The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is in the process of updating National Flood Insurance Program maps in Broward County. Part of this update includes a certification of the East Coast Protective Levee. Currently, FEMA and a group of Broward County officials have requested that the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) repair any deficiencies and subsequently provide the necessary documentation to ensure that the 60-year-old levee meets modern-day standards. Flood zone maps are used to determine flood insurance purchase requirements and rates, and establish minimum floor elevations for new construction and substantial improvements to existing structures. A levee that does not meet FEMA standards could result in an expansion of The 105-mile East Coast Protective Levee borders Coral Springs areas in Broward County considered suson the west side of the Sawgrass Expressway. ceptible to flooding, which may cause an increase in the cost of flood insurance. After completion of levee construction, ownership was The East Coast Protective Levee stretches more than 100 transferred to the SFWMD, which has actively maintained it miles from the Homestead area north to the eastern shore of for approximately 60 years. Based on regular inspections, the Lake Okeechobee. Prompted by massive flooding of South District carries out routine maintenance, including raising Florida in 1947, the levee was constructed by the U.S. Army the levee to its design height at two localized areas, filling Corps of Engineers in the 1950s to provide flood protection eroded areas due to boat wakes and removing exotic vegand retain water in three Water Conservation Areas, which etation. are sections of Everglades wetlands in western Miami-Dade, sfwmd.gov Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Two-day water restrictions still in place Despite the rainy season, South Florida has been slow to recover from the months of record-low rainfall. During this time, conservation is critical to protecting our water supply, which supports more than 7.5 million people in South Florida. Please note that two-day-a-week residential landscape restrictions remain in place. Water restrictions include: • No watering allowed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. • Residents and businesses with odd-numbered street addresses may water lawns and landscapes on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 12 a.m. to 10 a.m. and/or from 4 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. • Residents and businesses with even-numbered street addresses, no street address or irrigate both even and odd address within the same zones, including multi-family units and homeowners associations, may water lawns and landscapes on Thursdays and Sundays from 12 a.m. to 10 a.m. and/or from 4 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. • Please note that new landscaping can be watered without regard to restrictions on the first day it is installed. It is always important to make sure your irrigation system is working properly. For instructions on how to set your sprinkler timer and other conservation tips, visit our web site. CoralSprings.org/conservation Watch CityTV
Fall 2011 • Coral Springs • 13
environment
SFWMD to provide documentation for levee certification