Christina Watershed Will Be Discussed

LAKELAND | The Southwest Florida Management District and Polk County will hold a public meeting July 15 to discuss the Christina watershed management plan.

The meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. at Swiftmud's Bartow Service Office, 170 Century Blvd., will deal with how the plan will address flooding and water quality issues.

The Christina watershed refers to an area roughly south of County Road 540A, east of State Road 37, west of Lakeland Highlands Road and north of State Road 60.

The area has experienced recurrent flooding for the past 10 years and is also experiencing rapid growth.

Swiftmud and county staffers evaluated the watershed and are developing a watershed management plan to identify and prioritize water resources issues and recommend alternatives to improve flood protection and water quality.

At the July 15 meeting, staff will review the watershed management plan and present the watershed modeling results as well as recommended improvements. Maps and aerial photographs of the watershed will be used to illustrate the study limits, areas of known flooding and drainage concerns, and descriptions of proposed projects that will address flooding and water quality issues.

There will be a question-and-answer session following the presentation.

For more information, contact Dawn Turner at 352-796-7211, or 1-800-423-1476, Ext. 4199.

[ Tom Palmer can be reached at 863-802-7535 or tom.palmer@theledger.com. Read more views on the environment at http://environment.theledger.com. ]