2016-43 Supporting Measures to Alleviate Harmful Discharges to Coastal EstuariesRESOLUTION 2016 -43
A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF
\ NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, URGING EXPEDITED PLANNING OF
GREATLY INCREASED WATER STORAGE SOUTH OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE,
A COMPONENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION
PLAN, AND EXPEDITED PURCHASE OF EVERGLADES AGRICULTURAL
AREA LAND TO STORE, TREAT, AND CONVEY CLEAN WATER FROM
LAKE OKEECHOBEE TO EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK AND FLORIDA BAY
AND TO ALLEVIATE HARMFUL DISCHARGES TO COASTAL ESTUARIES
INCLUDING THE LAKE WORTH LAGOON; PROVIDING FOR TRANSMITTAL;
AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the Village of North of Palm Beach encompasses a portion of the Lake Worth Lagoon; and
WHEREAS, the C -51 (West Palm Beach) Canal discharges directly into the Lake Worth Lagoon; and
WHEREAS, the C -51 (West Palm Beach) Canal receives water from Lake Okeechobee; and
WHEREAS, under the current "plumbing" policy for South Florida, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
will, at times of high water and for reasons of human safety, be called upon to discharge waters
from Lake Okeechobee into the Lake Worth Lagoon through the C -51 Canal; and
WHEREAS, the degraded water quality and elevated nutrient status of Lake Okeechobee makes it
possible for those discharged waters to cause undesirable and widespread algal blooms; and
WHEREAS, such algal blooms can release persistent toxins that are not removed by currently used
water treatment techniques; and
WHEREAS, the need for these potentially harmful discharges into coastal estuaries including the
St. Lucie Inlet, the Caloosahatchee River estuary; and the Lake Worth Lagoon arises directly from
the current inability to send large quantities of clean water southward into the remaining Everglades
and into Florida Bay, both of which desperately need clean water; and
WHEREAS, southward flows from Lake Okeechobee directly into the Everglades south of
Lake Okeechobee was the original route for excess waters from this lake; and
WHEREAS, throughout the 20th century, the construction of water control structures and facilities
within the Everglades has altered the natural hydrologic patterns of water in the region, and over
time, has greatly reduced the needed flow of freshwater into Everglades National Park through
Shark River Slough and Taylor Slough into Florida Bay and harmed the ecosystems of the Bay and
other connected coastal regions; and
WHEREAS, restoration of clean freshwater flows through the Everglades ecosystem and into
Florida Bay is critical for the health of Florida's estuarine ecosystems, recharge of the Biscayne aquifer
with potable water, reduction of salt water intrusion and increased sea level rise resiliency; and
WHEREAS, the harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie Inlet, the
Caloosahatchee River and now into the Lake Worth Lagoon are caused by an overabundance of
freshwater being released to the east and west coasts, while the Everglades and Florida Bay are
being starved for freshwater; and
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WHEREAS, these and associated problems can all be alleviated through the expedited restoration
of greatly increased flows of cleaned water southward into the Everglades; and
WHEREAS, such greatly increased flows of clean water require large areas of land within the
j Everglades Agricultural Area ( "BAA "); and
WHEREAS, the continued loss of the organic soils of the Everglades Agricultural Area can be
reversed through the use of the land for the treatment, storage and conveyance of water into the
Everglades; and
WHEREAS, America's Everglades are a world renowned and globally unique ecosystem, a
World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, and a Ramsar Wetland of International
Importance; and
WHEREAS, the Everglades is the largest and most important freshwater, subtropical peat wetland
in North America; and
WHEREAS, one -third of all Floridians, nearly seven million people, depend, directly or indirectly,
on the Everglades for their water supply; and
WHEREAS, the dire situations in the St. Lucie Inlet, the Caloosahatchee Estuary, potentially in the
Lake Worth Lagoon, in the Everglades, and in Florida Bay, are all symptoms of a larger need to
restore the Everglades ecosystem by constructing projects for the conveyance, treatment and storage
of water as outlined in Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan ( "CERP "), including water
storage south of Lake Okeechobee in the Everglades Agricultural Area; and
WHEREAS, the Village of North Palm Beach supports and urges the expedited authorization of,
appropriations for, and completion of CERP, the Central Everglades Planning Project ( "CEPP ") and
other related projects that will help restore flows of clean water to the Everglades and Florida Bay
through the passage of a Water Resources Development Act bill or other federal legislation as soon
as possible; and
WHEREAS, some of the needed restoration projects have been postponed or delayed in the latest
version of the CERP Integrated Delivery Schedule ( "IDS ") and it is incumbent upon the Florida
Legislature and Governor, U.S. Congress, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and South Florida Water
Management District to continue to partner in this concerted effort prioritizing the combined health
of the St. Lucie Inlet, the Caloosahatchee River, the Lake Worth Lagoon, the Everglades and
Florida Bay; and
WHEREAS, increased storage in the EAA would benefit not only the Everglades and Florida Bay
but all of south Florida by helping to reduce the devastating Caloosahatchee, St. Lucie and
Lake Worth Lagoon releases from Lake Okeechobee; and
WHEREAS, the Village of North Palm Beach recommends expedited planning to more holistically
evaluate water storage, treatment and conveyance needs north and especially south of
Lake Okeechobee; and
WHEREAS, the Village of North Palm Beach supports and recommends that the State of Florida,
SFWMD and the Federal government expedite the acquisition of land south of Lake Okeechobee in
the Everglades Agricultural Area for these critical purposes; and
WHEREAS, the Village Council determines that the adoption of this Resolution is in the best
interests of the residents and citizens of the Village of North Palm Beach.
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NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH,
FLORIDA, as follows:
Section 1. The foregoing recitals are ratified as true and incorporated herein.
Section 2. Supporting Everglades Restoration Projects. The Village of North Palm Beach
strongly urges the Federal Government, the State of Florida Legislature and the Governor of the
State of Florida to expedite the process of planning land -based water storage, treatment and
conveyance south of Lake Okeechobee that once completed, will provide the means for greatly
decreasing harmful discharges to the east and west coasts of Florida and simultaneously greatly
increasing beneficial passage of clean water south to the Everglades and Florida Bay ecosystems.
Section 3. Advocating for Purchase of Land in the EAA. The Village of North Palm Beach
supports the purchase of land south of Lake Okeechobee in the EAA, as allowed for in the Florida
Water and Land Legacy Amendment and referenced in the above paragraph, and other measures set
forth in this Resolution that will restore the flow of freshwater into Florida Bay immediately.
Section 4. The Village Council hereby directs the Village Clerk to provide copies of this
Resolution to:
• U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
• U.S. Senator Marco Rubio
• U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy (District 18)
• U.S. Army Assistant Secretary for Civil Works, Jo -Ellen Darcy
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District Commander Col. Jason Kirk
• U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell
• Florida Governor Rick Scott
• Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner
• Florida Senate President - Designate Joe Negron, District 32
• Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, District 37
• Florida House Speaker - Designate Steve Crisafulli, District 51
• Florida Senator Joseph Abruzzo, District 25
• Florida Representative Patrick Rooney, Jr., District 85
• Chair, South Florida Water Management District Governing Board, Daniel O'Keefe
• Executive Director, South Florida Water Management District Peter Antonacci
• Secretary, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Jon Steverson
Section 5. This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 28TH DAY OF JULY, 20
(`Village 'Seal)
ATTEST: '
VILLAGVCLERk
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