Water-Related News

SFWMD requests public comment on final draft of 2021 Aquifer Storage and Recovery Science Plan

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As part of its ongoing effort to increase public participation and engagement, the South Florida Water Management District encourages the public to provide input on the Final Draft 2021 Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Science Plan.

The final draft plan is available for public and peer review at SFWMD.gov/ASR. Public comments can be submitted via email at ASRwells@SFWMD.gov through March 7, 2021.

About the Draft ASR Science Plan

The SFWMD and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) prepared the Final Draft 2021 ASR Science Plan to address uncertainties identified in the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) review of the ASR Regional Study Final Technical Data Report. There are potential benefits of ASR wells, and there are some technical uncertainties regarding regional effects of large-scale ASR implementation.

To address these uncertainties, the SFWMD and USACE developed this 2021 ASR Science Plan, describing potential studies to be conducted as ASR wells are implemented in a phased manner. The ASR Science Plan was developed with review and input from an independent peer-review panel of scientists. The ASR Science Plan presents the first version of an overarching program of scientific studies that supports a phased ASR implementation schedule for the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project (LOWRP).

Although the studies proposed in this Final Draft ASR Science Plan are intended to be conducted at ASR locations identified in the LOWRP Integrated Project Implementation Report and Environmental Impact Statement, they may have broad application beyond the LOWRP’s scope.