notebook - Southwest Florida Water Management District

Consent Agenda
July 31, 2012
Resource Management Committee
FARMS – Flint Properties II, LLC and Trust (H674), Manatee and DeSoto Counties
Item 13.a.
Purpose
To request approval for a Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS)
project with Flint Properties II, LLC and Trust and approval to reimburse FARMS eligible costs
up to a not-to-exceed limit of $151,507 (45 percent of total project costs). Of this amount,
$151,507 is requested from Governing Board FARMS Funds. Total project costs are estimated
at $333,419.
Project Proposal
The District received a project proposal from Flint Properties II, LLC and Trust for their
1,300-acre citrus, row crop and strawberry farm located 13 miles west of Arcadia, on the
Manatee and DeSoto County line, within the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA). This
project will involve the construction and operation of a 4-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. The Water Use Permit
(WUP) authorizes an annual average groundwater withdrawal of 784,800 gallons per day (gpd)
for 40 acres of citrus, 200 acres of strawberries and 200 acres of row crops with low volume
under tree spray, sprinkler and seepage irrigation, respectively. FARMS project components
consist of a surface water irrigation pump station, filtration system, culvert and the piping
necessary to connect the surface water reservoir to the existing irrigation system. The applicant
has been approved for funding assistance from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation
Service’s Environmental Quality Incentive Program for excavation of the surface water reservoir
and a portion of the culvert costs and meets the requirements of FARMS Rule 40D-26, Florida
Administrative Code (F.A.C.).
Benefits/Costs
The proposed project involves water quantity best management practices for bed preparation,
crop establishment, and supplemental irrigation and qualifies for a 50 percent cost-share
reimbursement rate under the FARMS Program since it is expected to offset the use of
groundwater by less than 50 percent. Using an estimated 26 percent savings of permitted
quantities for bed preparation, crop plant establishment, and daily irrigation, or 205,254 gpd,
yields a daily cost of $1.02 per thousand gallons of groundwater reduced over the proposed
five-year contract term, and $0.31 per thousand gallons of groundwater reduced over a 30-year
term. This value is within the guidelines for the generally accepted average cost savings per
thousand gallons for the implementation of alternative supplies for strawberry, flatwood citrus
and row crop operations. Reimbursement will be from the Governing Board FARMS
Fund. Upon approval, the Governing Board will have $1,914,592 remaining in its FARMS
Program budget.
Staff Recommendation: See Exhibit
(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.
Presenter: Eric C. DeHaven, P.G., Bureau Chief, Natural Systems and Restoration
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