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Levee restoration complete

Contributed photo

Carlos Torres, District Conservationist for Natural Resource Conservation Service for the Sebring field office, Paul F. Ebersbach, chief of Environmental Flight at the Avon Park Air Force Range, Gregg Hartt, a district supervisor for Highlands Soil and Water Conservation Board, and Clell Ford, Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District project manager for Avon Park Air Force Range levee restoration project. Ford and others walk along Arbuckle Creek's newly restored levee during a tour on Friday.

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By AIYANA BAIDA

Highlands Today

Published: October 26, 2009

AVON PARK - Now that the restoration of Arbuckle Creek's levee is complete, wildlife living in Avon Park Air Force Range's marsh can look forward to a more balanced ecosystem. The five-month long restoration project was completed in July by the Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District.

On Friday, Jackie Bailey, Highlands County Soil and Water Conservation District's office manager, took photos and toured the restored levee with Clell Ford, project manager, and others.

The original levee was constructed in the 1960s from a mixture of sand and muck. Throughout the years, lack of maintenance and poor building materials contributed to breaches to several sections of the two-mile long levee.

"It was in bad shape...muck is not one of the best building materials," Ford said.

The project was given a $504,242 budget by South Florida Water Management District in 2006. Construction was delayed due to permitting issues and bad weather but once under way, they completed it on time and under budget.

Ford said the Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District was receiving bids of up to $2 million but managed to complete it with about $460,000.

"In this day in age, that's a really good price," Ford said.

Initially the restoration team was going to use sand as building material but after they began digging the 10-acre pit about a mile north of the creek, they found clay - a better building material.

"If maintained properly, the clay-sand mixture is permanent," Ford said.

The restoration of the levee was imperative to the maintenance of Arbuckle Creek, which is one of Lake Istokpoga's main water sources.

Without it, the county and the Air Force Range were facing problems with flooding, storm water run-off and an excess of phosphorus in the creek's water.

The restoration team placed 75,000 cubic yards of organic material to create a natural dyke system.

"It looks very different today than it did back then," Ford said.

Highlands Today reporter Aiyana Baida can be reached at 863-386-5855 or at nbaida@highlandstoday.com

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