Ellin?eh ?tntea ?enaic

DC 20510?0905

BILL NELSON

FLORIDA April 27, 2018

The Honorable R.D. James

Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works
441 Street NW

Washington, DC 20314

Dear Assistant Secretary James,

As you coordinate with the Of?ce of Management and Budget to ?nalize the Fiscal Year 2018
Work Plan, I strongly encourage you to provide design funding for the C-24 components
of the Indian River Lagoon-South (IRL South) project. It?s critical that we begin work on the
next stage of this project to unlock the full ecosystem bene?ts envisioned when IRL South was
authorized in 2007.

The components will provide additional water storage and stormwater treatment areas
to capture and clean local runoff, preventing phosphorous, nitrogen, and other pollutants from
entering the St. Lucie and the Indian River Lagoon. Floridians on the Treasure Coast understand
all too well the need to get these pieces moving, after experiencing the devastating algae blooms
in recent years.

The Integrated Delivery Schedule calls for design of the reservoirs to begin in Fiscal
Year 2018. And in the Fiscal Year 2018 omnibus, there is report language speci?cally addressing
the importance of advancing 024 design.

?The Committee recognizes the importance of restoring America ?s Everglades, and
eliminating discharges from Lake Okeechobee that helpfnel harmful algal blooms in the
St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. The Committee urges the Corps to expedite
preparationsfor design work on the and South Reservoirs that, along with
the Reservoir, will serve as crucial elements of the Indian River Lagoon-South
CERP project to collect and clean discharges before they enter the Lagoon. 

I understand the dif?culty of allocating limited funding, and I also appreciate the Corps? efforts
to complete C-44 as quickly as possible. However, we can and must balance ongoing
construction needs with design funding in order to keep the overall Everglades restoration
program on track.

Thank you for consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

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