St. Augustine given $600K for flood management

St. Johns River Water Management approves grant to city

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The St. Johns River Water Management District met earlier this week to review and rank 57 separate project requests for funding. When the scoring was complete, the city of St. Augustine’s three requests were all ranked in the top half of those considered, resulting in over $600,000 in support from the state agency.

The three projects are the installation of backflow preventers for Davis Shores, the replacement of a culvert at Oyster Creek on South Dixie Highway, and drainage improvements in Lincolnville, specifically South Street, Duero Street and DeHaven Street. The grants will cover one-third, or $622,986, of the projects’ total cost of $1,887,835.

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The funding is from a cost-share program between the SJRWMD and agencies within its service area. Specifically, the projects must address one of the district’s core mission areas:

  • Water supply (specifically alternative water supply and conservation projects)
  • Water quality improvement (nutrient removal)
  • Natural systems restoration
  • Flood protection

Two of the city’s projects are classified as flood protection, the ones for Davis Shores and Oyster Creek, with the one in Lincolnville is related to water quality improvement.

The three projects and their cost-share are:

St Augustine Davis Shores Tidal Backflow Preventers:

  • City’s share: $395,970 / SJRWMD grant: $195,030
  • The project involves the retrofit of 17 existing stormwater outfalls with backflow prevention valves in the North Davis Shores and South Davis Shores area and will reduce flooding to a 380-acre area.

St Augustine Box Culvert Over Oyster Creek:

  • City’s share: $661,179 / SJRWMD grant: $325,656
  • The project involves the replacement of a box culvert over Oyster Creek along South Dixie Highway and includes drainage improvements and reduction of flooding to a 700-acre area.

St Augustine Lincolnville Drainage Improvements:

  • City’s share: $207,700 / SJRWMD grant: $102,300
  • The project involves the installation of storm water conveyance and treatment along three streets within the Lincolnville neighborhood resulting in a reduction of nutrients being discharged into the San Sebastian River.

For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 904-825-1040.