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Reconnection/Water Farming August 2014 Page 3 In a related matter, in the recent time leading up to 2000, in a joint effort as coordinated by the SFWMD ; University of Florida and Local and State agents and community stakeholders an assemblage of parties met over several meetings and developed a collaborated document proposing resolutions to correcting and resolving the deterioration of the water quality in the lagoon and the effects of basin run-off, from this regional area. One of this working groups key documents which was subsequently developed under the leadership of Stan Carter and the Indian River Citrus League, was the BMP Citrus Manual for this regional area. This local BMP document became the model for subsequent BMP development in other agricultural areas and serve as the model for the adopted State -wide BMP Citrus manual. It was during this problem identification and solving session that the idea for the re -connection of the two water management districts was provided by the recently appointed Administrator of the St. Johns Water Control District and the Sebastian River Water Control District. As this Administrator was the former Area/Regional Operations and Maintenance Director during the aforementioned period and had been employed at the SFWMD since early 1972, he was confident this idea for the re -connection was a workable solution and of benefit to the lagoon system from a water quality perspective. The proposed idea for the re-connection/regional reservoir system and its associated regional benefits focused on the following areas; First and foremost; WATER QUALITY -ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FOR THE LAGOON Reduction of excess stormwater from entering the lagoon system from this regional area. As a result of the reconnection, excess basin run-off could be routed to a more historic flow pattern. Additionally, an understanding of the history of the area from the historic drainage patterns, to the recent discharge concerns, highlighted the need to not only return the regional area's connect ability, but also the need to establish regional storage capacity as determined in the earlier assessments regarding the redirection of water from the C-44 system into the SFWMD upper east coast system. Additionally, through the attenuation of the water, the nutrient loads typically associated with previously conveyed waters to the lagoon, had a greater potential to be reduced through a regional storage facility. 2. WATER QUANTITY - REGIONAL DEEP WATER STORAGE Through the development of an inter -connected regional storage area with a combination of deep water and shallower storm water treatment areas (STA's) as transitional areas around the reservoirs, an alternative regional surface water supply is developed. Simply put, during periods of excess rainfall/run-off, those amounts could be stored and withdrawn during periods of needs—in a sense , a "water bank". A regional water supply depository.