Civil Works budget includes funds for projects in Florida and Puerto Rico

Project Updates - February 5, 2010

President Barack Obama's US$4.939 billion Fiscal Year 2011 Civil Works Budget, released by the US Army Corps of Engineers on February 1st, includes US$423.3 million for the Jacksonville District's continuing navigation, flood and coastal storm damage reduction and aquatic ecosystem restoration projects in Florida and Puerto Rico.

"The array of projects in the budget will positively contribute to our national priorities of homeland security, infrastructure and the economy and will benefit the citizens of Florida and Puerto Rico," said Colonel Al Pantano, Jr., commander of the Jacksonville District, "from restoring America's Everglades to ensuring that our ports, harbours and waterways can sustain commercial navigation so critical to our economy."

The South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Program, which includes the Everglades, received US$180 million for continuing restoration projects at Picayune Strand, Site 1 Impoundment, C-111 Canal and Kissimmee River. The projects are part of the massive effort to restore and improve water flows and water quality and ensure a healthy, sustainable environment. Restoring the Everglades is the Corps' single largest ecosystem restoration effort.

The 75-year-old Herbert Hoover Dike on Lake Okeechobee received US$105 million to continue its rehabilitation.

The operations and maintenance components of the multi-purpose Central and Southern Florida project received US$19.5 million to help provide flood and coastal storm damage reduction, navigation and environmental benefits.

Funded navigation construction projects include: Jacksonville Harbour (US$6.0 million); Tampa Harbour (US$1 million); St Johns County (US$350,000); Nassau County (US$350,000); Canaveral Harbour (US$350,000); and Fort Pierce Beach (US$350,000).

Funded operations and maintenance programs and projects in support of commercial navigation include: Canaveral Harbour (US$4.7 million); Fernandina Harbour (US$1.3 million); the Intracoastal Waterway between Jacksonville and Miami (US$350,000); Okeechobee Waterway (US$2.4 million); Palm Beach Harbour (US$2.5 million); and St Lucie Inlet (US$250,000).

In Puerto Rico, funding was provided for San Juan Harbor navigation operations and maintenance, which received US$3.7 million for regular maintenance dredging.