Ten million dollars has been floated toward the state's threatened freshwater springs with legislators having finished work on a compromise budget bill now expected to get a vote this week.
A day after they were left out of a $58 million package for water projects around the state, the Senate directed trust fund money for the springs.
The money is far short of the $122 million plan that water districts have drafted to restore a number of endangered springs, which face threats from groundwater pumping and pollution. But the total tops the $6.5 million that Gov. Rick Scott proposed.
As part of the budget talks, the House and Senate each outlined $29 million worth of projects on Saturday. Despite the House having initiated discussion for the springs and a number of senators backing the proposal, the springs were not included in initial lists of water projects that would be paid for.
But at the urging of Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, money for the springs was drawn from the Florida Forever Trust Fund as supplemental funding lists were released Sunday night.
"President Gaetz wanted to make a strong commitment for protecting and enhancing our springs, particularly as it relates to the Silver Springs area," said Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, who as Senate Appropriations Committee chairman headed the budget talks for the Senate.
The budget also sets aside another $3 million from the Water Management Lands Trust Fund for the Suwannee River Water Management District for springs restoration and protection projects.
Money for the springs was among a long list of last-minute changes in which projects that had been omitted from the spending plan suddenly were in the funded column, while a number of other projects got a further bump in dollars.
IMG Academy in Bradenton, a student-athlete training center, landed $2.3 million Sunday after having been cut in favor of the money going to the Sarasota-Bradenton World Aquatic Center in the economic development and transportation portion of the budget.
The rowing center, meanwhile, saw its funding bumped from $2.5 million to $5 million with the final round of allocations. The center had requested $5 million to help land the 2017 World Rowing Championship.
The water project lists did include money for the emergency restoration of Apalachicola Bay, but $3 million has been set aside in the budget for the Panhandle waterway from the Water Management Lands Trust Fund.
The individual water projects also do not include the $70 million that has been directed in the budget for Everglades restoration.
Water projects negotiators for the House and Senate agreed to support:
Southeast
Coral Gables, wastewater collection system, $589,468
Cutler Bay, stormwater, pollutant elimination project, $400,000
Doral, canal bank stabilization, $1 million
Fort Lauderdale, Seven Isles seawall improvements, $100,000
Homestead, race track inline booster pumps, $195,000
Homestead, well motor installation, $12,000
Key Largo, wastewater treatment construction, $1 million
Lake Park, Lake Shore drainage improvements, $200,000
Lauderdale Lakes, flood mitigation, $500,000
Marathon, wastewater treatment, $1 million
Miami Gardens, NW 170 Street stormwater drainage, $200,000
Miami Gardens, NW 195/204 Street stormwater drainage, $150,000
Miami Gardens, Vista Verde stormwater drainage, $250,000
Miami Gardens, neighborhood stormwater swale re-garding, $10,000
Miami Lakes, West Lake drainage improvements, $300,000
North Miami, Biscayne Bay Canal West drainage basin upgrades, $150,000
Opa-Locka, sewer lift rehabilitation, $390,000
Opa-Locka, Burlington Canal dredging and restoration, $700,000
Palm Beach County, Lake Worth Lagoon sea grass restoration, $125,000
Palm Beach County, Lake Worth Lagoon, Monastery Artificial Reef MacArthur State Park, $150,000
Palm Beach County, Lake Worth Lagoon, North Palm Beach living shoreline, $100,000
Palm Beach County, Loxahatchee River Preservation Initiative, $1.3 million
Palmetto Bay, Sub-Basin 10 drainage improvements, $250,000
Pembroke Park, stormwater retrofit, $200,000
Riviera Beach, West 18th-22nd Street stormwater laterals, $500,000
Riviera Beach, West 6th Street stormwater improvements, $500,000
South Miami, Dorn Avenue drainage, $120,000
Sunrise, Twin Lakes drainage improvements, $250,000
Surfside, 88th Street pump station, seawall repairs, $75,000
Miami-Dade County, SW 157th Avenue Canal, $1.1 million
West Miami, stormwater improvements, $250,000
Southwest
Bonita Springs, Oak Creek restoration, exotic plant removal, $250,000
Charlotte County, regional reclaimed water expansion, $500,000
DeSoto County, Lettuce Lake/Oak Haven Mobile Home Park utility water supply improvement,
$90,000
DeSoto County, Lake Suzy Utility wastewater treatment facility, $350,000
Hendry County, Airglades Airport and Industrial Park wastewater force main, $3 million
Fort Myers, Cape Coral, reclaimed water distribution pipeline, $900,000
Glades County, water infrastructure improvements, $1 million
Glades County, wastewater improvements, $350,000
Moore Haven, stormwater conveyance and improvements, $150,000
Port LaBelle, water system, $470,000
East Coast
Deltona, wastewater treatment facility, $500,000
Indian River County, Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Indian River Lagoon
Observatory, $2 million
Martin County, Danforth Creek stormwater retrofit and wetland treatment, $3 million
Okeechobee, stormwater retrofit, $250,000
Okeechobee, Pine Ridge Park utility improvements, $300,000
Ormond Beach, $125,000
Port Orange, Cambridge Canal improvements, $500,000
First Coast
St. Johns County, St. Johns River restoration and economic impact study, $7 million
North Central
Belleview, sanitary sewer extension, $1.15 million
Bushnell, Sumter County, water main extension, $1,234,032
Gainesville, Tumblin Creek stormwater project, $625,000
Lake County, Umatilla sewer system, $1,225,000
Marion County, wastewater treatment, $300,000
Tampa-St. Pete
Crystal River, Kings Bay cleanup, $100,000
Dade City, hydrant and valve replacement, $520,000
Dade City, Orange Valley well, $550,000
Hardee County, regional wastewater service improvements, $500,000
Lakeland, Skyview water and wastewater modifications, $3.75 million
Manatee County, wastewater clarifier retrofit, $1 million
Pasco County, Laccoochee/ Trilby water system improvements, $500,000
Polk County, Frostproof, new generators for main water plant well, $150,000
Polk County, Frostproof, water storage tanks at main water plant, $200,000
Sarasota County, Phillippi Creek septic system replacement program, $438,000
Tampa, Westshore waterway improvements, $150,000
Tampa, Met West Ditch stormwater project, $125,000
Winter Haven, South Lake Conine wetland treatment, $619,000
Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills-Dade City interconnect, $1.925 million
Orlando
Orange County, Oakland wastewater system, $300,000
Big Bend and Panhandle
Apalachicola: wet weather storage pond, $957,000
Blountstown, water main replacement, State Road 20, $472,000
Chipley, drinking water system improvements, $400,000
Dixie, Lafayette, Taylor counties, Big Bend Water Authority sewer system improvements, Steinhatchee River, $75,000
Gretna, potable water supply upgrades, $150,000
Monticello, water distribution extension, $500,000
Noma, Holmes County, system wide water line replacement, $300,000
Tallahassee, Briarwood neighborhood septic tank abatement, $300,000
Walton County, coastal dune lakes environmental assessment, $500,000
Walton County, Mossy Head wastewater treatment facility, $3 million
Walton County, U.S. 98 water line extension, $1 million.
