Headwaters Lake boat ramp construction contract awarded to Westwind Contracting

Building the Headwaters Lake boat ramp at the Fellsmere Water Management Area  took a step forward Tuesday when the St. Johns River Water Management District board awarded a $842,000 construction contract for the project.

Westwind Contracting Inc. of Pembroke Park was awarded the contract. 

The district and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are splitting the cost of the long-awaited project in northwest Indian River County, which includes an improved parking area, restrooms and a floating dock along with the boat ramp.

The 10,000-acre lake was built primarily as a stormwater reservoir designed to capture, store and clean rainfall runoff, then redirect it to the north-flowing St. Johns River instead of the Indian River Lagoon, through the C-54 Canal.

The district also promised public recreation, though, and spent at least $1.4 million: 

• Creating fish habitat
• Stocking the lake with nearly 2 million fish, including almost 1 million largemouth bass, as well as blue gill, red ear sunfish and black crappie
• Planting 13,000 native trees, such as cypress, red maples and dahoon hollies.

But without a boat ramp, access to the lake's top-notch fishing has been limited to anglers in kayaks and canoes.

In February 2018, TCPalm published an investigation revealing that after 10 years and over $100 million in public money spent on the manmade lake, the public still couldn’t access it for most recreational purposes — particularly bass fishing.

More:After 10 years and $104 million, boats can get on lake

Ed Killer column: Boat ramp wait is 10 years too long

The problem: The developer planning an adjacent 20,000-home neighborhood wouldn’t give up 5 acres the district said was the best and most economical site for the boat ramp, TCPalm reported Feb. 8.

The district added the boat ramp to the agenda for its Feb. 13 meeting, where the board urged staff to buy the land from Fellsmere Joint Venture and expedite the boat ramp.

More: Water district board urges staff to buy land for boat ramp

Construction on the boat ramp is scheduled to start in October and be complete in February, district officials have said.

The original cost estimate was $550,000.

Blue-green algae bloom

The Florida Department of Health in Indian River County issued a health alert for the lake last week after low levels of the toxin microcystin were detected in a blue-green algae bloom on the west side.

More: Headwaters Lake site has low level but persistently toxic algae bloom

The bloom site has been sampled by the water management district six times since February. Each sample tested positive for levels of microcystin between 1 and 4 parts per billion.

That's well below the 8 parts per billion needed to be hazardous in normal recreational contact, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The advisory was issued despite the low toxicity because the site is a fishing and camping destination and specifically warns against eating fish from the bloom area and cooking and cleaning dishes with water from the bloom area, said Cheryl Dunn, environmental manager at the state agency's Indian River County office.

More: Unknown toxins in blue-green algae pose threat, scientist says