notebook - Southwest Florida Water Management District

SWFWMD Governing Board Executive Summary ~3~ JULY 31, 2012
$250,840 to $182,820, thereby reducing the District’s and the County’s funding obligation from
$125,420 to $91,410; and authorize the Division Director to execute the amendment.
13. Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS)
a. Flint Properties II, LLC and Trust (H674), Manatee and DeSoto Counties
The District received a project proposal from Flint Properties II, LLC and Trust for their
1,300-acre farm located west of Arcadia within the Southern Water Use Caution Area. This
project will involve the construction and operation of a four-acre reservoir to collect tailwater
and surface water from the property and surrounding watershed to offset Upper Floridan
aquifer groundwater used for bed preparation, crop establishment and supplemental irrigation
over 40 acres of citrus and 180 acres of strawberries and/or row crops.
Staff recommends the Board:
(1) Approve the Robert Flint project for a not-to-exceed project reimbursement of $151,507
with $151,507 provided by the Governing Board;
(2) Authorize the transfer of $151,507 from fund 010 H017 Governing Board FARMS Funds to
the 010 H674 Robert Flint project fund; and
(3) Authorize the Resource Management Division Director to execute the agreement.
b. Hawk Produce, Inc. (H675), Hillsborough County
The District received a project proposal from Hawk Produce, Inc., for their 20 acre strawberry
farm located south of Plant City within the DPCWUCA and Alafia River Basin. This project will
involve the use of frost/freeze cover cloth on 15 acres of strawberries to offset Upper Floridan
aquifer groundwater quantities used for cold protection. The Water Use Permit (WUP)
authorizes cold protection groundwater withdrawals of 1,628,600 gallons per day (gpd) to
frost/freeze protect 15 acres of strawberries with overhead sprinkler irrigation.
Staff recommends the Board:
(1) Approve the Hawk Produce, Inc. project for a not-to-exceed project reimbursement of
$33,600 with $33,600 provided by the Governing Board;
(2) Authorize the transfer of $33,600 from fund 010 H017 Governing Board FARMS funds to
the 010 H675 Hawk Produce, Inc. project fund; and
(3) Authorize the Resource Management Division Director to execute the agreement.
c. Deshong Strawberry Patches, Inc. (H676), Hillsborough County
The District received a project proposal from Deshong Strawberry Patches, Inc., for its 52 acre
farm located west of Plant City within the DPCWUCA and Hillsborough River Basin. This
project will involve the use of frost/freeze cover cloth on 20 acres of strawberries to offset
Upper Floridan aquifer groundwater quantities used for cold protection. The Water Use
Permit (WUP) authorizes cold protection groundwater withdrawals of 2,016,000 gallons per
day (gpd) to frost/freeze protect 25 acres of strawberries with overhead sprinkler irrigation,
and 12 acres of citrus with microjet irrigation.
Staff recommends the Board:
(1) Approve the Deshong Strawberry Patches, Inc. project for a not-to-exceed project
reimbursement of $44,700 with $44,700 provided by the Hillsborough River Basin Fund;
(2) Authorize the transfer of $44,700 from fund 013 H017 Hillsborough River Basin FARMS
funds to the 013 H676 Deshong Strawberry Patches, Inc. project fund; and
(3) Authorize the Resource Management Division Director to execute the agreement.
d. Berry Patches, Inc. - Phase 2 (H677), Hillsborough County
The District received a project proposal from Berry Patches, Inc., for a second phase of their
67.1 acre strawberry farm located east of Dover within the DPCWUCA and Alafia River Basin.
This Phase 2 project will involve the use of frost/freeze cover cloth on 25.7 acres of a 38.5acre
strawberry operation to offset Upper Floridan aquifer groundwater quantities used for
cold protection. The Phase 1 frost/freeze cover cloth project resulted in an estimated 1.2
million gallons per day (gpd) of groundwater savings.