Company Selected to Design Florida Lake Restoration Projects

Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) has been awarded contracts to design restoration and dredging projects for two of the largest lakes in central Florida.

The first contract, with the South West Florida Water Management District, is to provide planning, permitting, design and construction management services for the Lake Panasoffkee restoration project in Sumter County. Lake Panasoffkee has a water surface area of about 3,200 acres and is the fourth largest lake in central Florida.

The project involves hydraulic dredging and disposal of about 10 million cubic yards of sediment. Other project elements include vegetation mapping, bathymetric surveying, sediment coring and testing, water quality sampling and testing, sediment dewatering, and developing a beneficial use for the sediment. The sediment will be disposed of at an 800-acre upland contaminant disposal facility which will be reclaimed into an agricultural area upon project completion.

On behalf of the Lake County Water Authority and the St. Johns River Water Management District, PB will perform planning, permitting, design and construction management services for the dredging of about 26 access canals and boat basins around Lake Griffin in Lake County. The access canals have a total length of approximately 13.2 miles. Lake Griffin has a water surface area of about 9,291 acres and is the third largest of central Florida's lakes.

The project involves hydraulic and mechanical dredging, dewatering and disposal of 450,000 cubic yards of highly organic sediment. Field and laboratory activities include vegetation mapping, hydrographic surveying, water quality sampling and testing, alum and polymer dosing and testing, and developing a beneficial use for the sediment. The dredged material will be sent to restore the former 300-acre marsh area around the lake in order to transform the area into wetland habitat.