April 2022
FACT SHEET
COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN
Site 1 Impoundment
Construction (C)
Congressional Districts: 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
1. DESCRIPTION
Congress authorized the Site 1 Impoundment project in the Water Resource Development Act (WRDA) of 2007. The purpose of this project is to supplement water deliveries to the Hillsboro Canal by capturing and storing excess water currently discharged to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. These supplemental deliveries will reduce demands on Lake Okeechobee and Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. The 1,660-acre impoundment, which will store up to 13,280 acre-feet of water, will also provide groundwater recharge, reduce seepage from adjacent natural areas, and help prevent saltwater intrusion by releasing impounded water back to the Hillsboro Canal when conditions dictate. The project also includes construction of a 6-acre wildlife wetland area.
Phase 1 features will reduce the amount of seepage loss from the adjacent LNWR, also known as Water Conservation Area 1. This will help maintain the stage of this conservation area, also categorized as an Outstanding Florida Water Body that contains pristine water. Reduction in seepage from LNWR will help to increase the amount of water that remains in that natural system, especially during the dry periods.
2. FUNDING
| Estimated Total Cost |
$386,100,000 |
| Estimated Federal Cost |
$374,600,000 |
| Allocation thru FY21 |
$27,908,800 |
| Allocation for FY22 |
$0 |
| President’s Budget FY23 |
$0 |
3. SPONSOR
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406
4. STATUS
Site 1 Phase 1 construction was completed in January 2016. The Site 1 Phase 1 includes L-40 Modifications and miscellaneous features including clearing, grubbing, and dewatering activities; miscellaneous demolitions; establishing onsite borrow and disposal areas; earthwork modifications to approximately 15,000-LF of the existing L-40 levee; installation of dam monitoring instrumentation; and placement of turf reinforcement mat and smooth plate soil cement. The Corps transferred Phase 1 of the project to the SFWMD for Operation, Maintenance, Repair, Rehabilitation, and Replacement in December 2016. There is ongoing litigation associated with Site 1 Phase 1 that involves three separate lawsuits. The court has ruled in favor of the Federal Government on one, testimony related to the second is scheduled for June 2022 and the court has no scheduled action at this time on the third. Phase 2 of the project, which would include construction of additional impoundment features and recreational areas, is on hold due to the sponsor’s current lack of interest; discussions continue regarding deauthorization.
