Subject:
Title
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Cost-Share Grant No. 38828 for Brevard County Sykes Creek Muck Removal Project Phase 2B (District 2)
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Fiscal Impact:
$1,500,000 of grant funds from SJRWMD (24,82% cost share) matched by up to $4,324,002 from another Board-approved State grant contract (LPA0478) and the balance of match from previously approved Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) funds 1260/514984 for the Sykes Creek Muck Removal Project
Dept/Office:
Natural Resources Management (NRM)
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners approve the SJRWMD Cost-Share Grant No. 38828, and authorize 1) the Chairman to execute the Cost-Share Grant No. 38828; 2) the County Manager or designee to execute all grant contract amendments and modifications upon review by the County Attorney’s Office, Risk Management, and Purchasing; 3) the County Manager to execute competitively procured construction contracts, task orders and change orders, as needed, including in excess of $100,000, to accomplish work approved under this State Contract; and 4) necessary budget change requests.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
The Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) Program submitted a request for funding from SJRWMD’s 2023-2024 Districtwide Cost-Share Program. The County was competitively selected for $1,500,000 for the project area. The funding request for Phase 2B addresses a portion of Phase 2 including dredging and treatment of the interstitial water from approximately 70,000 cubic yards of muck covering 12 acres of residential finger canals. The District will reimburse the County an amount not to exceed approximately 24.82% of the total Construction Cost of $6,042,800 or $1,500,000, whichever is less for this portion of Phase 2. Cost-Share funds will be provided by the County through SOIRL Funds and State Grant LPA0478.
The Sykes Creek Muck Removal Project is included in the SOIRL Project Plan. Phases 1 and 2, including subsections 2A, 2B, and 2C, comprise a multi-year project to remove approximately 680,000 cubic yards of muck covering 187 acres adjacent to the Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary. Sykes Creek Phase 1 dredging is complete. Phase 2 dredging will commence after sitework is done at a County-owned, multiuse facility that will be used for dewatering muck and treating interstitial water. It is anticipated that dredging operations for Phase 2 will commence around June 2024.
The benefits to the Lagoon of removing muck are immediate, with increased clarity, dissolved oxygen, and reduced internal loading from nutrients cycling out of the muck. Muck is also resuspended by wind waves, marine life, and boating. These suspended solids limit light penetration, suppress seagrass growth, smother benthic habitat/organisms, and decrease the quality of healthy, sandy, adjacent sediments.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
Please execute 2 copies of the grant agreement, one for the St. Johns River Water Management District and one to be returned to Natural Resources.