Public Notice: Additional Lake Bonny Pump Outflow Increased - Now operating At Full RPMs

Public Notice: Additional Lake Bonny Pump Outflow Increased - Now operating At Full RPMs

LAKELAND, FL (November 1, 2024) | To decrease the water levels at Lake Bonny, the City of Lakeland added an additional pump, provided by the Army Corps of Engineers, to assist in moving water from Lake Bonny to Lake Parker. The initial test was successful and after 24 hours with the pump running, the Army Corps of Engineers increased the pump to 1800 RMPs.

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. It was determined after testing the additional pump that the drainage conveyance could accommodate the additional flow.

The City was granted permission to install the temporary pump to help increase flows from Lake Bonny into Lake Parker. The secondary pump can move up to 4,500 gallons of water per minute. Water levels in Lake Parker and the conveyance system that connects to Lake Bonny recently decreased enough to handle the additional input.

The system is monitored to make sure the pump is operating and to ensure the conveyance ditch and underground plumbing can accommodate the additional outflow. The outfall structure and drainage conveyance from Lake Parker is much larger and has a much higher capacity to hold and move water than the drainage conveyance between Lake Bonny and Lake Parker.

Moving water from a smaller water body into a larger water body must overcome hydraulic pressure, which is part of the battle of moving water from Bonny to Parker. The water leaving Lake Parker into Saddle Creek does not have to overcome this pressure gradient and water moves more freely between these two water bodies.

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 are now four high-capacity industrial pumps moving water from Lake Bonny to Lake Parker.

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