Governor Ron DeSantis was in Melbourne yesterday, joining the St. Johns River Water Management District in celebrating the completion of the Crane Creek Restoration Project.
The 100-year-old flood control structure provided a vital divide between the St. Johns River and Indian River Lagoon. Project Manager Marc Van Heden shared more.
"Historically, it acted as a dividing line for rainwater. So, rain falling on the west side of would flow to the St. Johns River, and rain on east side would go to the Indian River Lagoon. And about 100 years ago, the M1 Canal in Melbourne was dug through that ridge. That gave the water from the west side the shortcut to the lagoon, and with that, sending more fresh water and nutrients sediment there than was ever naturally intended," he said.
The project, then, was to restore the canal to functioning order, a landmark move in helping mitigate nutrient pollution.
"The Crane Creek project is essentially putting that dividing line back. So we've built an adjustable weir with some steel plates where that ridge is, and then a pump system that captures the base flow in the canal and moves it about three miles west to a stormwater treatment area where it's pumped, once again, to the St Johns River," he said.
In addition to reducing an estimated 24,000 pounds of nitrogen and 3,100 pounds of phosphorus from polluting the Indian River Lagoon each year, a factor which will help combat algal blooms, the project also provides an alternative water supply source.
"So the additional water, it's about seven million gallons a day, it goes to the St Johns River, and then downstream is Lake Washington, which is a water source for for Melbourne, there's a an intake there, a water treatment plant. Then, the St Johns River can be used as a water source for downstream communities," he said.
To make the project come to life, the St. Johns River Water Management District worked closely with state and federal partners.
"Our funding partners included Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Save Our Indian River Lagoon Coalition. They both provided some funds towards the project. Also, that stormwater treatment area that was built, it was actually part of the St. John's Heritage Parkway, and it was intended to be just a barrow pit for the Parkway, but since it was being built at the same time we were doing the design, it was built in the configuration so that we could use as stormwater ponds. So essentially, it got used for two purposes, saving quite a bit of money. Brevard County also donated that land for the project," he said.