Miller Lake residents urge county to block downstream permits and pursue pumping options

Dozens of residents near Miller Lake told the Volusia County Council on July 22 that their yards remain flooded and asked county officials to push for revocation of a 2017 St. Johns Water Management District permit the neighbors blame for higher lake levels. Residents said additional permits for nearby developments — including retail and hospital projects they said are seeking stormwater approvals — will increase runoff that ultimately flows into Miller Lake.

The pleas came during the meeting’s public-participation period, when David Hill of Miller Road said the lake’s water is at levels he has not seen before and asked the council to “fight those permits and protect your property and ours.” Peggy Hill and Catherine Levinson, who also identified themselves as Miller Lake residents, showed photos and said yards and roads remain inundated and that the neighborhood could flood again in the next major storm.

Why it matters: Residents described ongoing property damage risks, including septic and well contamination and loss of vehicle and emergency access if lake levels rise. They urged the county to seek revocation of the St. Johns permit that allowed construction of a pipeline and to oppose new permits they said will send more runoff into the lake.

County staff said the situation is complicated because the St. Johns River Water Management District controls permits and lake levels. Donna Craig, a county staff member, told the council that the Mill Lake project in nearby Orange City will design and build a larger pump station and force main to improve drainage; the project will discharge to a borrow pit the county owns and will be used as stormwater storage once permitted and constructed. Staff said other stormwater studies and projects for Orange City are underway and that the county will open more funding rounds for flood projects in the fall.

County Manager George Reckenwald and staff said the county can request that St. Johns revoke or modify permits, but the water-management district has authority over permit approval and lake management. Reckenwald told the council the county will continue to pursue engineering options, coordinate with municipal partners and seek authorization from St. Johns if emergency pumping becomes necessary. He said the county had discussed potential pumping and routing with the Florida Department of Transportation and the City of DeBary to identify a path to move water to the river if needed.

Residents asked for three specific outcomes: (1) county staff request revocation or modification of the 2017 St. Johns permit associated with the Royal Oaks pipeline; (2) a plan and prior notification if the county intends to purchase properties on Miller Lake; and (3) active opposition to any future St. Johns permits that would discharge into Wawa Lake or Miller Lake. They also asked the council to push the county manager and staff to pursue more than the same interim steps taken after the last major flood.

Staff and county leaders reiterated limits on local authority: St. Johns controls lake elevations and permit approvals, and the county’s options include filing formal objections, participating in St. Johns reviews, and seeking emergency pumping authorizations when access or homes are imminently threatened.

Ending: Council members said they would continue to track Miller Lake, that staff will provide updates on pending permits affecting the basin, and that county engineers and legal staff are working with municipal partners and state agencies to identify actions the county can take. No formal council motion to revoke specific permits was made during the meeting.