BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
PALATKA— An official with the St. Johns River Water Management District said the district hopes to break ground on the Black Creek Water Resource Development Project in August.
When completed, the project will capture up to 10 million gallons of water a day from the south fork of Black Creek and pipe the water 18 miles south to a recharge area south of Magnolia Lake, replenishing Alligator Creek and the Keystone lakes. The project would also recharge the Upper Floridan Aquifer.
Director of Projects Dale Jenkins told the district’s governing board during a March 8 meeting that the district received its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for the project from Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection on Feb. 11. Four days later it applied for its environmental resource permit from DEP.
Jenkins added that the district expects to receive its final approval: the Section 404 permit from the Army Corps of Engineers in April.
“We have already opened discussions with our design and construction management team regarding procurement for construction services,” Jenkins said, “and anticipate construction-related items coming before the board between May and July for various issues including construction management services and award of a construction contract for the intake structure and pump station near Black Creek.”
He added that the district is still on pace to meet its groundbreaking goal of Aug. 22 to begin construction.
