Thursday, November 29, 2018 at 1:44:02 PM Eastern Standard Time Subject: RE: EAA Land Lease Release for review Date: Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 11:34:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time From: Palmer, Ray To: Schultz, Jason CC: Collins, Stephen Jason, I have a couple of quesOons and minor revisions when you have a minute for me to stop by your desk. Thanks, Ray From: Schultz, Jason Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2018 11:33 AM To: Collins, Stephen ; Palmer, Ray Subject: EAA Land Lease Release for review Nov. XX, 2018 SFWMD Governing Board Takes AcMon to Expedite Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Ahead of Federal Partners District fulfills requirements of Senate Bill 10 and moves project forward by reworking land lease and prepping land for construc?on of reservoir Page 1 of 4 Click on the image to see SFWMD's interac7ve website keeping the public apprised of progress crea7ng and obtaining federal approval and cost sharing for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Storage Reservoir. Miami, FL - The South Florida Water Management District's (SFWMD) Governing Board voted today to move full speed ahead and expedite the proposed Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Storage Reservoir project by opening the $10 million bidding process for a construcOon contract to start the proposed reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee. The Governing Board also voted to fulfill a requirement in the state law that authorized the project by amending a land lease on the land slated for the reservoir. "This Governing Board is in agreement that a year like 2018 cannot happen to our South Florida waterways again. If that means moving ahead of our federal partners to make the EAA reservoir a reality faster then we will take that acOon," said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Federico Fernandez. "DirecOng staff to secure a construcOon contract is the next step to providing relief to the northern estuaries and sending clean water where it is needed most in America's Everglades." The Florida Legislature authorized the reservoir through the passage of Senate Bill 10 in 2017 as a partnership with the federal government. The Florida Legislature has commieed to funding the state's half of the esOmated $1.6 billion cost. The U.S. Congress authorized the project last month but Florida is sOll awaiOng for the federal government to commit to funding its half of the project cost. To conOnue to move ahead and eliminate possible delays, SFWMD is starOng the construcOon process to make the reservoir a reality as quickly as possible. SFWMD's Governing Board approved starOng the bidding process to hire a contractor to move more than 400,000 cubic yards of rock from the adjacent A1 site to the site of the proposed reservoir and stage it on approximately 240 acres. This staging of materials to speed up the eventual construcOon would cost an esOmated $10 million. The Governing Board was able to expedite this part of the process and uOlize Page 2 of 4 the 240 acres by restructuring a lease on part of the land that will be uOlized for the reservoir. According to Senate Bill 10, if there is an expiring lease on land owned or controlled by the state or SFWMD which has been idenOfied as being necessary for the reservoir project, "the district shall execute, renegoOate, extend, or amend agreements, including reasonable noOce and terminaOon provisions, so that the land does not sit fallow and provides the maximum public benefit." The bill further states, "Any such agreements shall provide that agricultural operators shall be permieed to conOnue to farm on a field-by-field basis unOl such Ome as the agricultural operaOons are incompaOble with site preparaOon, on-site invesOgaOon, or construcOon for an Everglades Agricultural Are reservoir project." To fulfill this requirement of state law, the Governing Board amended an eightyear lease on about 16,700 acres being leased within the project's footprint. The amendments allow the District to revoke the lease on any part of that land aher the first 20 months as long as the District gives 120 days noOce and the Governing Board has approved a construcOon contract that will uOlize the land. While SFWMD is working to expedite the project, acOons that could be raised by other state and federal agencies as well as an ongoing lawsuit by environmentalists over state restoraOon funding could delay the project. SFWMD General Counsel Brian Accardo gave the Governing Board a presentaOon about the acOons being taken to expedite the reservoir process and some of the potenOal issues that could cause delays. That presentaOon can be seen by clicking HERE. About the EAA Storage Reservoir Through an extensive process of scienOfic-based modeling and public meeOngs, SFWMD staff created the plan for the EAA Storage Reservoir. Together with authorized projects, the EAA Storage Reservoir will send an annual average of approximately 370,000 addiOonal acre-feet of clean water south to the Everglades that will be protected by rule or reservaOon to benefit the natural system. It will also reduce the number of damaging discharge events from Lake Okeechobee to the northern estuaries by 63 percent when used in conjuncOon with authorized projects. AddiOonal flows south to the Everglades proposed in the plan will be treated in a new 6,500-acre Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) in combinaOon with exisOng STAs and Flow EqualizaOon Basins (FEBs), such as the A-1 FEB, to achieve state water quality standards. The reservoir will store 240,000 acre-feet Page 3 of 4 of water on the 10,100-acre site comprised of the District-owned A-2 parcel and lands to the west as idenOfied in Senate Bill 10. The EAA Storage Reservoir will work in conjuncOon with Gov. Rick Scoe's RestoraOon Strategies for a total of 350,000 acre-feet of storage south of Lake Okeechobee. To read addiOonal informaOon related to the EAA Storage Reservoir or for modeling data and more informaOon on the previously held meeOngs, including agendas and presentaOons, visit www.sfwmd.gov/eaareservoir. Media Contact: Randy Smith rrsmith@sfwmd.gov Cell: (561)-682-6197 Cell: 561-389-3386 The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. Our mission is to protect South Florida's water resources by balancing and improving flood control, water supply, water quality and natural systems. Page 4 of 4