St. Lucie County (COUNTY), together with consultant South Florida Engineering and Consulting LLC (SFEC) are involved in the design and planned construction of a stormwater treatment pond on approximately 1.7 acres of County owned property, located in the southwest corner of Ancient Oaks Preserve in Fort Pierce, Florida. The area being considered for the pond is currently covered in weedy vegetation, invasive-exotic plants, and not of high conservation value.
Ancient Oak Preserve/Weldon B. Lewis Park is located along Oleander Ave. just north of Midway Road in Ft. Pierce. The area includes 13 acres of multi‐use fields with a playground as well as a 38‐acre natural preserve which includes a walking trail. The preserve is located adjacent to Merritt’s Ditch. The parcel currently drains via a small ditch central to the property and to a lesser extent to Merritt’s Ditch. Both features eventually drain stormwater runoff into Ten Mile Creek and then into the North Fork of the St. Lucie River.
As St. Lucie County continues to work on developing water quality projects, stormwater treatment ponds, like the one proposed for the PROJECT, will play key roles in helping the County reach its goals for meeting State Basin Management Action Plan requirements. When completed, the PROJECT is proposed to have a 33% reduction efficiency for nitrogen and a 62% reduction efficiency for phosphorus.
Local residents and stakeholders are invited to the upcoming meeting scheduled for August 16th, 2023, at the Havert L. Fenn Center. This will be the second in a series of two meetings for this project. The first meeting included a discussion of project goals and objectives, possible alternatives, and provided a venue for public comment and input. This upcoming meeting will present the recommended design and provide additional opportunities for public input. Public comments can be provided at the meeting, via email (Frankling@stlucieco.org) or by calling the County Project Manager Gary Franklin (772) 462-1192.
Additional details will be provided at the public meeting. The County welcomes public input. Please join us for the public meeting.
