Four projects to improve water quality in the St. Lucie River are under way following South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board approval of a funding partnership with Martin County.

The projects are part of Florida's Northern Everglades restoration program and fulfill the "5-5-5" funding objective, which provides $5 million in state funds matched by $5 million from the District and $5 million from Martin County for implementation over the next year.

"The District recognizes the value of collaborating with such a progressive partner as Martin County on the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Plan," said Melissa Meeker, who represents the Treasure Coast on the SFWMD Governing Board. "Clearly, Martin County considers water quality a top priority, and these projects will complement the environmental benefits expected from other restoration efforts, including the recently announced strategy for a vast storage and treatment system on former farmland in the Everglades Agricultural Area."

The four projects funded in this Martin County partnership are:

· Phase III of the Old Palm City Stormwater Quality Improvement Project, which will develop a neighborhood stormwater quality management system. The project includes land acquisition and construction of two Stormwater Treatment Areas that will serve approximately 106 acres of residential land that was first platted in the 1920s.

· The final component of the Manatee Pocket Dredging project, to improve the water quality in Manatee Pocket of the St. Lucie Estuary. The project calls for the removal of up to 253,000 cubic yards of material, with construction set to begin in December 2008.

· The North River Shores Sewer System, to provide sanitary sewer service to approximately 450 single-family and multifamily parcels of land in the North River Shores area. The project includes construction of an underground collection system throughout the area and a vacuum sewage collection and pumping facility. The project will enhance water quality in the North Fork of the St. Lucie River by eliminating nutrient loading from septic systems. In addition, it will route the wastewater to the North Wastewater Treatment Plant, where it will be converted to irrigation-quality water for reuse.

· The Manatee Creek water quality retrofit, to improve drainage for 833 acres of residential, commercial and industrial development and eliminate discharges into the Manatee Pocket of the St. Lucie Estuary. The second and third phases of the Manatee Creek Water Quality Retrofit will provide additional water quality treatment in wet detention and marsh filtration areas at the Dixie Park Wastewater Treatment Plant site prior to discharge.

"Martin County is pleased to partner and collaborate with the District and the state on these projects," said Martin County Commission Chair Doug Smith. "Water quality projects are high on our list of priorities as a commission, and we look forward to future partnerships in restoring the St. Lucie Estuary and the Indian River Lagoon."

The Florida Legislature in 2007 expanded the Lake Okeechobee Protection Act to strengthen protection for the Northern Everglades, including the Lake Okeechobee watershed and the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries. The Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program recognizes the importance and connectivity of the entire Everglades ecosystem. Implementation of this program will improve the quality, quantity, timing and distribution of water to the natural system.

Health of the Northern Everglades will be enhanced by improving land management to reduce nutrient run-off and by constructing treatment wetlands and water storage projects. The Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers Watershed Protection Plans are now under way to identify additional water quality and water storage projects for each of these watersheds.

For more information about the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program, visit www.sfwmd.gov.

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The South Florida Water Management District is a regional, governmental agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state - 16 counties from Orlando to the Keys. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. The agency mission is to manage and protect water resources of the region by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply. A key initiative is cleanup and restoration of the Everglades.