BCI Engineers and Scientists

Lake Hollingsworth is a 350-acre urban lake located in the City of Lakeland, Florida. The lake is a popular recreational area for city and county residents but suffered from sediment accumulation and poor water quality.

In 1996, BCI was retained by the City of Lakeland Public Works Department to develop plans and provide CEI services for the removal of organic sediments that covered approximately 75 percent of the lake bottom. Muck deposits ranged in thickness from one foot to more than twenty feet. Elements of the project involved the permitting and removal of 3.6 million cubic yards of sediment. Materials handling, location of sufficient spoil areas, and dewatering were major challenges for the project team.

Several key elements of the project included the development and design of flocculation methods, disposal area specifications and dredging. Prior to the start up of full scale operations, a pilot project was conducted to test new dewatering methodologies.

Original disposal plans were redesigned and enlarged due to unusually heavy precipitation (El Nino) in 1997 and 1998. As a result, dredge spoil was pumped a distance of five miles via an 18-inch diameter Plexco pipeline that was installed through the Cleveland Heights Golf Course.

The dredge was constructed to meet the requirements and construction constraints of the project. It was equipped with GPS equipment that allowed accurate positioning within the lake. Final cost for sediment removal at Lake Hollingsworth was approximately $4 per cubic yard. Major grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) were obtained to assist in project funding.