Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
After extreme floods, city, county and SWFWMD agree to watershed study for Lake Bonney system
Summary
Following extraordinary rainfall and a fire‑response surge, city staff and county officials agreed to commission a watershed study (estimated 4–6 months) covering Lake Bonney, Lake Parker and downstream connections to inform pump operations and long‑term mitigation; existing SWFWMD permit limits pumping to 12 MGD.
City staff described actions and recent history around Lake Bonney pumping, the mechanics of the emergency pump permit and next steps after record storm events.
Laurie Smith, lakes and stormwater manager, and Public Works staff said the city and Polk County jointly hold a permit from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) authorizing emergency pumping when lake levels exceed the 10‑year flood stage. The permit caps pumping at 12,000,000 gallons per day (12 MGD). City engineers previously tested earlier pump…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
