Tim Murphy and Dr. Ann Shortelle highlight successes of the St. Johns River Upper Basin Project
Tim Murphy and Dr. Ann Shortelle highlight successes of the St. Johns River Upper Basin Project during a ceremony Aug. 23 at the Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area where a large group gathered to celebrate the project’s completion. Murphy, Jacksonville District deputy for Programs and Project Management, and Shortelle, executive director of the St. Johns River Water Management District, and other key speakers consistently mentioned the partnership and perseverance over four decades that built nature back into the basin system to provide flood protection, marsh restoration, isolate agricultural runoff and freshwater releases into the Indian River Lagoon, and restore wildlife habitat over 166,000 acres in Brevard and Indian River counties. In July 2016 the upper basin project was recognized as the “Project of the Century” by the Florida Society of Engineers, competing against such inventive projects as air conditioning and the Hubble Space Telescope. According to the engineering committee, the projects illustrated “long‐term engineering solutions providing for the betterment of the citizens of the state, their health, public safety, and welfare. These projects provide witness of engineering excellence in their local community." Link to Florida Society of Engineers’ Journal that highlights projects of the century: http://www.fleng.org/images/files/files/2016%20July%20Journal%20web.pdf