MANASOTA & PEACE RIVER BBDs Meeting Notebook 10-21-09.docx

Summary Agenda
Joint Meeting and Workshop October 21, 2009
Manasota and Peace River Basin Boards Page 13 of 29
natural system improvements in the Upper Myakka River Watershed (UMRW).
Reimbursement cost-share rates are capped at 75 percent for both water
quantity and water quality or natural systems improvements.
FARMS Program staff received a project proposal from FLM, Inc. for an
addendum to their Phase II project on Prairie River Ranch Grove. The grove is a
1,888-acre citrus grove north of County Road 763 along the west side of State
Highway 31, within DeSoto County. The property drains into and is bisected by
Hog Bay Slough, a tributary of Joshua Creek. The Phase I FARMS project
added a pump station to an existing reservoir on the portion of the property north
of Hog Bay Slough. The Phase II FARMS project involved the excavation of a
reservoir and installation of a pump station on a portion of the property south of
Hog Bay Slough. The Phase II project was completed in July 2009. This
addendum to the Phase II project will add water control structures to the southern
half of the property to better direct water to the Phase II reservoir. The Water
Use Permit authorizes an annual average groundwater withdrawal of 1,709,400
gallons per day (gpd) to irrigate 1,615-acres of the citrus with under tree spray.
The moving annual average indicates that FLM, Inc. Prairie River Ranch is
currently using 87 percent of its permitted quantities and 15 percent of these
quantities are from surface water, constructed as a part of the Phase I FARMS
project. The site has 15 Upper Floridan wells, eight of which have been backplugged
with District assistance. Groundwater sampled from the majority of wells
in the project area has specific conductance valves above 1,000 uS/cm.
Backplugging has improved water quality substantially, but due to the extreme
levels of salinity prior to back-plugging and the inability to pursue backplugging
on additional wells due to yield loss, staff believes the site is highly susceptible to
future groundwater degradation. The primary goal of the project is to reduce the
withdrawal of groundwater through the installation of 14 culverts with risers to
better direct surface water to the Phase II reservoir. The reduction in
groundwater use will benefit the Upper Floridan aquifer system and surface water
quality by replacing groundwater withdrawals with recovered tailwater and
surface water.
Benefits/Costs
The proposed project involves water quantity and water quality BMPs which
qualifies for a 75 percent cost-share reimbursement rate under the FARMS
Program. Using an estimated two percent savings of permitted quantities, or
approximately 35,000 gpd yields a daily cost of $0.90 per thousand gallons of
groundwater reduced over the proposed five-year contract term, and $0.28 per
thousand gallons of groundwater reduced over a thirty-year term. Both values
are within the guidelines for the generally accepted average cost savings per
thousand gallons for the implementation of alternative supplies and improved
irrigation techniques for flatwood citrus operations. Total project costs are
estimated at $50,000. Fiscal year (FY) 2009 State Appropriations will be used
for one-half of the reimbursement with the remainder divided evenly between the
Peace River Basin Board and the Governing Board. Upon approval, the Peace
River Basin Board and Governing Board will have $388,142 and $1,331,200
respectively, remaining in their FARMS Program budgets.
Staff Recommendation: Exhibit 7
1) Approve the FLM, Inc., Prairie River Ranch Phase II a - Culverts Project for a
not-to-exceed project reimbursement of $37,500 with $9,375 provided by the