The Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 awarded $248,000 to Martin County Board of County Commissioners through its Section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act program. The funding supports Martin County's FY20 South Florida Geographic Initiative program to analyze existing water quality data in the Indian River Lagoon, St. Lucie Estuary, and northern extent of the Southeast Florida Ecosystem Conservation Area. It also provides for augmented water sampling, particularly during the wet...
This $850,000 Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 under the National Estuary Program (CFDA 66.456) provides funding to the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) to implement the National Estuary Program Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) and support EPA's Strategic Plan Goal 5 of ensuring clean and safe water. The key products and services to be delivered include: annual assessments of benthic and sediment conditions, coordination and...
This $488,243 federal Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 under the Geographic Programs - South Florida Geographic Initiatives Program (CFDA 66.484) supports Florida International University's (FIU) research to delineate pollution sources entering Lake Worth Lagoon via the C-51 canal and assess the efficacy of recent stormwater infrastructure upgrades. The project aims to provide critical information to support long-term stormwater pollutant reduction...
This $9,187,089.00 Project Grant award from the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council's Oil Spill Impact Program (CFDA #87.052) will fund the 5-1 North Bay Water Quality Improvement Program Septic-to-Sewer initiative in Florida. The Gulf Consortium, a local government entity, will serve as the primary awardee and partner with county governments, universities, and non-profit organizations to execute this 3-year project. The key objectives are to improve water quality in the Gulf Coast region...
The Gulf Consortium, with subrecipient Hillsborough County, has been awarded a $27,485,976 Project Grant from the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council's Oil Spill Impact Program (CFDA 87.052) on May 20, 2024. The funding will support the final design, permitting, and construction of a wastewater collection and transmission system to replace aging septic tanks within the Delaney Creek watershed in Florida. This project aims to address water quality impairments in Delaney Creek, the Palm...
This $1.8 million Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 Project Grant will support the Center for Inland Bays' implementation of the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan through September 2027. Funded through the National Estuary Program, the award aims to improve water quality and restore ecological integrity in the Delaware Inland Bays estuary through habitat restoration, water quality monitoring, public education, climate resiliency efforts,...
The Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 awarded a $500,000 cooperative agreement to the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council under the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Cooperative Agreements program (CFDA 66.818). The funding will support assessment-related activities authorized under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Section 104(k)(2) in Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties in Florida...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $1,700,000 Project Grant under the National Estuary Program (CFDA 66.456) to the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) to support implementation of the Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary's Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. Key activities include: Coordinating CCMP implementation with federal, state, and local agencies; monitoring water quality, habitats, and natural resources; developing educational materials and...
This $388,362 Project Grant awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 under the Geographic Programs - South Florida Geographic Initiatives Program (CFDA 66.484) will fund the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) to characterize nutrient and microbial water quality in the nearshore "halo zone" of the Florida Keys and its connections to the broader regional water quality of the reef tract. Key activities include...
This $527,631 Project Grant awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 under the Geographic Programs - South Florida Geographic Initiatives Program (CFDA 66.484) provides funding to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) to investigate the role of macroalgae and nonpoint source pollution as potential causes of seagrass decline in the Caloosahatchee Estuary. The project activities include purchasing new water quality testing equipment, developing quality assurance...
DESCRIPTION:THIS AGREEMENT IS SUPPORTED BY FUNDING PROVIDED UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT (IIJA) (PL 117-58. THIS ACTION APPROVES FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $909,800 TO THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON (IRL) COUNCIL TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN (CCMP) AND STRATEGIC PLAN TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY, PROTECT THE NATURAL HABITAT AND LIVING RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE HUMAN USES WITHIN THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON ESTUARY. BIL FUNDING PROVIDES A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THE IRL NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM TO PROVIDE ANNUALLY RECURRING SEED FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS TO BUILD AND EXPAND A LAGOON-WIDE NETWORK OF SEAGRASS NURSERIES AND RESTORATION CENTERS TO RESPOND TO THE CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF SEAGRASSES AS A RESULT OF HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS.ACTIVITIES:ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: INDIAN RIVER LAGOON COUNCIL WILL CONDUCT BI-WEEKLY MONITORING OF ALGAE AND CYANOBACTERIA SPECIES IDENTIFICATION, DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE. INCREASED FUNDING FOR INCREASED SAMPLING DURING A BLOOM. HAB-1: SUPPORT CONTINUATION OF THE IRL 2011 CONSORTIUM, WHICH WOULD FUNCTION AS A FORMAL TASK FORCE SUPPORTED BY THE IRL NEP AND WHICH WOULD DEVELOP A HAB RESEARCH AND RESTORATION RESPONSE PLAN. HAB-2: SEEK PARTNERSHIPS AND FUNDING TO PURSUE RESEARCH PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED BY THE IRL 2011 CONSORTIUM THAT ALIGN WITH IRLNEP MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES. HAB-3: CONTINUE FUNDING AND SCIENTIFIC PARTNERSHIPS TO UNDERSTAND HABS TOXICITY AND RISKS TO HUMAN AND WILDLIFE HEALTH. BIODIVERSITY (LEVEL 2 - SERIOUS) BIODIVERSITY-2: WORK TO CONTINUE, EXPAND, UPDATE, AND IMPROVE THE IRL SPECIES INVENTORY. CONSTRUCTION OF GRINDER PUMP STATION SYSTEMS THAT WILL BE CONNECTED TO THE MARTIN COUNTY CENTRAL SEWER SYSTEM. RESIDENTIAL CONNECTION FORMS WITH RECEIPTS AND DATED PHOTOS OF THE BEFORE AND AFTER GRINDER PUMP STATION THE PROJECT WILL CONSTRUCT A GRAVITY SEWER SYSTEM CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 15,400 LINEAR FEET OF SEWER MAIN, APPROXIMATELY 54 MANHOLES AND A COUNTY-OWNED AND OPERATED LIFT STATION. CONSTRUCTION OF A WATER MAIN WILL COINCIDE WITH THE SEWER MAIN.SUBRECIPIENT:MARTIN COUNTY: CONNECT TO PROTECT SEPTIC TO SEWER NUTRIENT REMOVAL PROGRAM YEAR 2 CITY OF PORT ST. LUCIE: SEPTIC TO SEWER CONVERSION ALONG THE ELKCAM WATERWAY BREVARD COUNTY: THE MICCO SEWER LINE EXTENSION INDIAN RIVER COUNTY: THE NORTH SEBASTIAN PHASE 2 SEPTIC TO SEWER PROJECT MARINE DISCOVERY CENTER: IMPROVING MOSQUITO LAGOON OYSTER REEF AND LIVING SHORELINE RESTORATION BY USING ONLY BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA: RESTORATION OF CLAM POPULATIONS IN THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON FOR WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT YEAR 3 FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY HARBOR BRANCH: BUILDING LAGOON-WIDE CAPACITY FOR SEAGRASS RECOVERY THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS MARINE DISCOVERY CENTER: BUILDING LAGOON-WIDE CAPACITY FOR SEAGRASS RECOVERY THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS BREVARD ZOO: BUILDING LAGOON-WIDE CAPACITY FOR SEAGRASS RECOVERY THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS FLORIDA OCEANOGRAPHIC SOCIETY: BUILDING LAGOON-WIDE CAPACITY FOR SEAGRASS RECOVERY THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS OUTCOMES:OUTCOMES AND OUTPUTS INCLUDE CONNECT TO PROTECT NUTRIENT REMOVAL SEPTIC TO SEWER CONVERSION YEAR 2 ($100,000). 1. 150 HOMES REMOVED FROM SEPTIC. 2. SEPTIC TO SEWER CONVERSION ALONG THE ELKCAM WATERWAY ($100,000). 34 HOMES REMOVED FROM SEPTIC. 3. THE MICCO SEWER LINE EXTENSION ($100,000). 22 PROPERTIES REMOVED FROM SEPTIC. 4. THE NORTH SEBASTIAN PHASE 2 SEPTIC TO SEWER PROJECT ($100,000). 180 PARCELS REMOVED FROM SEPTIC. 5. IMPROVING MOSQUITO LAGOON OYSTER REEF AND LIVING SHORELINE RESTORATION BY USING ONLY BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS ($55,000). RESTORE 4 OYSTER REEFS (~0.25-ACRE FOOTPRINT) IN MOSQUITO LAGOON USING BESETM BIODEGRADABLE MESH WITH OYSTER SHELL ATTACHED WITH STAINLESS WIRE OR BESETM REEF PASTE (TO REMOVE STEP OF ATTACHING SHELLS TO MESH); RESTORE 600 LINEAR FEET OF STABILIZED SHORELINE IN MOSQUITO LAGOON AND