Lake Worth Lagoon

Mission Statement of Lake Worth Lagoon Management Plan

"To restore, conserve and manage the Lake Worth Lagoon ecosystem to a level of quality to obtain measurable and significant imporvements to the Lagoon's water and sediment quality; to provide habitat for native plants, fish and wildlife, and easthetic, recreational and economic benefits for the residents and visitors of Palm Beach County; and to encourage, develop and promote a partnership of public and private interests to manage the Lagoon."

Background

In the late 1800s, settlers first arrived on the banks of Lake Worth and began a continuous onslaught of environmentally degrading activities some of which continue to this day, including channel dredging, shoreline hardening, dredging and filling, causeway and bridge construction, dock and marina construction, canal development, industrial and sewage waste disposal, stormwater runoff, port development, mosquito control and power plant construction and operation. While the cumulative impact of these activities has altered what is now know as Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL) from its previous character and diminished it’s value as a healthy estuarine ecosystem, significant regionally important natural resources remain.

Since 1994, there has been heightened awareness and communication among interested parties and local governments concerning the need for water quality improvements and habitat restoration and enhancement within the LWL.

To focus attention on and provide impetus to restoration efforts, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Palm Beach County (PBC) formed the LWL Ecosystem Management Area (EMA) team. The first comprehensive workshop to address LWL issues got underway on January 31, 1997, with participation by federal, state, and regional governments that affect or oversee water management of the Lagoon. Business, non-profit groups, and concerned citizens were also in attendance and encouraged to participate. A steering committee and four subcommittees evolved to address water and sediment quality, habitat restoration and enhancement, regulatory review and pollution prevention, and public use and outreach.

The steering committee adopted the final Lake Worth Lagoon Management Plan on August 19, 1998.  The plan contains a list of habitat restoation and water and sediment quality projects to improve flora and fauna conditions within the lagoon.  To date, the legislature has appropriated $9.5 million for the Lake Worth Lagoon Partnership Grant Program, and 29 projects have been implemented for a total cost of over $33 million.

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