Crooked Lake is a 4,000-acre water body in southeastern Polk County. The lake has excellent water quality and has been designated by the state as an Outstanding Florida Water. This project will help maintain the outstanding water quality of the lake by improving the Stephenson Avenue stormwater management infrastructure. The improvements will include collecting and treating stormwater runoff from U.S. Alternate 27 and Stephenson Avenue before it enters Crooked Lake. The improvements will also help reduce flooding along the south end of Stephenson Avenue by collecting and storing storm water in a management area before discharging into the lake.
Storm water is water that flows over land during and immediately after a rainstorm.
The Environmental Protection Agency has identified stormwater runoff as our most serious water quality problem today. Pollutants associated with stormwater runoff include sediment, nutrients, heavy metals, oils, greases, pesticides and bacteria. Without proper treatment in developed areas, these pollutants in runoff adversely impact the quality of the receiving water. This project involves Phase One which includes the design, permitting, and easement acquisition for the improved stormwater management infrastructure. Phase Two will be the construction of the infrastructure improvements.