Many don't even notice it, while others that happen to gaze to the east across one of Broward County Florida's many abandoned water filled borrow pits, notice something off in the distance that catches their eye. There at the far side of the pit sits a concrete and steel structure above the water, just a short distance from the shoreline. As they look at it, I'm sure that they are probably wonderi
ng, "What is that out over the water?" I would rather imagine that today, sadly only a handful of the locals (and past locals like myself) that pass by it, truly know what it is, and the importance to our city's growth. The abandoned borrow pit is named Prospect Lake. It is located just south of the Florida Turnpike's Cypress Creek Toll Plaza, or more specifically, in the 3500 block of West Prospect Road. Along with being bounded on the south by W. Prospect Road, it is also bounded by N.W. 35TH Ave to the east, Highway 441 to the west, and the Florida Turnpike along the northwestern shore. Prospect Lake is also located northwest of the Fiveash Regional Water Treatment Plant, or due west of the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. For approximately thirty years, Prospect Lake was used as a surface water supply reservoir for the City of Fort Lauderdale's drinking water supply. The concrete and steel structure is a platform for the three large pumps that once pumped raw (untreated) water from the abandoned pit and to the currently named Fiveash Regional Water Treatment Plant. Named after Charles W. Fiveash, the city's water superintendent from 1914 - 1954, the water treatment plant provides the bulk of Fort Lauderdale's drinking water supply, including parts of the surrounding area. Located on 11.5 acres of land purchased from the Twin Lakes Heights Water Company in 1954, Fiveash originally only treated eight million gallons of safe drinkable water per day, before being expanded throughout the years to its now 70 MGD capacity to keep up with the city's growth. It was the second water treatment plant to be built by the City of Fort Lauderdale, being preceded by the Walter E. Peele Dixie Water Treatment Plant which was built in 1926. When it was built, Fiveash required the purchase of its own raw water supply that was safe from salt water intrusion, etc. as compared to the city's existing raw supply wells that were located much closer to the ocean and rivers that run through Fort Lauderdale. In addition to having the daily pumping capacity anticipated by the city without causing further salt water intrusion inland to where the new supply would be located. Two sources were devised, one being the underground Biscanye Aquifer, who's base typically runs a depth of 100 - 240 foot below sea level. The Biscayne is a permeable wedge shaped area containing fresh water, in which much of the top of the aquifer is at or near the land surface throughout Fort Lauderdale. The second supply considered was a surface water supply, such as a lake. So, the Prospect wellfield was purchased, which included Prospect Lake. Ground water wells were drilled 100 - 200 foot in depth on the land surrounding the perimeter of the lake, along with the placement of the three surface water pumps at the facility that we are discussing. What I do not know, is if the original ground water well that was located on the west side of the entrance driveway to the facility and the three surface water wells were the ones that originally supplied the plant, or if more than one ground water well surrounding the lake was drilled and placed into service prior to the surface water platform and control building were built. The documented history that is available for research has been scarce, and those whom I've spoken with at the city during my research seem to have little to no knowledge about Prospect Lake's surface water pumping facility. But my family and I have a lot to tell about it, as it was a big part of our lives beginning as far back as 1947 when my father first went to work at what was then the Dixie Water Plant. The pumping platform is shown in the late 1950s to early 1960s photo in this pages cover photo. The location of Prospect Lake is shown in the page's profile photo to the left. In the beginning, the lake provided an ample alternate supply of raw water to help ease the taxing of (or over pumping) the Biscayne Aquifer to supply our city and the surrounding area with a safe and drinkable water supply. With the dredging of Prospect Lake having been abandoned decades prior, and the water having had time to settle, it was able to provide the city with a fairly non-turbid source of raw water that could be affordably processed into drinking water. But over the years as the pumping rates out of the lake increased, it was not able to naturally recharge (refill) itself with rainwater and ground water quickly enough to keep up with the demand. Especially during the drought season(s). It has even been said that at times, much of the shallow lake's bottom was exposed, and only the area directly beneath and immediately surrounding the pump platform was all that had a few feet of water still standing in the lake during peak pumping periods. Another issue as I'm told, was the increasing turbidity of the lake's water from storm water runoff, etc. It apparently was becoming a less dependable and desirable source of raw water, until the point that the city chose to abandoned pumping directly out of the lake all together approximately thirty years ago. As my legacy, and being a published author, I've chosen to make what may be my last book project about local history, due to my on-going battle with cancer which began over a year ago. I guess you could call me an amature historian, but I have a lot of local history about Fort Lauderdale's early days of building an infrastructure, etc. and my family's involvement during the 1940s - 1970s. My latest book called A Young Boy's Stories about Dixie, sub titled; History of the Walter E. Peele Dixie Water Treatment Plant is in the final stages of publication and due to be released soon. So I suggest that if you are interest in reading about it and the stories about Prospect Lake, please follow this page for updates on its release and availability. I'm sure that you won't be disappointed in the stories that I have to tell!
