Water-Related News

Biological survey for Lake Bonnet drainage project starts March 11th

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LAKELAND – A wetlands/protected wildlife and plants survey is planned to start on Monday, March 11, 2024, in the Lake Bonnet Drainage Project area. The AECOM Biological Survey Team will be working in the community to collect data until approximately April 30, 2024. Members of the team will walk through, inspect, and photograph the area and may enter and exit from the land and/or the water to complete the required data collection.

The City of Lakeland was awarded a $42.9 million grant from the Florida Department of Commerce (DOC), formerly known as the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO). The grant is facilitated through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s, or HUD, Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program, as part of the Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program.

The project consists of wetland restoration, lake bottom sediment dredging, and the development of flood mitigation infrastructure to reduce flood risk for the May Manor Mobile Home Park and surrounding areas with an expectation of a six-year start-to-completion schedule.

Laurie Smith, the City of Lakeland’s Project Manager said, “The survey provides important data that will allow us to understand the existing conditions of habitats and ecosystems within the area – it is an important component of the Phase 1 Feasibility Study.”

Learn more about the Lake Bonnet Drainage project at Lakelandgov.net/LkBonnetDrainageProject, or contact Laurie Smith, CPM, CFM, Project Manager, Lakes and Stormwater Manager, by email to Laurie.Smith@Lakelandgov.net; by telephone to (863) 834-6276; or by mail to City of Lakeland, Public Works, 407 Fairway Avenue, Lakeland, Florida 33801; or contact Amparo Vargas, Public Information Officer by email to Amparo.Vargas@aecom.com or by telephone to (863) 410-0727.