44] monitors groundwater levels.
[4:09:45] So over the past week, water
[4:09:48] levels within that well fell
[4:09:49] about 7 tenths of a foot.
[4:09:54] We've talked about this area
[4:09:55] in the past specifically last
[4:09:56] year, probably right around
[4:09:57] the same time last year. So
[4:09:59] it's back at the forefront
[4:10:01] again. So with 7 tenths of a
[4:10:03] foot drop in the aquifer that
[4:10:07] puts it only about a half a
[4:10:08] foot above its record low. So
[4:10:12] far, which also means that is
[4:10:13] about 12 feet above the
[4:10:15] minimum flowing level for that
[4:10:17] particular aquifer. And about
[4:10:21] 2 feet above a line that we
[4:10:22] sort of refer to as the Joint
[4:10:23] Action plan so that joint
[4:10:27] action plan relates actions
[4:10:29] that would have to be put in
[4:10:30] place to curtail usage from
[4:10:32] the aquifer while the utility
[4:10:37] authority in that area goes
[4:10:37] completing their project over
[4:10:38] the next several years for the
[4:10:40] utility extensions. Currently
[4:10:42] that areas on what we call a
[4:10:43] modified phase 3 restrictions,
[4:10:46] which is one day a week
[4:10:47] watering should the aquifer
[4:10:49] levels continue to fall? we'll
[4:10:52] have to look what actions
[4:10:53] under that joint action plan
[4:10:53] trips that threshold that will
[4:10:55] need to be considering. But
[4:11:00] that's kind of the situation
[4:11:01] that we're dealing with over
[4:11:02] there with the groundwater in
[4:11:03] the lower West Coast. But as
[4:11:03] far as the forecast goes for
[4:11:07] rainfall, you can see from the
[4:11:09] Climate Protection Prediction
[4:11:11] Center that we're still
[4:11:13] forecasting are they are still
[4:11:14] forecasting below average. Try
[4:11:16] season as we move forward in
[4:11:20] time. Then once we get out
[4:11:21] into the wet season, it's the
[4:11:23] typical response that all bets
[4:11:24] are off and we'll see as we
[4:11:26] get closer. And right now
[4:11:27] we're in what's called a
[4:11:29] spring predictability. When do
[4:11:31] when you're not sure what the
[4:11:32] wet season will come out,
[4:11:33] looking like get a little bit
[4:11:33] farther ahead in time. But for
[4:11:37] right now, you can see how it
[4:11:38] switches to equal chances. And
[4:11:41] then to above average
[4:11:43] scenarios, you get into wet
[4:11:44] season, but we'll continue to
[4:11:44] monitor that as we go forward.
[4:11:45] In the meantime, just over the
[4:11:49] next 2 weeks likely to persist
[4:11:49] with the below normal. And in
[4:11:53] this current week and then
[4:11:56] looking out into the second
[4:11:58] week, probably closer to
[4:11:58] normal rainfall with some of
[4:12:00] those fronts moving across
[4:12:02] peninsula. But we'll take that
[4:12:02] as it goes. And with that,
[4:12:06] Lawrence be happy to answer
[4:12:07] any additional questions you
[4:12:08] may have. Thanks any more
[4:12:09] questions as Butler.
[4:12:11] >> All right. things real You
[4:12:15] don't go back life. I was just
[4:12:18] good illustration. I missed
[4:12:19] major bell being here. John,
[4:12:22] as a still haven't seen
[4:12:22] anything. This charge is out
[4:12:27] at need to match the
[4:12:28] operations of Headwater to 65
[4:12:30] date. The court had a pdt
[4:12:31] meeting the other day and they
[4:12:34] didn't talk about operations
[4:12:35] of this 65 as part of
[4:12:36] headwaters. Are we going to
[4:12:38] get that correct?
[4:12:44] >> Yes, we're working with the
[4:12:46] Corps to gauge on that issue
[4:12:49] see how those operations can
[4:12:50] be improved as we learn more
[4:12:51] and more from a criminal one.
[4:12:54] And we carry that forward into
[4:12:55] the future planning stories
[4:12:58] for what sorry, planning
[4:12:59] studies, not stories. That
[4:13:01] will be for headwaters.
[4:13:04] >> Lows coming in to tap into
[4:13:05] that graph need to match the
[4:13:08] way the water is maintained at
[4:13:09] the bottom that picture.
[4:13:10] Simple as that message
[4:13:13] received, serve. All right.
[4:13:15] Secondly, real quick back on
[4:13:18] recovery mode. As low some
[4:13:25] states recovery mode triggers.
[4:13:28] As recovery mode officially
[4:13:31] been triggered. Are we past
[4:13:32] the point no return recovery
[4:13:33] mode? There's a certain calls.
[4:13:37] The mayor says, you know,
[4:13:38] recovery mode once every so
[4:13:38] many years.
[4:13:41] >> So yes, in low sum, there's
[4:13:44] 3 criteria that trigger
[4:13:45] recovery mode operations. And
[4:13:46] then there's 3 criteria that
[4:13:47] you have to consider as you
[4:13:49] implement move forward. So
[4:13:50] that triggers to sort of turn
[4:13:52] it on. So to speak. They yes,
[4:13:53] they have absolutely been
[4:13:54] triggered. They were triggered
[4:13:55] several months back. So.
[4:13:59] >> Okay. So it's been
[4:14:00] triggered. We cannot do a
[4:14:01] recovery mode for how many
[4:14:02] years after we've done. You
[4:14:04] remember what that is and
[4:14:06] lowsome in that criteria, you
[4:14:07] know, as carrier, I think I'm
[4:14:09] not like we can't we can't go
[4:14:10] recovery mode every year.
[4:14:13] >> I don't believe so. But I
[4:14:14] need to go back and refresh my
[4:14:15] memory of what the extra is
[4:14:17] because one of them is have
[4:14:19] have you exceeded, you know,
[4:14:21] is a 16 half or 17 feet. And
[4:14:21] then one is have you reached a
[4:14:25] low, OK? So by going through
[4:14:26] recovery mode, you are
[4:14:27] reaching that low. So you've
[4:14:28] turned to that one off the
[4:14:31] next year. You know, saying
[4:14:31] the year previous you are you
[4:14:33] are there. So you're not going
[4:14:34] to go through recovery mode.
[4:14:39] >> point is we've got okay.
[4:14:40] I'll get to that point here.
[4:14:48] Te'o Facebook could go to
[4:14:49] sleep last night. Ngo made a
[4:14:50] post. Recovery mode is ending
[4:14:54] March. 15th may be. So, John,
[4:14:59] you're casually late this
[4:15:00] morning. So I'd be lying to
[4:15:01] Drew and major bell and said,
[4:15:04] what is this about? it looks
[4:15:09] like the Corps is considering
[4:15:11] a ramp down. Of east
[4:15:13] discharges. Beginning in
[4:15:17] March. And I understand
[4:15:18] through the oyster spawning. I
[4:15:21] see where a ramp down make
[4:15:21] sense. As it looks today. Who
[4:15:26] knows what conditions look
[4:15:27] like when that decision needs
[4:15:27] to be made. I go through all
[4:15:33] that just leave you with
[4:15:34] channel. My inner redhead, my
[4:15:37] inner Reba McEntire. You've
[4:15:38] got one shot, fancy. Don't let
[4:15:39] me down. Okay. So we've got
[4:15:43] one shot at this recovery
[4:15:43] mode. I don't think that we're
[4:15:47] not going to be able to
[4:15:48] tolerate recovery mode every
[4:15:49] year. Work that line. Let's
[4:15:54] get it done. Okay. I'll leave
[4:15:56] it at that.
[4:16:04] >> John, do do all the flows
[4:16:05] are coming into the Central
[4:16:06] Everglades. Do we have the
[4:16:10] volumes on all the flows like
[4:16:11] this? The C 11 yes, 9 pump and
[4:16:18] then we got the L 28 in the L
[4:16:21] 28 interceptor. I know you've
[4:16:23] got the measurements going
[4:16:23] through the STA is. Flows
[4:16:27] outside of that. Do we have
[4:16:32] any measurement on entering
[4:16:33] the central Everglades from?
[4:16:36] >> Yes, absolutely. I mean, I
[4:16:37] have to call it up. I don't
[4:16:38] have it here off the top of my
[4:16:39] head, but I can definitely get
[4:16:41] to that number of the total
[4:16:42] inflows to each of the
[4:16:43] conservation areas separately.
[4:16:44] And then cumulative together.
[4:16:48] >> Thank you show you have the
[4:16:48] flows that's coming into the.
[4:16:50] S 9 pump. Yes, And the flows.
[4:16:56] I don't ever see those flows
[4:16:57] on charge isn't it? In that
[4:17:01] flow chart for the Central
[4:17:02] Everglades in your slides,
[4:17:04] John?
[4:17:05] >> It is. It's for the
[4:17:05] cumulative for the whole water
[4:17:07] year. I mean, if you're asking
[4:17:07] about with that Aaron right
[4:17:08] now, one with the arrows.
[4:17:14] >> You know, the reason why
[4:17:15] I'm asking that question at
[4:17:17] some point in time. When we've
[4:17:19] got tough. The bottleneck at
[4:17:21] the Tamiami trail. And were
[4:17:25] able to match the inflows.
[4:17:27] Because the outflows. That's
[4:17:31] going to A great day when we
[4:17:35] can do that. think I seen the
[4:17:44] inflows into.
[4:17:45] >> So if you're looking if
[4:17:46] that this is again, the
[4:17:48] cumulative inflows going back
[4:17:49] to May first of 2024, and
[4:17:53] total into the conservation
[4:17:54] areas. Just shy of 1.7 million
[4:17:56] acre feet right there. If
[4:18:01] you're looking for the
[4:18:02] outflows, it's inclusive of
[4:18:03] 100. And 25 here. Roughly. 850
[4:18:09] here and these 2 numbers are
[4:18:13] the sea but returns and 3. 56
[4:18:13] coming in. These 2 are the
[4:18:18] majority of the outflows. And
[4:18:20] then again, you have the
[4:18:21] cumulative inflows. They're
[4:18:22] the 1.7. If you're asking
[4:18:27] what's happening currently
[4:18:27] right now in the dry season, S
[4:18:28] 9 is not pumping dry no need
[4:18:32] to pump. So there's nothing
[4:18:33] coming in over here on the
[4:18:33] eastern side. As point. And
[4:18:38] I've already talked about,
[4:18:39] we're still moving water
[4:18:40] through the stormwater
[4:18:41] treatment areas from Lake
[4:18:44] Okeechobee into the central
[4:18:45] Everglades there at the top of
[4:18:46] conservation area 3 and over
[4:18:47] here in area 2. And we're
[4:18:50] meeting the flow formula,
[4:18:52] which is about 1000 CFS coming
[4:18:54] out of area 3 down here at the
[4:18:55] bottom. Okay. With that.
[4:19:00] >> important. We know the
[4:19:03] volumes of all inflows as well
[4:19:04] as outflows. Some point time
[4:19:08] when we get. Tamiami trail
[4:19:10] done that Outflows matching
[4:19:16] the inflows. That then we're
[4:19:20] at a point where we can have
[4:19:22] water that are compatible with
[4:19:26] the Wildlife Fund. All of our
[4:19:29] plant communities South. And
[4:19:32] that's why it's so important.
[4:19:34] said twice today. But all and
[4:19:37] saying that one more time we
[4:19:39] get we've got Tamiami trail. I
[4:19:43] think we're moving in, Drew
[4:19:45] and myself and that with the
[4:19:52] park Service, Pedro Larry
[4:19:54] Williams regarding. The
[4:19:59] operations condition
[4:20:01] operations of of the S
[4:20:03] twelves. And I think if we
[4:20:04] follow. The science. And we
[4:20:09] follow endangered and
[4:20:14] threatened wildlife plants.
[4:20:19] Critical habitat review design
[4:20:20] for the cape samples barrel.
[4:20:21] If we follow, there's science
[4:20:25] that was established in 2007.
[4:20:30] That'll be a great day for the
[4:20:30] Everglades. That will allow
[4:20:34] 40% of 2, 2.5 million acre
[4:20:39] feet. Comprehensive
[4:20:45] Everglades, modified water
[4:20:46] delivery flowing. To Florida
[4:20:51] And Drew, I think we should
[4:20:54] have. Meetings as with our
[4:20:59] federal partners and get a
[4:21:01] timeline on when we can.
[4:21:07] Operate the S twelves in the
[4:21:08] 3.43. a and B. On a condition
[4:21:17] To match flows coming in and
[4:21:17] the flows going out. And I
[4:21:21] think all we got to do is
[4:21:22] follow the science. Follow the
[4:21:25] rules and regulations. That
[4:21:28] were established and 2007.
[4:21:31] Which actually took zone a
[4:21:34] units, one and 2 out of
[4:21:36] critical habitat. 18 years
[4:21:38] ago. Be able to for the
[4:21:43] benefit of the global system.
[4:21:46] Be able to move water. Through
[4:21:49] this oozing river of grass
[4:21:53] that benefits. All of our
[4:21:57] endangered species. And this
[4:22:00] report actually says removing
[4:22:04] that would benefit the Cape
[4:22:04] Label Sparrow overall. And in
[4:22:08] 2007, there was less than 4%
[4:22:10] of the population at that
[4:22:11] point in time this is a
[4:22:17] comprehensive report. It is
[4:22:22] the rules. It is the
[4:22:22] regulations. And I think we
[4:22:25] need to. A meeting to continue
[4:22:29] to make sure we we funded the
[4:22:34] labels barrel. Relocation.
[4:22:40] Captive breeding and I think
[4:22:44] this is extremely important.
[4:22:49] Anyone else have questions
[4:22:50] for. We will move on. Thank
[4:22:54] you both. Good afternoon.
[4:23:07] Governing board members.
[4:23:11] >> The monthly financial
[4:23:12] report that's in your packet
[4:23:12] and post on the website is
[4:23:13] through December of 2024. So
[4:23:15] few highlights there. We've
[4:23:18] collected 563 million dollars
[4:23:21] in new revenue through the
[4:23:22] month of December and expended
[4:23:23] 235 million dollars. Compared
[4:23:26] to December of site comparing
[4:23:30] December 2024 to December
[4:23:31] 2023, we've collected
[4:23:34] 152 million more and expended.
[4:23:36] 51 million more. Then last
[4:23:36] year. The 563 million in
[4:23:41] revenue collections is mainly
[4:23:42] comprised of 259 million
[4:23:45] dollars from state
[4:23:45] appropriated funds, mostly for
[4:23:48] Everglades restoration and
[4:23:50] 288 million from ad valorem.
[4:23:51] The remaining 16 million is
[4:23:53] from investment earnings
[4:23:53] license plate permits and
[4:23:56] fees. Lee says Salem District
[4:23:57] property and self-insurance.
[4:24:00] We have expended and obligated
[4:24:01] 48% of our budget. That's all
[4:24:04] I have for you on the
[4:24:04] financial report. Moving on.
[4:24:08] gonna this month. Also provide
[4:24:10] some highlights of our annual
[4:24:11] work plan. So in your packets
[4:24:14] is the fiscal year. 23. 24
[4:24:16] annual work plan performance
[4:24:18] staff compiled. This is a
[4:24:20] draft for your review. Prior
[4:24:21] to the official posting in the
[4:24:24] South Florida environmental
[4:24:25] report on March first 2025. So
[4:24:29] the work plan against for
[4:24:30] 2024. begins October first, 23
[4:24:33] through September. 29th 2024.
[4:24:36] the work plan measures annual
[4:24:37] achievement towards the
[4:24:37] boards. Strategic goals,
[4:24:40] priorities and projects
[4:24:41] scheduling. And it is chapter
[4:24:44] 2 of volume. 2 of the support
[4:24:45] of our men to report. So just
[4:24:46] a couple highlights for you.
[4:24:49] There's 57, metrics and that
[4:24:51] plan. We met all of the
[4:24:51] metrics except for 2. These
[4:24:53] are related to our
[4:24:55] infrastructure maintenance
[4:24:55] where the goal was no more
[4:24:56] than 20% of field maintenance
[4:24:58] work was to be unplanned and
[4:25:00] they had 23% on plant. And the
[4:25:03] other was no more than 20% of
[4:25:04] field maintenance funds for
[4:25:06] unplanned work. And it was
[4:25:07] that we're at 25%. So in
[4:25:10] response to that, we're
[4:25:11] anticipating to see
[4:25:11] improvements during the 2025
[4:25:14] fiscal year due to the
[4:25:16] additional funding that the
[4:25:18] governor and legislature
[4:25:18] provided us nm of our critical
[4:25:21] infrastructure to allow us to
[4:25:22] get caught up on some of our
[4:25:23] backlog needs. Our project per
[4:25:27] portfolio comprised of 132
[4:25:29] active projects. And we
[4:25:30] completed 25. So all in all,
[4:25:31] it was a good year. If you
[4:25:35] have any questions on specific
[4:25:36] metrics, please feel free to
[4:25:37] reach out to myself or candy.
[4:25:38] And we can set up a meeting
[4:25:39] with the appropriate staff.
[4:25:43] That's all I have for Thanks
[4:25:43] that I found that really,
[4:25:46] really interesting reading
[4:25:46] just nice lay everything out.
[4:25:50] So I have to keep calling and
[4:25:51] asking when things are going
[4:25:51] to be done. no staff does a
[4:25:53] great job, putting together.
[4:25:53] Thank you. Anyone have any
[4:25:55] questions or comments. Is
[4:25:59] there a general public
[4:26:00] comment? Yes, Mr. Chairman.
[4:26:04] >> We'll begin with Mark Perry
[4:26:05] followed by Newton Cook.
[4:26:15] >> Thank you. Governing Mark
[4:26:16] Perry just to kind indicate. I
[4:26:17] mean, we are with Lake
[4:26:20] Okeechobee recovery
[4:26:21] operations, like we said
[4:26:24] earlier the estuaries are
[4:26:26] getting hit pretty hard during
[4:26:27] this particular dry season.
[4:26:28] You saw the comparison and the
[4:26:31] slides at Lawrence just showed
[4:26:34] you about, you know,
[4:26:35] Salinities being about 5 to 10
[4:26:37] parts per 1000, the estuary
[4:26:39] versus last December about 18
[4:26:40] to 30 parts per 1000. So those
[4:26:44] low salinities in the over
[4:26:47] long durations definitely
[4:26:48] affect oyster reefs in
[4:26:50] Worcester spawning that begins
[4:26:51] to happen later on this
[4:26:53] season. If we look at current
[4:26:56] rate of, you know, the
[4:26:57] including a map of
[4:26:58] transporation that you had and
[4:26:59] the numbers that they showed
[4:27:01] up in about 7350 CFS out of
[4:27:02] the lake. That's about
[4:27:07] 1414,500 acre feet per day. So
[4:27:11] if you look at that
[4:27:12] extrapolated out, it probably
[4:27:14] take about 2 months or 64 days
[4:27:14] to get down to 2 feet lower.
[4:27:18] So we're in the in April and
[4:27:21] that's really not going to be
[4:27:22] acceptable. spawning season.
[4:27:25] The the estuaries don't get
[4:27:25] any recovery. I know the STA
[4:27:29] is are under recovery. I know
[4:27:30] that their sand, we got to
[4:27:33] recover the lake and
[4:27:34] definitely got to do that.
[4:27:34] We've got to get this water
[4:27:36] moving south. Can we move it
[4:27:38] at the maximum practical razon
[4:27:39] just 1100 CFS we've got to get
[4:27:42] that move more south to the
[4:27:44] Everglades. It needs are right
[4:27:45] now. Actually end not to the
[4:27:47] statue areas for right now. So
[4:27:51] let's try to work on that.
[4:27:52] Maximum practical. What's
[4:27:52] happened we've taking up a lot
[4:27:54] of that capacity to the bar
[4:27:58] graph that you see from John
[4:27:59] when presents that with you
[4:28:02] know, over a million acre
[4:28:04] through the water to the St
[4:28:05] Ays into the water
[4:28:07] conservation areas and only
[4:28:07] about, you know, to that
[4:28:10] 200,000 acre feet of that is
[4:28:11] from the lake. All the other
[4:28:14] 800 plus 1000 is from basin
[4:28:16] runoff. And every year we
[4:28:18] supply and water were
[4:28:20] happening now, water supplies
[4:28:22] coming out of the lake going
[4:28:23] to probably may. But then and
[4:28:26] they're worried about the lake
[4:28:27] into well. Because of they
[4:28:30] need that water supply. And
[4:28:31] then every sweat season we
[4:28:35] over drain that that whole
[4:28:35] basin. And with over a million
[4:28:38] acre feet practically only a
[4:28:39] little bit of capacity left
[4:28:42] for getting like water through
[4:28:43] the St Ays and into the water
[4:28:45] conservation ERs. So we need
[4:28:46] to do a better job. Managing
[4:28:48] that water and and try to work
[4:28:50] on those permits that they
[4:28:52] have to over drain and
[4:28:52] oversupply. That basin. that's
[4:28:55] all I can say. I mean, we're
[4:28:56] really need to recover the
[4:29:00] lake. But at the same time,
[4:29:02] understand the damage it does
[4:29:04] to the estuaries, which are
[4:29:04] struggling to recover as well.
[4:29:05] Thank Thank you, Mr. Perry.
[4:29:08] >> Next we'll hear from Newton
[4:29:10] Cook followed by Diamond
[4:29:10] Bergeron.
[4:29:17] >> afternoon. Newton Cook,
[4:29:20] United Waterfowlers. And
[4:29:24] sometimes we get fixated on.
[4:29:25] The lake in the Everglades
[4:29:28] South. A round of speed just a
[4:29:33] few minutes about. The other
[4:29:37] part, what this district
[4:29:38] managers and that's hold down.
[4:29:44] I deal with the Saint Johns
[4:29:44] River, Water Management
[4:29:45] District and I stood right in
[4:29:46] front of governing board about
[4:29:49] a year ago year and a half ago
[4:29:51] and explain them what they
[4:29:52] were getting ready to do to
[4:29:52] Lake Apopka. When they decided
[4:29:55] to spread out 8,000 acres, a
[4:29:58] B, which happen to be had to
[4:29:59] go up that like. You know,
[4:30:04] you're doing the same thing.
[4:30:04] The Lake Toho. As I stand
[4:30:06] here. ran out. A large
[4:30:10] portion. Happens to be had
[4:30:16] real up could be was
[4:30:16] pondering. Who cares? say You
[4:30:20] know what happened Lake
[4:30:20] Apopka. Didn't make the TV
[4:30:24] down. Here are some people
[4:30:25] know. We just had a massive
[4:30:29] fish kill it, kill 10's
[4:30:29] hundreds of thousands of
[4:30:31] beach, a pound bass floating.
[4:30:34] And the waters for, as you can
[4:30:35] see how You know, why? Because
[4:30:41] after we explained to him that
[4:30:42] you kill out, beat it. Claims
[4:30:44] the water. Foster's level goes
[4:30:47] Well. Foster's level went up.
[4:30:52] You know what happens when the
[4:30:53] fosters level goes up, get out
[4:30:58] now that doesn't kill the
[4:30:59] fish. Spray doesn't kill the
[4:31:01] fish. And blue green algae.
[4:31:04] Not a big fish kill. But what
[4:31:07] does kill the fish? If you
[4:31:08] have a cold snap. And all the
[4:31:10] options s***** out of water.
[4:31:13] And a fish die by the
[4:31:13] thousands. And that's just
[4:31:16] what happened. The last cold
[4:31:17] snap. And this district. This
[4:31:21] spring out. as a stand. We
[4:31:29] probably won't get a cold
[4:31:29] snap. We probably won't have a
[4:31:34] fish kill. Why do make
[4:31:36] Disneyland out of these lakes?
[4:31:39] These lakes are supposed to be
[4:31:40] wearing a summit tropical
[4:31:41] zone. There's supposed to be
[4:31:43] vegetated a lot. Not just a
[4:31:45] little. And we spend millions
[4:31:49] of dollars in this case,
[4:31:51] 7 million sold a pop-up think
[4:31:51] a couple of million Making
[4:31:53] Disney lands out of people can
[4:31:57] run around. I never bass
[4:31:57] boats. And the shoreline
[4:31:59] people can. Not seeing any
[4:32:02] vegetation along the
[4:32:04] shoreline. Totally unnatural.
[4:32:08] Read it to Cuesta fouls when
[4:32:09] the people that came down the
[4:32:10] Kissimmee and the 18 million
[4:32:12] teen hundreds to Lake
[4:32:14] Okeechobee and read. But they
[4:32:15] had to fight through lakes and
[4:32:17] the rivers. The natural.
[4:32:21] Everglades. Vegetated. Please
[4:32:26] Think you thank you, Mr. Cook.
[4:32:30] >> We'll hear next from
[4:32:31] Diamond Bertram, followed by
[4:32:32] Michele are kept Palermo on
[4:32:41] Good afternoon.
[4:32:45] >> Di numbers are on with the
[4:32:46] Bergeron Everglades
[4:32:46] Foundation. We're probably
[4:32:50] outside of the happy New Year
[4:32:51] window. But I want to wish
[4:32:52] everyone a happy new year. We
[4:32:53] didn't have a meeting in
[4:32:54] January. So I think that's
[4:32:54] appropriate. And a very happy
[4:32:58] birthday. Early birthday to
[4:32:59] chairman I'd also like to
[4:33:04] congratulate Colonel Roman are
[4:33:06] swamped queen. There's no one
[4:33:07] more deserving of a crown than
[4:33:08] you. And if you were in
[4:33:11] attendance, you all have to
[4:33:13] know that she won by an
[4:33:15] absolute landslide and not
[4:33:16] only that, but there was a
[4:33:18] line out the door of people
[4:33:19] wanting to get photos with the
[4:33:20] clean the entire night. is
[4:33:23] very exciting. The swamp is
[4:33:24] lucky to have you. And so are
[4:33:24] we. A big congratulations to
[4:33:30] Everglades coalition co-chair
[4:33:31] as Kelli Cox and Mark Perry on
[4:33:32] another outstanding conference
[4:33:34] and a heartfelt thank you to
[4:33:36] the Miccosukee tribe for their
[4:33:37] generosity in hosting the
[4:33:37] event. It was wonderful to see
[4:33:40] so many of you there. I want
[4:33:44] to echo my neighbor Bennell
[4:33:45] since comments that were made
[4:33:47] earlier today and extend my
[4:33:49] appreciation to the district
[4:33:51] to John Madden and the
[4:33:52] modeling team for prioritizing
[4:33:53] holding meetings with the
[4:33:55] private landowners within the
[4:33:56] West, Peter Basin, footprint
[4:33:56] of work. If anyone can get
[4:34:00] this right and ensure that all
[4:34:01] stakeholders are heard, it's
[4:34:02] this district. All of my hope
[4:34:04] is in all of you. I'm hopeful
[4:34:10] that you'll continue working
[4:34:10] with us so that we can get
[4:34:11] this right for all
[4:34:12] stakeholders, private
[4:34:14] landowners, the Miccosukee
[4:34:15] tribe, the Seminole tribe. And
[4:34:15] most importantly, the
[4:34:16] environment. As a private land
[4:34:19] owner. I can assure you that
[4:34:20] we're showing up to ensure the
[4:34:21] protection of the wildlife and
[4:34:25] their home that we are lucky
[4:34:25] enough to steward much more
[4:34:26] than we're showing up for
[4:34:27] ourselves. I look forward to
[4:34:29] our next landowner meeting.
[4:34:30] And on that note, then I'd
[4:34:33] also like to channel my inner
[4:34:34] Reba. Here's your one chance.
[4:34:37] Fancy. Don't let me down
[4:34:39] district. Please don't let us
[4:34:39] down. Thank you so much. Thank
[4:34:41] you. Miss Byrd Ron. We'll hear
[4:34:44] next from Michelle are kept
[4:34:45] Palermo. She just put her head
[4:34:48] down. Mr. the midst Palermo
[4:34:54] please unmute your mic.
[4:34:59] >> Here we go. Sorry about
[4:35:00] that. Good afternoon at 2 gas
[4:35:08] in report I am sorry that I
[4:35:13] was unable to be this morning
[4:35:15] missed the See month we. Never
[4:35:19] in my career when I imagined
[4:35:20] that I would be working. It
[4:35:24] leads and my mentors, we the
[4:35:27] means blocking imports out
[4:35:28] Iran. It was our pleasure to
[4:35:37] around the Muslim mean. I just
[4:35:38] want to say congratulations
[4:35:40] from You are to and so
[4:35:43] grateful that I got to know
[4:35:43] you over the ports like we're
[4:35:45] now seeing 100 kids. Thank
[4:35:47] you, everyone. For all you do
[4:35:48] every single day. in the words
[4:35:52] about Iran, along with
[4:35:55] >> Thank Marquette Palermo,
[4:35:58] Mr. Chairman that concludes
[4:35:59] General public comment.
[4:36:01] >> Thanks. We'll move now to
[4:36:02] board comment. start with Mr.
[4:36:03] Butler.
[4:36:08] >> One quick on the pup date
[4:36:12] talks fdacs portion talks
[4:36:14] about the bmp manuals. And
[4:36:15] that's Rebecca. Projected
[4:36:18] February 3rd, I think that
[4:36:20] Mister Wess said they're out
[4:36:21] right?
[4:36:27] >> Okay. All right. And right
[4:36:28] down to the small farm. Manual
[4:36:31] is out. So. So that was good
[4:36:35] cfx. Get those manuals The
[4:36:36] updated map. Thanks, and happy
[4:36:41] birthday, Thank
[4:36:44] >> Goss. I hope you have a
[4:36:45] great birthday you can
[4:36:47] celebrate in style. Nothing
[4:36:49] else. Thanks.
[4:36:54] >> I want to embarrass of
[4:36:55] thank you. progressed. Lo live
[4:37:03] the Everglades.
[4:37:04] >> right.
[4:37:05] >> Well said Ms Meads you on.
[4:37:07] >> I don't have anything else.
[4:37:08] Cameron, thank you. All right.
[4:37:10] >> Thanks for being hanging in
[4:37:11] there with us. I look forward
[4:37:13] to seeing you all in March and
[4:37:15] April in those meetings will
[4:37:17] be here and it looks like in
[4:37:18] they were going down to