Public Notice: Additional Pump Installed At Lake Bonny - Test To See If It Provides Additional Relief

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LAKELAND, FL (October 30, 2024) - To decrease the water levels at Lake Bonny, the City of Lakeland will be adding an additional pump as a TEST to see if it provides additional relief for Lake Bonny. 

Water levels are dropping faster in Lake Parker than Lake Bonny. This is causing the water level in the Canal Street conveyance ditch to lower in conjunction with Lake Parker. Lake Parker’s drop in water elevation has allowed the City pump to operate at maximum capacity.

The City has been granted permission to install a temporary pump that will add more water volume into the system to help increase flows from Lake Bonny into Lake Parker.  The secondary pump can move up to 4,500 gallons of water per minute.

The secondary pump will start at idle speed and ramp up slowly with supervision from the Southwest Florida Water Management (SWFWMD) and the City of Lakeland. The system will be monitored to make sure the conveyance ditch and underground plumbing can accommodate the additional outflow. Initial operation of the secondary pump will be a test.  If the operation of the pump is successful without any adverse impacts, pump capacity will be increased. However, if there are adverse conditions, the secondary pump will be taken offline.

On October 23, 2024, the Army Corps of Engineers began operating two pumps at Lake Bonny with a combined total output of 5,600 gallons per minute.  The strategy has closed a portion of Main Street to run above ground pipe from Lake Bonny to a stormwater outflow on North Gary Road. The stormwater system discharges to Lake Parker and flows to Lake Hancock before being discharged to the Peace River.  The SWFWMD oversees and manages water bodies that flow to the Peace River.  

With the installation of the new pump, there will now be four high-capacity industrial pumps moving water from Lake Bonny to Lake Parker.

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