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WRDA > WRDA 2000 Initial Projects > North New River Canal
WRDA 2000 Initial Projects:
North New River Canal Conveyance Improvements
Description: Improve the North New River Canal and U.S. 27 borrow canal to deliver water to Miami-Dade County to replace the function of the Miami Canal which is being eliminated as a part of Water Conservation Area 3 Decompartmentalization (see #8)
Purpose: Provide an alternative water supply delivery system to Miami-Dade County, as a result of filling the Miami Canal (see #8),
Benefits: Maintains water supply delivery capabilities to coastal Miami-Dade County
Land Status: Project sited, 200 acres not yet acquired
C&SF Restudy Component - "SS"
Note: this project is dependent on the implementation of the Water Conservation Area 3 Decompartmentalization Project
General Description: This project is limited to modifications to existing C&SF Project features. The purpose of this project is to create a bypass for water supply deliveries using the North New River Canal to mitigate for filling in portions of the Miami Canal within Water Conservation Area 3. Due to the dependencies of these components, this project would be implemented with the component Water Conservation Area 3 - Phase 1 (Raise and Bridge East Portion of Tamiami Trial and Fill Miami Canal within WCA3).
Criticality: This project is included in the initial authorization for two reasons; 1) to provide immediate opportunities for enhanced sheetflow within Water Conservation Area 3 and between Water Conservation Area 3 and Everglades National Park and 2) to integrate with ongoing modifications that are being made in the detailed design and construction of the Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park project.
Engineering Design: This project includes mitigating lost water supply conveyance caused by backfilling the Miami Canal in Water Conservation Area 3. To make up for the loss of water supply conveyance to the Lower East Coast urban areas from the Miami Canal, the capacity of the North New River Canal south of the proposed Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir will be doubled to convey additional water supply deliveries to Miami-Dade County as necessary. The capacities of S-351 and S-150 to pass additional water supply deliveries down the North New River Canal to Miami-Dade County will be doubled. In addition, the conveyance of the L-33 and L-37 borrow canals on the west side of US 27 between L-38W and the Miami Canal will be increased as necessary to pass the additional flows.
The Project Implementation Report will address the scope and method to be used for Miami Canal backfilling, conveyance improvements to the North New River Canal and, the bridging of Tamiami Trail, and L-29 modifications that are necessary to enable unrestricted flow from Water Conservation Area 3 into Everglades National Park. The sequencing of these modifications will also be addressed in the Project Implementation Report. These project modifications will be coordinated with the existing Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park Project as well as the development of rainfall driven operational schedules for Water Conservation Area 3 and Everglades National Park.
It is estimated that approximately 200 acres are needed for the North New River Improvements. SFWMD owns the right-of-way to the North New River Canal, and lands underlying Structures S-351 and S-150.
Benefits: The benefits of this project include maintaining a water delivery mechanism to the lower east coast while restoring sheet flow and reducing the unnatural discontinuities in the landscape. This project will allow for water depth patterns in the Water Conservation Area 3 to be more gradual allowing aquatic organisms to move more freely, exotic species will not have the advantage of deep water canals that provide thermal refuge or dry levees on which to grow. Normal proportions of predators/prey species in fish populations will be undisturbed. Natural interspersions of different marsh habitats will replace the current system of upstream pools and downstream dry area on either side of barriers. The result will be better quality and more easily accessible habitat for wading birds and other Everglades species.
This project will allow for the initial increment of a more integrated passive management of Water Conservation Area 3 and Everglades National Park. It is anticipated that these modifications will be made in association with the implementation of a rainfall driven operational schedules for both Water Conservation Area 3 and Everglades National Park.
Related Projects: These project modifications will be coordinated with the existing Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park Project as well as the development of rainfall driven operational schedules for Water Conservation Area 3 and Everglades National Park. Due to dependencies, this project would be implemented in conjunction with the Water Conservation Area 3 Decompartmentalization Project.
Schedule: The North New River Canal improvements are scheduled for construction initiation in January 2005 with completion in January 2009. Of the 200 acres needed for this project, none have been acquired.
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