Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department

Pine Island Conservation Area Stormwater Improvements FSA Stormwater Project Ecellence Nomination 2016

The Brevard County Watershed Management Program serves 544,000 full time residents (2010

census) and 2-3 million tourists every year. Stormwater Utility Assessments are currently collected

annually at a rate of $64 per ERU. The entire program’s annual budget for FY 2015-16 is

approximately $12 million.

The engineering design for the Pine Island Conservation Area Stormwater Improvements was

originally initiated in late 1990’s as a flood control project. Due to lack of funding, the 90% design

construction plans were “shelved” for more than a decade while the County searched for

supplemental funding to move forward with construction. In addition to the flood control benefits

for the 6,000-acre North Merritt Island watershed within unincorporated Brevard County and

encompassed by the North Indian River Lagon (IRL) to the west and the Banana River to the east,

County staff recognized the potential water quality improvements to the IRL from this project and

began seeking supplemental water quality cost-share funding from FDEP and the EPA in 2008.

The project scope of work included interconnecting and expanding two existing borrow lakes into

an 80 acre and 23 acre wet detention system, construction of perimeter berms, fabrication of three

outfall weirs, installation of several gravity flow stormwater pipes, construction of an earthern baffle

in the larger lake to increase residence time, and the construction of a pump station containing three

(3) hydraulic pumps (two 15K GPM & one 32K GPM). The two phase construction project began in

August 2011 and was ultimately completed in January 2015 followed by one year of post-

construction water quality monitoring. Littoral shelves were preserved and created within the lakes

to promote additional treatment, and salt marsh restoration and preservation areas enhance the

area along Sam’s Creek which extends into the Indian River Lagoon. New recreational amenities

include a kayak /canoe launch and pervious parking area.

Anticipated removal rates for TKN, TP, and TSS were 26.9%, 57%, and 80%, respectively. The actual

average pollutant load reduction rates for the Phase 1 (north) pond average 88%, 94%, and 85% for

TKN, TP, and TSS, respectively, for eight analyzed storm events . Post-construction load reduction

rates for the smaller Phase 2 (south) pond average 41%, 64%, and 57 % for TKN, TP, and TSS,

respecitvely, for 10 analyzed storm events. The overall performance of the Pine Island Conservation

Area Stormwater Improvements is better than expected with the exception of TSS in the south pond

which has since been addressed by more adequately stablizing the outfall weir. The wet detention

treatement system has responded very well to the high concentration of loads conveyed from this

basin. The combination of the baffle, pond configuration, littoral areas, sump areas at the pipe inflow

location, and the greater than average pond depth may have all, cumulatively contributed to the

higher than average removal rates for TP and TN. The total cost for both projects from engineering

design through final infrastructure and wetland mitigation construction was $4.1 Million* of which

$1.3 Million was cost-share from EPA 319 and FDEP TMDL water quality grants.

Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department

List of Staff Involved in the Project:

Virginia Barker, Department Director, Natural Resources Management (Watershed Program Manager

at time of PICA Stormwater Construction)

Robbyn Spratt, Engineer III (Project Manager)

Harvey Wheeler, Construction Coordinator (Inspector)

Susan Gosselin, Environmental Scientist (Wetland permitting and mitigation)

Terry Williamson, Environmental Specialist (Water Quality Monitoring)

Jerry Sifford, Associate Environmental Specialist (Water Quality Monitoring)

Greg Jones, Construction Coordinator (retired in 2014)

John Whipple, Associate Environmental Technician (deceased in 2015)

Engineering Design:

PBS& J (now Atkins) (Original Engineering Design in 1997

Quentin Hampton and Associates (Peer Review and Updated construction plans), 2010-2015

Construction Companies:

Phase 1 – Seavy and Associates

Phase 2 – Turnbull Environmental, Inc.

Additional Partners:

Scott Taylor, Environmental Scientist, EELs, Parks and Recreation (retired in 2014)

Damien Keene, Recreation Service Worker, EELs, Parks and Recreation

Scott Spillman, Central Area Manager, Public Works

Ryan Mertz, Heavy Equipment Operator, Public Works

A Special Thank You to Land Acquisition partners Environmentally Endangered Lands (EELs) and

St. Johns River Water Management District for purchasing this property in 1996, thus curtailing plans

for residential development of this area, and allowing this stormwater project to be possible.

Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department

Pre- Construction

Construction

Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department

Final Completion (North Pond- Dec 2012)

Final Completion (South Pond – January 2015)

Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department

Pump Station, Weirs & Settling Basin

Our curious and friendly manatees that hurdled the north pond outfall weir and checked out the 80-acre pond.

Youtube video of hurdling manatee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI2OJtBztMQ