C&SF (O&M)

May 2024

FACT SHEET

Central &Southern Florida Operations and Maintenance
Operations and Maintenance (O&M)
Congressional Districts:  5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27

1. DESCRIPTION

The project, covering an area of some 16,000 square miles, lies generally within the southeasterly 18 counties of Florida. It is comprised of the upper St. Johns River Basin, located in the northeastern section of the project; the Kissimmee River Basin, in the central section above Lake Okeechobee; the Lake Okeechobee-Everglades area in the central and southwestern section; and the East Coast-Everglades in the southeastern section. The project is for flood risk management and water conservation and provides principally for: an East Coast Protective Levee extending from the Homestead area north to the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee near St. Lucie Canal; three conservation areas for water impoundment in the Everglades area west of the East Coast Protective Levee, with control structures to effect transfer of water as necessary; local protection works along the lower east coast; encirclement of the Lake Okeechobee agricultural area by levees and canals; enlargement of portions of Miami, North New River, Hillsboro, and West Palm Beach canals; enlargement of existing Lake Okeechobee levees and construction of new levees on the northeast and northwest shores of the lake; increased outlet capacity for improved control of Lake Okeechobee; floodway channels in the Kissimmee River Basin, with suitable control structures to prevent over drainage; an interrelated system of canals, levees, pumping stations and structures in the southwest Dade County to control water levels; and facilities for risk management of floods in the upper St. Johns River Basin. The project will provide water control and protection from the recurrence of devastating floodwaters from the Everglades and local sources, for the highway-developed urban area along the lower east coast of Florida, and for the productive agricultural areas around Lake Okeechobee (including the towns around the lake), in the upper St. Johns and Kissimmee River Basins, and in south Dade County. Project also provides for navigation improvement suitable for recreational craft, consisting of locks and channel dredging in the upper Kissimmee and St. Johns River Basins. The project includes a total of 89 miles of levees, 954 miles of canals, 30 pumping plants, 192 floodway control and diversion structures, 26 navigation locks, 57 railroad relocations (bridges), and USACE managed campground and visitor center at the W. P. Franklin Lock & Dam. There are many diverse recreational user groups that utilize these Water Conservation Areas, Canals and levees for hunting, fishing, bird watching, boating (motorized and non-motorized), hiking, and biking.

2. FUNDING

a. Regular Civil Works Funds:

b. P.L. 115-123: Bi-Partisan Budget Act of 2018, Supplemental:

c. P.L. 117-58: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 2021, Supplemental:

d. P.L. 117-43: Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act 2022, Supplemental:

d. Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads Program (ERFO), Supplemental:

3. SPONSORS

South Florida Water Management District
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406

St. John’s River Water Management District
P.O. Box 1429
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429

4. STATUS

The completed portion of the project is maintained under the annual operations and maintenance (O&M) budget. The O&M funding allocated for FY 2024 will be expended for the routine annual operation and maintenance of 144-mile Herbert Hoover Dike, the Water Conservation Areas, and a shallow draft inland navigation channel along Lake Okeechobee. FY 2024 funds will be expended on environmental stewardship activities for the management of threatened and endangered species habitat in project lands, boundary and shoreline management, and support for the control and eradication of invasive species. Activities also include the meteorological monitoring and stream gaging to perform water management activities for proper regulation of Lake Okeechobee and the storage of water in conservation areas 1, 2, and 3.  FY2024 specific works funding includes $470,000 to perform periodic inspections and reports for Herbert Hoover Dike Dam.  Also, FY2024 funds will be used for the operation and maintenance of recreation facilities that include a campground, a visitor center and day use areas that serve approximately 300,000 visitors per year.

P.L. 115-123: Bi-Partisan Budget Act of 2018, Supplemental Funding will be used to complete the critical repairs to Herbert Hoover Dike Tieback along Indian Prairie Canal, Harney Pond Canal and at Taylor Creek. Supplemental Funding will also be used to make critical repairs to FRM Project Gages and Equipment, as well as replace damaged boat barriers and buoys at FRM structures.

P.L. 116-136: CARES Act 2020, Supplemental funding will be used to add additional funds to the groundskeeping contract, NISH, for cleaning supplies and materials.  This contract is managed at the South Florida Operations Office. 

P.L. 117-58: Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act 2021, Supplemental funding will be used to replace the failing steel dewatering bulkheads at Port Mayaca Spillway with Next Generation (Next-Gen) Composite material and to complete all of the energy efficiency improvements at WP Franklin Campgrounds. These supplemental funds will be used to enhance the resiliency and flood fighting capability at South Florida Operations Office by providing new equipment, a new Category 5 Hurricane Maintenance building and additional controls for the new Category 5 rated lock facilities.  Additionally, these funds will be used to purchase new equipment and automated controls for remote operations at eight Herbert Hoover Dike Structures and the Water Conservation Areas (S-10s, S-11s and S-12s) to protect local underserved communities as part of Flood Risk Management mission. Furthermore, these funds will be used to remove invasive species along the Herbert Hoover Dike and make the corresponding repairs. Failing culvert pipes will be replaced along the C-43 canal with these funds.  Those pipes supply fresh water and provide drainage to rural underserved communities from Lake Okeechobee to Ft. Myers FL.   All of this work will be performed by government contractors.

P.L. 117-43: Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act 2022, Supplemental funding will be to repair damages due to Hurricane Ian. Funds will be used to replacement of Courtesy Dock at W.P. Franklin South Recreation Area and the WP Franklin South Utility Dock.  These funds will be used to repair the WP Franklin North dock, the roofs at WP Franklin North Recreation Buildings and the 5 W.P Franklin lock control buildings. These funds will also be used to repair the boat barrier buoys to the WP Franklin Dam for public safety.  Additional funds to perform this work were received through the Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads Program (ERFO).