Lake Bonny floodwater will take longer to go away, says US Army Corps of Engineers

Lake Bonny flood mitigation efforts continue

FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.

LAKELAND, Fla. - Residents along Lake Bonny may have to wait up to a month before they see their yards or communities completely dry.

Since the US Army Corps of Engineers, in coordination with local, county and state leaders, began pumping on Thursday, the water has gone down about a foot from the lake.

Initially, the US Army Corps of Engineers believed it would take one to two weeks for the floodwater to recede, but now they say it could take up to 25 or 30 days.

They haven't been pumping at full capacity for several reasons.

"As we go, we're working with what the terrain gives us," said Major Matt Westcott, Deputy Commander of the Jacksonville District. "We want that water to move as fast as possible for people, but we can't do it in an irresponsible manner and send water everywhere and possibly create problems for somebody else."

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Westcott says the storm drain system can't handle anymore than what they're giving it, plus all of the water that's drained into the basin from elsewhere.

They're considering taking a few courses of action.

"There are a few ones that involve using culverts that exist beneath the rail system and highway," said Westcott. "There are a few other areas of lakes and ponds we're looking at as well. It's just a matter of we need to talk through those with the city and county and locals to see what's possible before we go doing things."

The water is being moved from Lake Bonny to Lake Parker which will eventually drain into the Peace River.

The Army Corps will continue to reassess the situation so they can find the best way to move all of this water out as fast as they can.

Homeowners along Lake Seward in Polk County have also been dealing with flooded homes and roads. Westcott says they haven't received an official request from the state yet on behalf of the county, but they're aware of the situation and have done an initial analysis.

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