Lower Kissimmee Basin Stormwater Treatment Area Project
The project will use wetland systems to capture and clean water from priority areas of the Lake Okeechobee watershed prior to it flowing into Lake Okeechobee. When completed, it will be one of the largest water quality projects north of Lake Okeechobee and will significantly reduce nutrient pollution loads into the lake.
The 4,800-acre project is located along the Kissimmee River approximately three miles upstream from Lake Okeechobee and will improve water quality from areas that consistently have some of the highest phosphorus concentrations and loads in the Lake Okeechobee watershed.
To learn more about BMAP’s click here.
To learn more about Lake Okeechobee water quality, click here.
Project Background
Lake Okeechobee and its watershed have been subjected to hydrologic, land use, and other modifications over the past century that have degraded its water quality. To help address the lake's nutrient pollution, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) adopted a total maximum daily load (TMDL) to reduce total phosphorus (TP) from reaching the lake.
The LKBSTA Project will use traditional stormwater treatment cells with aquatic vegetation to remove nutrient pollution from the water to provide regional water quality benefits.
Project Maps
Project Timeline
- September 2019: District and FDEP begin a public exploration of a project to address Lake Okeechobee pollution.
- January 2020: A conceptual project is placed in the Lake Okeechobee BMAP update to address the S-154 and S-154C basins.
- October 2020: Grant funding from FDEP is made available for the project.
- March 2021: District solicits proposals to design, construct, and operate the Lower Kissimmee Stormwater Treatment Project to address high phosphorus loading rates.
- April 2021: 2 proposals are received from qualified respondents: Ecosystem Investment Partners (EIP) and Resource Environmental Solutions (RES).
- May 2021: The EIP proposal is selected and receives Governing Board authorization to enter into negotiations.
- December 2021: EIP and the District enter into a contract to further develop the project with planning and preliminary design.
- September 2022: District receives Reconnaissance Study deliverable.
- February 2023: District receives Design Documentation Report deliverable.
- April 2023: Additional parcel becomes available to add to the project footprint.
- May 2024: Project receives Governing Board approval to expand the project footprint.
Future Activities
No upcoming meetings are scheduled at this time. Please check back frequently.
- Community Outreach Meeting
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Session 1: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Session 2: 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Indian River State College
Williamson Conference Center, Building C
2229 N.W. 9th Ave.
Okeechobee, FL 34972
Meeting Agenda Session #1
Meeting Agenda Session #2
- SFWMD Governing Board Meeting
Thursday, May 13, 2021, at 9 a.m.
South Florida Water Management District
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Presentation
Recording
- SFWMD Governing Board Meeting
Thursday, December 9, 2021, at 9 a.m.
South Florida Water Management District
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Presentation
Recording
- County Coalition for the Responsible Management of Lake Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Estuaries and Lake Worth Lagoon
Friday, September 23, 2022, at 9 a.m.
Historic Courthouse
304 NW 2nd Street
Okeechobee, FL 34972
Presentation
- SFWMD Governing Board Meeting
Thursday, May 11, 2023, at 9 a.m.
South Florida Water Management District
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Presentation
Recording
- Presentation at Okeechobee County BOCC (SFWMD and EIP)
Thursday, August 10, 2023, at 9 a.m.
Historic Courthouse
304 NW 2nd Street
Okeechobee, FL 34972
Presentation
- Community Outreach Meeting
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Session 1: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Session 2: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Okeechobee County Civic Center
1750 Highway 98
North Okeechobee, FL 34972
Handout
Presentation
Lower Kissimmee Basin Stormwater Treatment Area Poster
Lake Okeechobee and the LKBSTA Poster
Stormwater Treatment Areas Poster
Project Detail Poster
Project Team Poster
Flood Protection and Mitigation Poster
- SFWMD Governing Board Meeting (Okeechobee County presentation to Governing Board)
Thursday, December 14, 2023, at 9 a.m.
South Florida Water Management District
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Agenda
Recording
- Lower Kissimmee Basin STA Project Update
Thursday, May 2, 2024, at 1 p.m.,
Virtual Presentation
Recording
- SFWMD Governing Board Meeting
Thursday, May 9, 2024, 9am
Indian River State College Chastain Campus
Building C, Susan H. Johnson Auditorium
2400 SW Salerno Road
Stuart, FL 34997
Presentation
Recording
SFWMD Project Manager: Jenna Bobsein, Lead Engineer
Email: LKBSTA@sfwmd.gov