(Washington, DC) – Congressman Ander Crenshaw and Congresswoman Corrine Brown today supported legislation authorizing federal funding for local water and civil works projects.  The Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (HR 1495) passed the House today with a vote of 394-25.

 

“By preserving our natural resources and improving the Jacksonville Port, this legislation represents a win-win for both our economy and our environment.” said Congressman Crenshaw.  “I have worked hard with Congresswoman Brown to provide this assistance which will help keep our river clean and ensure the future vitality of the Port of Jacksonville.”

 

“Congressman Crenshaw and I have worked hard to include important water related projects for North Florida in this bill, and I am hopeful that this legislation will soon be on its way to the President’s desk for signature,” said Congressman Brown.  “Like all transportation projects, those included in this bill will put people to work, improve our communities, and create economic activity.”

 

Projects included in this year’s legislation include:

 

This study will determine the causes of rapid and unnatural silting-in of the Ft. George Inlet.  This project will include considerations to protect the aquatic ecosystem of the Federal Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and a fixed sand bypass system to open the inlet and replenish the Duval County shoreline.

 

This project will study the feasibility of opportunities for restoring, preserving, and protecting the Lower St. Johns River Basin, including environmental ecosystem restoration, watershed protection, water supply, regional sedimentation management, storm damage reduction, navigation, recreation, and other purposes consistent with the St. Johns River Accord restoration plan.

 

This project will increase the height of the St. Johns Bluff Training Wall adjacent to the Ft. Caroline National Memorial in the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve to provide sufficient protection during high tide and prevent riverbank erosion. 

This project will extend the 40 foot channel depth at Jacksonville Harbor an additional 5.3 miles to the Talleyrand Marine Terminal. The extension is critical for the Port of Jacksonville to continue to meet the needs of modern international ocean carriers.  On completion, the federal shipping channel will accommodate the deep draft requirements of modern international carriers at each of Jacksonville’s three public seaport terminals.    

The Duval County Health Department has declared septic tank failure in 22 different locations in Jacksonville, where leaking tanks are jeopardizing the St. John’s River.  The Jacksonville Water and Sewer Expansion Authority (WSEA) plans use these funds to construct sanitary sewer lines on a voluntary basis in these neighborhoods to allow the homeowners to connect to a central sewer system and abandon their septic tank systems, thus mitigating any environmental threat.

 

The WSEA will also offer homeowners who are currently on wells the opportunity to connect to a central water system which will provide fire protection for the community, decrease fire insurance rates, assure the homeowner of quality and volume of potable water, provide a constant supply of water and water pressure, and eliminate the need to drill new wells.