District and partners celebrate Black Creek Water Resource Development Project

From left to right: Rick Hutton with Gainesville Regional Utility, District Governing Board Member General Douglas Burnett, Save Our Lakes Organization President Vivian Katz James, District Executive Director Mike Register, Keystone Heights City Manager Lynn Rutkowski, District Governing Board Chair Rob Bradley and Bradford County Manager Scott Kornegay.

PALATKA, Fla., Oct. 21, 2022 — Today, the St. Johns River Water Management District gathered with local and regional partners, residents, and other interested stakeholders to celebrate the launching of the Black Creek Water Resource Development project. The project, decades in the making, will increase recharge to the Upper Floridan aquifer in northeast Florida and improve water levels in lakes Brooklyn and Geneva.

“As our state continues to grow, we need to find more innovative and creative ways to meet water supply needs while still protecting our natural resources,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Mike Register. “This project is a perfect example of that and is really a result of years of collaboration between the community, state, local and private partners and vital stakeholders like Save Our Lakes Organization.”

“This is a unique project and one that I believe will be used as an example in years to come for how to address water supply needs across Florida,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Board Chair Rob Bradley. “And while aquifer recharge is the primary benefit, I look forward to seeing the areas lake levels recover, bringing the economic and recreational benefits to the residents here in Keystone Heights.”

The project will take excess water from Black Creek, pump it through a 17-mile pipeline, and eventually discharge it into a passive treatment system that will remove color and minor nutrients. From there, the water will flow into Alligator Creek and ultimately Lake Brooklyn where recharge to the aquifer will occur through the lake bottom.

“This community has been dealing with unstable lakes for over 30 years, so to see this project become a reality is really incredible,” said Save Our Lakes Organization President Vivian Katz James. “I am so thankful to Chair Bradley, the St. Johns River Water Management District and all the funding partners. The community now has an opportunity to see this beautiful lake region recover.”

While the amount of water pumped each day will vary depending on the water level in Black Creek, the maximum amount of water diverted will not exceed 10 million gallons per day. To ensure the protection of natural resources within the creek, diversions will only be made when there is sufficient flow available.

Funding for the project was provided in the St. Johns River and Keystone Heights Lake Region Projects legislative appropriations over three years beginning in 2017. The total appropriation was more than $48 million, of which nearly $43.4 million was allocated to the Black Creek project. Additionally, north Florida utilities are contributing $19.2 million toward the project. Those utilities include Clay County Utility Authority, Gainesville Regional Utilities, St. Johns County Utilities, and JEA. The remaining balance will be provided from District funds.

To learn more about the Black Creek Water Resource Development Project, visit www.sjrwmd.com/projects/#black-creek.