After years of drainage woes and flooding, it seems like The Acreage could be nearing a drainage solution. Last week, the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors gave the green light for its staff to continue discussions about using a 2,300-acre property for stormwater storage.
Negotiations are continuing with the South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission about plans for the Moss property, which is located at the southwest corner of the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area at the north end of The Acreage community. This is a great idea, and one we believe could give The Acreage a reprieve in dire times.
For a long time, it seemed that The Acreage was stuck in regard to its drainage rights — much of those rights were given up to surrounding communities decades ago. Without creating a regional water strategy that would force other communities to share drainage rights, The Acreage’s only other option seemed to be to give up control of its water supply in exchange for moving water east during storms.
But this latest potential agreement presents a new option: directing the water to the 2,300-acre former farmland, turning it into a wetland, where birds and other wildlife can live. The water will then slowly make its way back into the aquifer, recharging the water supply that feeds the residential wells.
With the problems that have plagued The Acreage in past storm seasons, this could be a solution to move more water when needed, without ITID having to give up control of its water supply. Further, the enhanced Moss property would become an asset to the community and a crucial link in the South Florida Water Management District’s overall drainage plan for the region.
Supervisor Gary Dunkley, along with ITID Engineer Jay Foy and others, should be commended for their work in helping put together this concept.
Although the agreement is far from final, and the project could be more than a decade away, it’s a step in the right direction. Furthermore, putting in a temporary pump station on the property for emergencies would give ITID a more immediate contingency plan should another Tropical Storm Isaac roll through. Hopefully, that at least will be in place before the next time a flooding emergency threatens.
