• Funds allow Miami-Dade County to implement bank stabilization project
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL, Jan. 8, 2008 -- The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board today authorized $250,000 for a Miami-Dade County bank stabilization project along the Coral Gables Waterway. The project will repair and stabilize a portion of the waterway near A.D. Barnes Park that was damaged during Hurricane Wilma. Waves and fallen trees from the October 2005 storm had severely eroded the canal banks in that area.
To repair and stabilize the eroded banks, Miami-Dade County's public works department will design and build a bulkhead wall in the project area. The wall will improve canal flow, enhance flood protection and protect property along the canal from further erosion.
"This project will provide for much needed repairs and stabilization in a key portion of the flood management system in Miami-Dade County," SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Eric Buermann said. "The District is pleased to be able to work collaboratively with local governments on issues that directly support our strategic plan and agency mission."
Funding for the $1.8-million bank stabilization project is a partnership between the SFWMD, Miami-Dade County and the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). In addition to the SFWMD funds approved today, the county is providing $800,000 and the NRCS $750,000 toward the project.
The South Florida Water Management District is a regional, governmental agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state -- 16 counties from Orlando to the Keys. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts.
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