Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Flood Mitigation 4rivers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Army Corps reauthorizes Four Rivers Basins study; Pasco to sponsor Anclote River review
Summary
Pasco County officials said federal planners have reauthorized the long-dormant Four Rivers Basins project and will begin updated feasibility studies; Pasco will sponsor a study of the Anclote River Basin and expects initial assessments within 12–18 months.
Pasco County commissioners heard on Oct. 7 that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reauthorized the Four Rivers Basins project and will restart federal studies that originally were paused in the 1960s.
The announcement came from Mark Bellas, the county’s chief strategy and sustainability officer, who told the board that the Corps notified local officials last week that the multi-county project is back in play. “Lo and behold, a week ago, we got notified from the army corps that the project has in fact been reauthorized,” Bellas said. He added that Pasco County will sponsor the Anclote River Basin study, the smallest of the three Pasco-area projects named for further work.
The reauthorization means the Corps will reassess the engineering work from the 1960s using modern data and changed land-use patterns. Bellas said the Corps estimated an initial evaluation would take roughly 12 to 18 months and the full process — including project planning and potential construction — could span six to seven years. He said the studies will be used to identify feasible projects and to inform long-term funding requests.
Commissioners and staff discussed how the reauthorization positions Pasco to seek federal appropriations and to coordinate with regional partners including the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), Tampa Bay Water and local congressional delegation members who supported reactivation. Commissioner comments stressed urgency; one commissioner asked whether the Corps provided a funding timeline. Bellas said study funding is expected, but funding for construction would require separate appropriations.
The board also heard that reauthorization will provide data useful for resilience planning, potential relocations eligible for Community Development Block Grant—Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR) funds, and coastal mapping work the county plans to launch with university partners. Bellas said the county is coordinating with SWFWMD on sponsorship and expects three projects to begin in Pasco, with the Anclote River study being the county-sponsored component.
No formal vote was required; the presentation was informational and commissioners asked staff to keep the board updated as Corps schedules and study scopes are finalized.
