Two firms have been awarded separate bids to begin the design and permitting work for the cleanup of Sunshine Lake, an algae-infested body of water in the heart of Port Charlotte’s Parkside neighborhood.

According to Charlotte County engineer Joanne Vernon, Coastal Planning and Engineering of Boca Raton won a $68,853 bid to handle the design and permitting portion of the massive dredging work needed to remove a 7-foot algal mat that has filled in nearly 50 percent of the lake’s water volume. The county also has awarded a $22,940 contract to RMA GeoLogic Consultants of Fort Myers for the design and permitting of recharge wells that will be installed to keep water levels at the lake elevated.