SUBJECT
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Update on the Development of Minimum Flows for the Upper Peace River and Request to Use Funds for PRWC Technical Review (Action)
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DESCRIPTION
The PRWC completed the Peace River/Land Use Transition Project (Q133) in May 2023. This project is an alternative water supply feasibility project to use the Peace River as a supply source. The project was co-funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). The final report included a conceptual plan for a surface water intake and water treatment facility on the Peace River south of Fort Meade. The project supply capacity was estimated at up to 28 MGD. Further work on this project was suspended due to the SWFWMD planned minimum flow revision and PRWC’s focus upon the Southeast and West Polk Lower Floridan Wellfield Projects. The PRWC BOD approved the suspension at the May 17, 2023 Board of Directors meeting.
SWFWMD is now completing the process of setting revised minimum flows for the Upper Peace River. Minimum flows are defined as limits for water bodies that prevent significant harm to water resources and ecology due to water withdrawals. The next step in the SWFWMD process will be to conduct an independent scientific peer review of its revised minimum flow. SWFWMD will voluntarily subject all scientific and technical data, methodologies, models and assumptions used to support development of minimum flows for the river to technical review. The review will be conducted by a panel of three independent, recognized experts in fields relevant to the development of minimum flows.
Preliminary analysis by the PRWC (TeamOne - Carollo) has indicated that the revised draft minimum flow proposed by SWFWMD would reduce future PRWC withdrawals from approximately 28 MGD to 17 MGD. Because of this expected impact on PRWC’s future water supplies, staff would like to retain its own expert to participate in the peer review process and review the technical competence of the proposed minimum flow.
TeamOne has the expertise to perform this review and has provided the PRWC the attached Scope-of-Services for the analysis. The total cost is $49,828.00 and includes review of the proposed minimum flow report, review of the data analysis done by the District, and participation in the peer review process and presentation to the PRWC Board of Directors on findings (including a recommendation on future steps, if needed).
There are currently no funds budgeted or available within the PRWC budget to support this analysis; PRWC funds are primarily dedicated to the Southeast and West Polk Projects. The most appropriate method to fund the minimum flow review is to utilize member funding through the Combined Projects Budget. This would increase member costs and require a budget amendment. The cost of the increase to each member is shown in the attached table. If approved, the PRWC will invoice members for these costs by the end of FY2026.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the TeamOne Scope-of-Services - Change Order 9 for review of the SWFWMD revised minimum flow for the Upper Peace River and amend the Combined Projects budget by $49,828.00 to cover the costs of this work.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact for the revised Upper Peace River minimum flow technical review and peer review participation is $49,828.00.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Eric DeHaven
Mary Thomas