Cleaner water will be heading into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon thanks to the new C-44 Stormwater Treatment area (STA) in Indiantown.
On November 8th, Governor DeSantis activated the pumps which will fill the man-made wetland with water. Its job is to clean polluted stormwater
Photo: Governor Ron DeSantis with Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, a Board Member of both the
South Florida Water Management District and The Guardians of Martin County
runoff taken in from the C-44 canal, which otherwise would have headed, without any treatment, directly to the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon
From the Governor’s press release:
“The SFWMD recently completed three of the six cells of the 6,300-acre treatment area and expects to have the entire STA completed next year. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is building a 3,400-acre reservoir next to the STA that is expected to be completed in 2021.
The C-44 Reservoir will store 50,000 acre-feet of water, including local basin runoff and Lake Okeechobee releases. This will reduce harmful releases reaching the St. Lucie Estuary that can fuel harmful algal blooms. The C-44 STA will treat the water stored in the reservoir before it is released into the estuary.
““I can’t help but smile. Water flowing into this treatment area marks a momentous day in the history of the Everglades, the Treasure Coast, and the St. Lucie Estuary,” said SFWMD Governing Board Member Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch. “This is the start of the road to a healthier estuary and Everglades. Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, progress on Everglades restoration is moving at a rapid pace.””
CLICK TO LEARN MORE:
* Governor Activates C-44 Stormwater Treatment Area: Press Release
* C-44 History from Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch: A Fly-over, a Field Trip, and Watching the Governor Activate the C-44 STA
* News Story: tcpalm.com