Winter Haven officials report progress on shoreline, wetlands, tree canopy and storm debris recovery

City of Winter Haven staff on Monday briefed commissioners on a series of environmental-stewardship projects that city leaders say are improving shoreline stability, wetland water quality, urban tree cover and post-hurricane cleanup.

Tanya Ayers, director of Safe Neighborhoods, and Brittany Hart, director of Public Works, led a roughly 15-minute presentation summarizing work on Lake Silver, Lake Conine Nature Park, household hazardous-waste collection, urban forestry and debris removal from Hurricane Milton.

The Lake Silver revetment project is intended to reduce shoreline erosion along the lake’s western shore, where a historical railroad embankment and recent recreational use have accelerated bank loss. The chosen approach re-slopes the shoreline and installs a 460-foot rock revetment designed to absorb wave energy rather than reflecting it to adjacent shorelines. The contract was awarded to Shore Builders for just under $330,000; about $250,000 of that amount was provided with assistance from Representative Killebrew through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. The…