09/09/2008 (5) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner O'Bryan questioned the solidity of the cooperative funding from the Water Management District and the U.S.G.S, and whether there was a commitment for that in the budget. Mr. Adair understood that funds are available, but invited Lewis Murray to better explain and confirm. Lewis Murray, Hydrologist, stated that the Water Branch of the U.S.G.S. is federally funded in a Federal State Cooperative Program, meaning they can fund with federal dollars up to 50% of the total cost of a given hydrologic study. They have a long record of having cooperation at the State and local agencies, and in the past fifteen years have conducted similar studies, as the one proposed, for the Counties of Orange, Seminole, Lake and Polk, and were currently involved in a study with Highland County that would be completed next year. Mr. Murray reported that under funding for Fiscal Year 2009, they have federal funds that would be opened to start this project, possibly mid -fiscal year that could be used to match a contribution by the County. He has not talked extensively with St. John's, but has received an indication of interest in possibly participating, starting in fiscal year 2010, with funding. This would be a 3-3 1/2 year project and St. John's would be committed through those years. Mr. Murray believed the Water Management Districts could also contribute, in this Study, some complementary services such as drilling new monitoring wells in necessary areas, and logging some of the abandoned artesian wells, to enable proper evaluation of the water quality collected from them. He could not give an exact fund -figure, but could estimate that it would probably be about a total of $600,000 across three and a half years, and of that figure they anticipate the County's contribution would be no more than 10% ($60,000.00 across 3 1/2 years) with the remaining $540,000.00 being contributed by U.S.G.S. and the St. Johns River Water September 9, 2008 30