Below is a summary of an article published by the WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER (March 22, 2023).

At the Oakland Town Commission meeting on March 14, Assistant Town Manager Jack Butler recommended the commission accept a bid from Solitude Lake Management for a contract price of $103,500 to reconstruct the Johns Lake outflow canal.

The town is committing up to $85,000 to reconstruct the canal and dredge a portion of the south side of Lake Apopka. The balance is expected to be contributed by other entities, including Landeavor, the developer of Oakland Park, and the Southern Oaks Homeowners Association.

Is this the only work needed? “We’re not done when this (initial project) gets done,” Commissioner Mike Satterfield said at the meeting. “We promise you we’re not going to walk away.” Town Manager Steve Koontz added that Orange County has agreed to update its most recent study.

The full article written by Amy Quesinberry can be found here. 

This has been an important issue for many years. The former president of the JLA, John Schmidt, has published several informative articles over the past few years, including the JOHNS LAKE OUTFALL STUDY (Oct. 2019), the JOHNS LAKE DRAINAGE STUDY UPDATE (Feb. 2020), and the JOHNS LAKE OUTFALL STUDY UPDATE (Oct. 2020).