Page 15 - Abacoa Community News - October '23

Abacoa, Page 15
Commissioner’s Update

Water Works essential habitats supporting a wide spectrum of ecological and reservoirs. Mecca Farms, a site just north of Northlake
resources. In the decades to follow, the South Florida Boulevard on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road will serve as
By Commissioner Water Management District (SFWMD) embarked on a one of the water storage areas. Additionally, rock pits owned
Maria Marino plan, in collaboration with local government and drainage by Palm Beach Aggregates on the north side of Southern
Water, an element we districts to create additional water storage in the L-8 canal Boulevard at Twenty-Mile Bend are the site of a multiphase
cannot live without, is basin in order to protect and restore the Loxahatchee River. public/private project comprising the C-51 Reservoir.
something Florida receives Components of the Lower East Coast Regional Water Local government agencies have contributed expertise
a lot of, especially through Supply Plan affecting Northern Palm Beach County – and funding to plan and implement features of the overall
the summer rainy season, including Loxahatchee River restoration – are part of the project, such as the L-8 reservoir, purchasing and restoring
adding up to an annual vast Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project, led wetlands to connect the flow of water, construction of control
rainfall of about 4½ feet on by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. structures and pumps, and increasing capacity.
average. This abundance of Project goals seek to capture water flows through These agencies include Palm Beach County, the City of
water presents challenges to canals and basins to meet drinking water demands; West Palm Beach – whose drinking water supplies relies on
improving systems to store, recharge canals and wells; reduce discharge to tide; treat/ adequate levels of filtered water in Grassy Waters Preserve,
filter, and send it to where it is needed most, rather than filter water headed to the Loxahatchee River and the Lake Indian Trail Improvement District, SFWMD, South Indian
letting it flow out to the ocean. Worth Lagoon; and, reduce flooding. River Water Control District, Lake Worth Drainage District,
In 1985, the U.S. Department of Interior designated the Water managers and project engineers have determined and Pal Mar Water Control District. The county also receives
northwest fork of the Loxahatchee River for inclusion in that these goals are achievable by utilizing wetlands under input on options studied and recommended through its Water
the Federal Wild & Scenic River system, recognizing its conservation and by constructing stormwater treatment areas Resources Task Force Advisory Board, and the Loxahatchee
River Management Coordinating Council.
Local initiatives rely on financial support from state
and federal partners. Recently, Palm Beach County
received a $7.7 million grant from the Florida Department
of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to upgrade the
levee at the southeast side of the J.W. Corbett Wildlife
Management Area, which will reduce the risk of flooding
in the Acreage and Loxahatchee communities within the
Indian Trail Improvement District.
Additionally, FDEP awarded grants totaling $113 million
to the county toward the construction of Cells 12 and 13 of
Phase II of the C-51 Reservoir. The L-8 Canal sends water
from Lake Okeechobee into our region. Once these cells
are fully connected to the L-8 Canal, the reservoir will be
capable of providing water to restore the northwest fork of
the Loxahatchee River and connected wetlands, combat salt
water intrusion by canal recharge, and increase water supply.
Each of these costly and complex projects are pieces of
the overall puzzle to effectively store, filter and manage
water, while enhancing our natural environment, and as
you can see, requires the help of numerous stakeholders
to achieve.
At the end of the day, water is a precious resource and
our county continually needs to think outside the box to aid
in water management strategies. As a man stated recently at
a county commission public hearing, water is life.
Please contact me if I can assist you at (561) 355-2201
or by email at mmarino@pbcgov.org.

Tax Talk from page 14

process to regularly
post outstanding
o r un c a sh e d
checks on the tax
collector’s website
so that clients can
visit the website
24/7 to see if they
potentially have
any unclaimed
funds with our
office. This new Left to right: Constitutional Tax
process lists Collector Anne M. Gannon and
roughly 2,300 to Chief Financial Officer Carmen
3,000 outstanding C. Richardson
c he c ks on t he
website at any given time, which negates the need to
mail notices to individuals thus reducing our monthly
postage costs by more than $1,300!
To find out if you may have unclaimed funds with
our office, visit https://www.pbctax.com/unclaimed-
funds/.
Congratulations to my Chief Financial Officer,
Carmen C. Richardson, and her innovation and
dedicated team for the tremendous work they do to
ensure we are fiscally responsible and delivering
exceptional service to our clients.