Dec. 14, 2017
West Palm Beach, FL - The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board on Thursday approved expediting the installation of several culverts in coastal Miami-Dade County as part of the District's ongoing investment in restoring Biscayne Bay.
"The District has invested more than $100 million to restore Biscayne Bay's coastal wetlands, and we will likely invest hundreds of millions more before the project is done because the health of Biscayne Bay is crucial to the local community and Everglades," said SFWMD Governing Board Member Federico Fernandez, a longtime Miami-Dade resident and proponent of restoring Biscayne Bay. "With this work to expedite the installation of several culverts, as well as the exciting interagency partnership forming called the Biscayne Bay Restoration Initiative, the District is taking action to help the Bay."
The plan, passed by the Governing Board today, amends a Project Partnership Agreement between SFWMD and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to build the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands project. The amendment allows the District to proceed with the installation of four culverts along the L-31 East Flow-way region and receive federal cost share. This action will increase the flow of fresh water to the coastal wetlands.