Residents press Volusia County after 90+ days of Miller Lake flooding; council directs interagency letter and staff follow-up

Volusia County Council members heard extended public testimony Jan. 9 from more than a dozen residents of the Miller Lake area in western Volusia County who said persistent flooding since the fall has left yards and some homes inundated and damaged.

The comments came during the public-participation portion of the Jan. 9 Volusia County Council meeting and focused on long-running drainage and permit issues between Orange City, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and the St. Johns River Water Management District that residents said are sending commercial and groundwater into the closed Miller Lake basin.

Council members were told the situation has lasted more than three months for many property owners. Danette Musser said, "Today is day 91 and counting. 91 days that Miller Lake is flooded beyond capacity," and described restricted vehicle access, damage to septic systems, risks to livestock and emergency access concerns. Reese Linton and David Hill said their parcels remain partly underwater and that the flow began after permit work and pipe connections were added in 2017.

Public Works Director Ben Bartlett and County Manager George (county manager; first name not specified in transcript) responded with a technical account of the drainage system. Bartlett described a complex cascade of ponds and a pipe under State Road 1792 (referred to in staff remarks) that connects several commercial and retention areas to Miller Lake. Bartlett said the permit in question was issued through the St. Johns River Water Management District for a system connecting the Royal Oaks shopping-center drainage into the Big Lots pond, and that the county previously created roughly 20 acre-feet of storage near the former “horse farm” after Tropical Storm Fay. Bartlett told council that the control gate at a private control structure had been closed after staff visited the site with property and city representatives.

County staff said DeBary is currently accepting pumped water into a large borrow pit and the county is coordinating with FDOT, Orange City, St. Johns River Water Management District and DeBary on interim routing and longer-term options. Bartlett said groundwater infiltration into exfiltration systems in the commercial site continues to route water toward Miller Lake even when pumps are not actively discharging, and that engineers and the district are involved in analysis and permitting discussions.

Council members pressed staff for near-term remedies, including whether more pumping or alternate discharge routes could be used. Bartlett said larger pumping operations would require destination capacity and permitting by the water management district; he and the county manager said options include routing water through DOT-owned conveyances into DeBary or identifying alternate county-owned parcels to temporarily store or convey water. The county manager said staff are looking at short- and long-term fixes and working with FDOT and municipal partners.

Following the public testimony, Councilman Danny Robbins moved and Councilman David Santiago seconded a motion directing staff to prepare and send a joint letter from the county to the Florida Department of Transportation, Orange City, and the St. Johns River Water Management District expressing council concern and requesting coordinated action. Council also directed staff to return at a future meeting (staff committed to report back in the coming months) with targeted options, cost estimates and an implementation plan for reducing the impacts in Miller Lake and other closed basins. The motion passed unanimously.

Why this matters: Residents said the flooding has severed access to homes, damaged mature oak trees and impaired septic and daily living functions, and they asked the county to accelerate both temporary relief and longer-term infrastructure changes. County staff said multiple jurisdictions and private maintenance responsibilities complicate quick fixes and that some relief will require coordinated engineering work and permitting with state agencies.

Next steps: The council asked staff to (1) send a written, interagency request to FDOT, Orange City and the St. Johns River Water Management District, (2) return with engineering options and cost estimates, and (3) explore short-term pumping and storage alternatives while ensuring any discharge is legally permitted.