Tampa Bay Water and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) are joining forces on a water quality and habitat restoration plan for the historically mined lands in the Alafia River watershed. This project will quantify and prioritize restoration projects within the watershed to restore wetlands and improve the water quality in the Alafia River.
The Alafia River watershed is a critically important surface water supply source for Tampa Bay Water. About 85,000 acres of land upstream of Tampa Bay Water’s intake have been mined for phosphate, which left the land in conditions that affect current and future water supply.
This project was awarded $100,000 in grant funding from the Tampa Bay Environmental Restoration Fund, which will offset 35 percent of the total project cost ($282,776). Tampa Bay Water is contributing $182,776 toward the project during fiscal years 2022-2023.
