WEST PALM BEACH – The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) will be host a public online meeting on Dec. 8, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. to present the details of an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Science Plan.

Eight clusters of 10 ASRs each are included in the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project (LOWRP) which is a joint effort of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and SFWMD. In order the “fast track” plans for more water storage north of Lake Okeechobee, the state has allocated $100 million to SFWMD to start work on the LOWRP ASRs.

The Science Plan has been developed to support the implementation of ASR technology as a component of the greater Everglades Restoration, and specifically formulated in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address uncertainties previously identified by the National Research Council during a review of previous regional Everglades Restoration ASR studies.

The meeting agenda will include:

• History of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) including CERP pilot projects and the ASR regional study;

• A review of the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Plan including the ASR well program;

• A reivew of the 2020 ASR Science Plan, including: the National Research Council Reivew; future construction and testing; understanding phosphorus reduction potential; operations to maximize recovery; disinfection/treatment technology; ecotoxicology and ecological risk assessment; water quality; and, projtect sequencing and data management.

There will be a public comment period at the end of the meeting.

The major goals of the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project (LOWRP) part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan - are to improve the quantity, timing, and distribution of water entering Lake Okeechobee. LOWRP will improve management of lake water levels, reduce excessive releases to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, and increase operational flexibility. These goals will be achieved through storage of water in surface reservoirs and underground in aquifer storage and recovery wells. Additional wetland areas also will be restored to enhance habitat utilization in the subwatersheds that are the focus of this project.

To register for the meeting, go online to https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sfmf9PYsQcWNzHUlge3D0A