The Indian River Lagoon fared well in the state budget this week, despite Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ veto pen.
DeSantis signed a $116.5 billion state budget Wednesday after vetoing almost a billion in programs and projects, including more than $18 million in environmental funding that Brevard County and cities within the county had asked for this year.
But the budget also includes $75 million for grants and aids to local governments to implement water quality improvement projects along the 156-mile long Indian River Lagoon. It also includes $350,000 for five Indian River Lagoon Land/Ocean Biogeochemical Observatory water quality instruments for the St. Lucie Estuary and surrounding Indian River Lagoon areas, as well as $250,000 for the National Estuary Program activities to meet total maximum daily water pollution limits.
Lagoon and other specific environmental projects in Brevard garnered more than $12 million in state funding.
Funded projects within the county’s Save Our Lagoon plan include $4.3 million to dredge organic muck from Sykes Creek; $1 million to convert 71 sites on Merritt Island from septic tanks to sewer; and $450,000 for septic tank upgrades to advanced treatment.
More: Group points to budget ‘turkeys’ Brevard projects make Florida TaxWatch’s annual list of ‘Budget Turkeys’
Local lagoon and environmental projects funded
The more than $12 million in Brevard Indian River Lagoon projects that got funded include:
Sykes Creek Phase 2 Environmental Dredging & Interstitial Water Treatment Project — $4,324,002
University of Central Florida – Restore Lagoon Inflow Final Phase — $4,900,000
Merritt Island Zone F Septic-to-Sewer project (71 sites) — $1,000,000
Indian River Lagoon Septic Upgrades to Advanced Treatment Units — $450,000
Palm Bay Indian River Lagoon Baffle Boxes Projects — $750,000
Palm Bay IRL Water Quality Improvement Project – Baseflow and Pond Improvements — $550,000
West Melbourne Flood Risk Reduction – Technology Drive — $150,000
West Melbourne Flood Risk Reduction Connect Canal 70 to Canal 63 — $400,000
Local lagoon and environmental vetoes
DeSantis vetoed more than $18 million in lagoon and other environmental or water projects in Brevard, including:
Eau Gallie NE Environmental Dredging and Interstitial Water Treatment — $1,500,000
Indian River Lagoon Quick Connects to Sewer — $450,000
Merritt Island Lift Stations Replacement — $1,000,000
Merritt Island Canal Dredging — $1,500,000
Merritt Island Sewer and Manhole Lining Phase 2 — $1,000,000
Port St. John Regional Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant Phase 2 — $1,250,000
Melbourne Lead and Copper Service Line Replacement — $250,000
Cocoa City Septic to Sewer Conversion for 88 Homes — $4,000,000
Cocoa Beach Gravity Sewer Rehabilitation — $1,000,000
Rockledge Advanced Water Treatment Phase 1 Water Project Brevard — $2,500,000
Satellite Beach – Grand Canal and Finger Canals Muck Dredging — $3,000,000
Sebastian Inlet North and South Jetty Maintenance and Safety Improvements — $1,000,000
Also cut was a $2.5 million project to relocated the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority relocate its sewer plant off of the Indian River Lagoon.
Other environmental funding in this year’s budget includes $850 million for Everglades restoration; $535 million in water quality improvement projects and to implement recommendations of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force; and $15 million in improvements infrastructure in state parks.
The budget also funds more than $129 million to protect Florida’s conservation lands and waterways, including $100 million for the Florida Forever Program to support land conservation and recreation.
This year’s budget also includes $55 million to restore Florida’s springs and a $40 million to improve water quality and combat the effects and impacts of harmful algal blooms, including blue-green algae and red tide.
Contact Waymer at 321) 261-503 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) at @jwayEnviro.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Indian River Lagoon gets millions, despite DeSantis vetoes
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