[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6290308,"mediaKeyId","2531074-cf15d8ae67757a113eabcd4285bb4316","parentId",2531074,"title","After Hurricane Milton, LCWA staff describe interagency repairs and next steps for M‑1 dam","audioSeconds",330,"startMs",4283000,"endMs",4613000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531074-cf15d8ae67757a113eabcd4285bb4316&start=4283&end=4613","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531074-cf15d8ae67757a113eabcd4285bb4316/thumbnail_4283000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6290308/Lake-County/Florida/After-Hurricane-Milton-LCWA-staff-describe-interagency-repairs-and-next-steps-for-M1-dam","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6290308-d54c243ad1fb667165b2dbe5d72d6180/orig.mp4?Expires=1775740682&Signature=EBgNxBGSZ3pijHOW37PUtenJrFhQxvHQeM5gDY4XPvESfxDSmoYmH37R52bxFrlzGVZ0uKDcZp5kymiUuVxOfNx92ftBihZuJzXNMI6VE7lqvD3yL1v0cr~IU4haDHE0kBDdACaqqKsyNdR0OYtxItwe9H0RoowJN6pBU8QlY23vUUC7GbrV04bMAPz369rExSQJgm0bffXwT~VfcEYo6EPmzgyBZ-~3XA1LF5~9VvOFCo9H28S-VCa96H9BL4~YMQbf97nOtPJM93t~PqEr7UrF3BMARJ4zjJXRUwakibq6Y4dDua2S10lxv~dR-YorrPQSeJjSnSr7QokfxPavSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lake County, FL","date","2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","article","Justin Elkins, associate director of water resources, told trustees on Feb. 26, 2025, that Lake County’s post‑Hurricane Milton response to severe scouring at the M‑1 dam included emergency stabilization, federal assistance, and a presentation at a FEMA dam‑safety seminar to share lessons learned and interagency collaboration.

Elkins said the county requested federal assistance through the state emergency management mission‑request process, after which staff from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Jacksonville office assisted with repairs and inspected other county dam sites. “We shored that up and it’s basically fixed,” he said, describing repairs to M‑1. He added that the county had discharged more than 500 cubic feet per second through structures designed for about 300 cfs during the extended post‑storm period and that the high flows contributed to scouring.

The county was invited as a keynote speaker to FEMA’s National Dam Safety Program technical seminar because of its collaborative post‑Milton response. Elkins said the Army Corps produced a technical report identifying warranted repairs and that most structures “passed with flying colors” in the Corps’ inspection. The event also highlighted downstream‑hazard modeling, evacuation and infrastructure vulnerability issues in the event of dam failure.

Next steps described by Elkins include additional monitoring plans, geotechnical studies, hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) modeling of downstream inundation, a reservoir management plan, and development of emergency action plans (EAPs). He said the county has a scheduled follow‑up meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers on March 17, 2025, to further develop monitoring and repair plans.

Trustees thanked staff for the federal coordination and presentation; staff emphasized interagency collaboration to share modeling, reduce costs and address downstream hazard creep caused by development since many dams were originally built decades ago.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lake County Water Authority - Regular Meeting - February 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Lake County staff briefed trustees on emergency repairs to the M‑1 dam after Hurricane Milton, federal inspection and follow‑up modeling by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and plans for further monitoring, risk assessment and emergency action planning.","taxTitle","Lake County, Florida","taxId",4691,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6290314,"Water Authority to take ownership or management of six county conservation properties",477,3803000,4280000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531074-cf15d8ae67757a113eabcd4285bb4316&start=3803&end=4280","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531074-cf15d8ae67757a113eabcd4285bb4316/thumbnail_3803000.jpg","/articles/6290314/Lake-County/Florida/Water-Authority-to-take-ownership-or-management-of-six-county-conservation-properties","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6290314-032e5e7b967ec008a5f606797dd2a7a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775740682&Signature=KuJvweDCeipjlyXRAOCQaiI8mO1WAktZtZRfNya4HEPYRGPnGZQBTxGygR78LVQUvq94N4MRL5gflZo5GX92IXWJYj~V9rQ55FxW30p7sFi-808kTi5t4Q90zTtZpM-OjQZbIQu5wuYXcBZPAgGzk6U1U2Q8jWt9H5JNK1ailELGZddULzm3DoKYAg5~xYJKlZf2xmCB8G6Ean0gOR9ufTpBrNxpl8-wClqrcsEDp5Yr5DJIJr1xuA6PQ6cEm7WxO38N42jUKJDGcaPjTIi2wb1aYfQlWJe9-2I-Y6WaO2DPeASQPjy9udNa36iuNfUKZK7lSqB0Ys47nydAmIdrjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lake County Water Authority approved a package of property transfers and management agreements on Feb. 26, 2025, voting to accept ownership and management of Helena Run Preserve, Pasture Reserve and Lady Lake Preserve and to assume management of Lake Norris Conservation Area, Pine Meadows Conservation Area and the county’s Blueway trail system.

Wendy (county staff) presented parcel details: Helena Run Preserve is a roughly 20‑acre shoreline parcel on Lake Harris adjacent to the Helena Run Blueway; Pasture Reserve is a larger mosaic of wetlands and uplands in the Green Swamp currently undergoing restoration and prescribed fire; Lady Lake Preserve contains Lady Lake and associated marshes and has no public access. Staff said Lake Norris (about 3,600 acres), the Pine Meadows Conservation Area (about 770 acres) and the Blueway trail system would remain owned by other agencies (including St. Johns River Water Management District for Lake Norris), but management would transfer to the Water Authority.

Trustees asked whether the authority has sufficient staff and budget to manage the additional parcels. Staff responded that many activities will be contracted (for example, prescribed fire and heavy invasive‑species control) and that the authority’s current budget and staffing model can absorb management responsibilities. “I think it’s a win and I think it’s doable on both sides,” a staff member said.

The motion to approve ownership and management transfers passed by voice vote with no opposing votes recorded. Trustees discussed the properties’ roles in aquifer recharge, habitat, recreation and basin management action plans. The transfers are intended to align property stewardship with the authority’s mission of protecting waterways and wetlands.","Trustees approved transferring three county properties to the Lake County Water Authority and taking on management of three additional conservation areas and the Blueway trail system; board said it has staff and budget capacity to manage them.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6290319,"Water authority approves engineering task order to study NERF alum injection, dewatering and site master plan",2091,1569000,3660000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531074-cf15d8ae67757a113eabcd4285bb4316&start=1569&end=3660","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531074-cf15d8ae67757a113eabcd4285bb4316/thumbnail_1569000.jpg","/articles/6290319/Lake-County/Florida/Water-authority-approves-engineering-task-order-to-study-NERF-alum-injection-dewatering-and-site-master-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6290319-371529470884182000c34b2c4f0d379c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775740682&Signature=l4jdDfOn1C6DEwbLBUbVkJx6tzs7K7gIgyHQHxeapgyejk1~9lMau1jH86jx3Hj6IJhFtgkkNezXCCdB14WKeX3M4Qq3YwMYpNUxVS4MuuvZwYM0OitUI7G4OovHnJ3xSHZP7igF~ajsRc5pck-mQM~3Oxn753HLhkEElJuEpxTWz4KX1QJIGUkQ4L8mP8Fd0r~zMFpQ-ckKGTpabv51fyR~evARQO9DI0MG-zoNulT20qkR0SN1q2O7LFHgooMsuV5cGRL-SPQ74a7PFMreY-2xr2k6W9lWHaIuLwJ1AnpCxl5iRWTDZQLK2d8IRNx4Cf4yEmIAVvGzqVafC-4vVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lake County Water Authority voted unanimously on Feb. 26, 2025, to approve a multi‑part engineering task order to design improvements at the NERF treatment site, including a redesigned alum injection system, process‑well water quality evaluation, sludge‑dewatering alternatives and a conceptual site master plan.

Scott Shannon of Woodard and Curran and Amanda Boone (project manager) presented the task order, which staff said corresponds to items identified in the DEP grant agreement for NERF improvements. The task order is time‑and‑materials under the authority’s existing contract and covers four principal work areas: alum injection redesign, assessment of process well water quality and additional well placement, evaluation of sludge‑dewatering options and pilot testing, and conceptual master‑plan design for long‑range site use.

Why it matters: staff and consultants said the proposed work aims to improve the facility’s treatment effectiveness and reduce operations and maintenance costs. Consultants told trustees that the existing alum feed — a low‑pressure drip with bubble mixing — can fail to mix at low flows and that a carrier‑water injection system with pressurized nozzles should produce more consistent mixing across flow conditions.

Operations staff described recent equipment problems: Sam Stanley, NERF project manager, said grit and aluminum‑rich sludge can damage centrifuge components and that a hydrocyclone or grit classifier would likely remove only about 30 percent of the problem material. He described a lower‑cost operational change — relocating the sludge pickup toward the center of the tank beneath the mixer — as a way to reduce grit entering the centrifuge, at the expense of requiring periodic tank cleaning.

Consultants said sludge dewatering is both a major capital and energy cost and warrants a broader search for alternative or lower‑energy technologies and pilot testing. Shannon said the task order will identify candidate technologies, evaluate configurations, pilot selected options and then prepare preliminary design documents if needed. He added the task order fee is based on hourly rates and that the effort may vary depending on findings.

The board moved and seconded the recommendation and approved the task order by voice vote. Meeting remarks noted that the task order is an amendment to an existing contract and therefore exempt from competitive bidding; staff said the work responds to material identified in the DEP grant package for the NERF project.

Operational notes discussed at the meeting included an upcoming phosphorus analyzer installation to provide near‑real‑time control of alum dosing. Operations staff said the analyzers are scheduled to start up March 20, 2025, and that real‑time analyzers should allow dosing by measured phosphorus concentration rather than by flow and pH alone.","Trustees approved a task order under the existing engineering contract to redesign the NERF alum injection system, study process‑water quality and sludge dewatering alternatives, and develop conceptual master‑plan options; the motion passed by unanimous voice vote.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6290323,"Lake County officials review 3‑D Wolf Branch Sink model and raise monitoring questions",1193,447000,1640000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531074-cf15d8ae67757a113eabcd4285bb4316&start=447&end=1640","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531074-cf15d8ae67757a113eabcd4285bb4316/thumbnail_447000.jpg","/articles/6290323/Lake-County/Florida/Lake-County-officials-review-3D-Wolf-Branch-Sink-model-and-raise-monitoring-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6290323-7eefdd04405bc00c5e4b50ef42c32dcd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775740682&Signature=LJKjSTyp0vnvkO1o9h4KN8DNU1XRh-hHBecLRIkj36mGPLuZDcLp~NR-FAlgSjZEFtyyo9Oh6MrIw6G1YKRGJh9o9WdN9rHgIZQDwr6~Cj-63UFv7-v4rRf~WftjESwv-wCwkeXSIbxsPWqdSRuJ8iysLigtBYBSnoWs-j8bNGXtYEr9~s7Dk1vwrR~gStN-OgdJyD~6DnJBbCeXihXBSEdpbzJ-OGVDj9XdWKc5szAhXKGct8zy4BfDpNLu6FgPfBrtdruSaOzRA~DuGl2bxXehAs2j9D3dsSswALmkXxPlcYPla3usGJQw-WXX41Cmj6C1IOpAtjbx43KmVV2IIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A high‑resolution three‑dimensional visualization of the Wolf Branch Sink in the Mount Dora area was shown to trustees at the Lake County Water Authority meeting on Feb. 26, 2025, prompting discussion about the site’s unique karst hydrology and the need for further study and monitoring.

The video and accompanying material, prepared from a U.S. Geological Survey digital elevation model, illustrated the sinkhole’s surface and subterranean connections, including the 4.94 square‑mile Wolf Branch drainage area and the sink’s direct recharge to the Upper Floridan aquifer. Justin Elkins, associate director of water resources, said the materials and related letters to state regulators are in the trustees’ meeting package. “All that’s gonna be obviously looked into when we do the study,” Elkins said.

Why it matters: trustees and staff said Wolf Branch’s direct hydraulic connection to the aquifer raises contaminant‑transport concerns because the sink can route surface water quickly into drinking‑water yielding limestone. Minutes and the USGS report cited in the presentation note the basin’s karst morphology and the potential for rapid recharge to the Floridan aquifer system.

Trustees discussed the site’s adjacency to a construction and demolition debris landfill on the sink’s west side and historical excavation and dumping in the sink throat. One trustee said previous field visits produced concerns that dumpsters and other materials had been stored in or near the sink. Elkins noted that current topographic mapping does not reflect recent excavation at the site and that new, updated mapping and monitoring wells are among follow‑up tasks: “None of it shows that newer topography where they’ve actually excavated that cell,” he said.

Discussion highlights included the location of monitoring wells, who selects those locations, and whether wells placed by the consultant would produce favorable results. A trustee asked whether the county should perform more of its own hydrologic studies rather than rely solely on state data. “If this is only one in the state of Florida, it’s in Lake County, which leads me to believe there’s other places within Lake County to have these features,” a trustee said.

No formal vote was taken on the item. Staff and trustees indicated the matter remains in the information and study phase; Elkins said staff will pursue the consultant’s recommendations on well siting and incorporate results into a study.

Next steps noted at the meeting include updating topographic data, coordinating monitoring‑well placement, and reviewing test results already collected by county staff and outside firms.","County staff presented a 3‑D visualization of the Wolf Branch Sink and trustees discussed potential contamination risks, the site’s direct connection to the aquifer and next steps for monitoring and study; no formal action was taken.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

After Hurricane Milton, LCWA staff describe interagency repairs and next steps for M‑1 dam

Water Authority to take ownership or management of six county conservation properties

Water authority approves engineering task order to study NERF alum injection, dewatering and site master plan

Lake County officials review 3‑D Wolf Branch Sink model and raise monitoring questions