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

K253
Manatee - Imp. BMPs Wares Creek
Project Type Cooperative Funding
AOR(s)
Flood Protection
Basin(s) Manasota
Cooperator(s)
Manatee County
Project Manager FRIES, GEORGE
Task Manager(s)
Status Ongoing
Description
This is a multi-year funded project to perform the Implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) element of
the District's Watershed Management Program (WMP) for the Wares Creek Watershed. Implementation of BMPs
includes the following tasks: design, development of construction documents, construction permitting, land acquisition,
bidding and contractor selection, construction of the BMPs and construction engineering and inspection. Wares Creek
is an intermediate-scale system that conveys stormwater from a 6.23 square mile watershed that flows from the
unincorporated areas of Manatee County north through the City of Bradenton before discharging to the Manatee River.
The Wares Creek Flood Protection Project is a joint effort between Manatee County (County) and the United States
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), as authorized by the U.S. Congress in the Water Resources Development Act of
1996, to reduce flood damage within the Cedar Hammock (Wares Creek) Drainage Basin located in west central
Manatee County. The USACE has proposed channel widening and bank stabilization of Wares Creek to reduce flood
levels to within-bank for a storm event of a 10-year magnitude. Wares Creek channel improvements will begin at the
confluence of Wares Creek with the Manatee River and end at the 44th Avenue West crossing (Cortez Road).
Benefits
The project will provide additional capacity within the stream banks and, thereby, provide an improved level of service.
These improvements will address structure flooding along Wares Creek by providing flood protection for homes
currently inundated and damaged during the 10-year flood event. Based on an analysis prepared by the USACE, the
project will provide a positive benefit/cost ratio.
Costs
Funding for this project has been provided in the Manasota Basin Board budgets for FY2000 ($346,000); FY2001
($862,000); FY2002 ($431,000); FY2004 ($892,500); FY2005 ($500,000); FY2006 ($3,000,000); FY2007
($2,000,000); and FY2008 ($2,885,036) for a total funding commitment through FY2008 of $10,916,536. The total
projected cost for this project is $55.2 million of which the District's share is $14,254,000. The County will contribute
$14,254,000. Additional funding of $2,150,000 will be provided by the Florida DEP and $24.5 million will be provided
by the US Army Corps of Engineers. As reported by the Manatee County Environmental Manager at the April 2009
Basin Board meeting, the County expects to request $820,000 in cooperative funding in FY2011. Future funding of
$2,517,464 will be required to complete the District's obligation to fund the project. When each element is completed
the project budget and scope may require refinement based on the information gathered. The District funding amounts
shown in the table include staff salaries.
Additional Information
The WMP includes five major elements: 1) Topographic Information, 2) Watershed Evaluation, 3) Watershed
Management Plan, 4) Implementation of BMPs, and 5) Maintenance of Watershed Parameters and Models.
Implementing elements of the WMP with local governments is one of the Comprehensive Watershed Management
(CWM) initiative strategies and one of the District's Strategic Priorities. The WMP provides a method to evaluate the
capacity of a watershed to protect, enhance and restore water quality and natural systems while achieving flood
protection. This project involves the Implementation of BMPs. The total project cost (construction plus easement
acquisition) was estimated to be $13.4 million in 1996 and in 2005 was estimated at $55.2 million of which $24.5
million is the responsibility of the USACE while the remaining $30.7 million is the responsibility of the local sponsor,
Manatee County. In FY2000 the Basin Board agreed to participate with Manatee County in the project by providing
one-half of the County's required share of 5% of the total project cost. The Basin Board budgeted $346,000 in
FY2000 and a cooperative funding agreement was executed. A second cooperative funding agreement was
developed in FY2001 for the Wares Creek Project for rights-of-way and easement acquisitions necessary to construct
the creek enhancements. In FY2001 the Basin Board provided funding of $862,000; in FY2002: $431,000; and in
FY2004: $892,500. In FY2005 the County requested additional funding of $500,000 for right-of-way and easement
acquisition because of the steady increase in land values in Manatee County since the original estimate was
developed in 1996. The Board budgeted the additional funds and the agreement was amended to incorporate these
funds. For FY2006 the County requested that the project scope be amended to incorporate the additional construction
work needed to extend the project to the Manatee River and to provide additional funding for easement acquisitions
and project construction. The Basin Board, at its April 2005 meeting, agreed to this change in scope and scale of the
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