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February 8, 2017
SFWMD Advances Big Cypress Basin Flood Control,
Water Resource Projects
Efforts improve water supply and restore ecosystems
From left, Collier County's weir replacement will improve flood protection and the City of Naples is expanding its reclaimed water facility to save water. (Click on the pictures for larger versions.)
Naples, FL
- In its commitment to Collier and Monroe county families, the South Florida Water Management District's (SFWMD) Big Cypress Basin Board is supporting an array of projects to improve local water supply and restore the environment.
"I am extremely proud of SFWMD's support for community projects," said Rick Barber, Big Cypress Basin Board Chairman. "Local work and partnerships are indispensable tools for protecting South Florida's water resources."
Projects include:
- Curry Canal Upgrade: This project provides the necessary infrastructure to control flows into the headwaters of the Curry Canal. The new structure includes operable gates, to be located immediately south of Immokalee Road, designed to improve the hydrology and dry season groundwater recharge in the upper reaches of this canal. This expanded operational capability will also help augment the upper Golden Gate system, which ultimately reduces flows into Naples Bay.
- GG4 Weir Replacement: This project replaces the existing fixed-crest weir with higher capacity operable gates. The new gates will increase the overall system efficiency during emergency pre-storm drawdowns, and with added automation, offer a considerably improved level of control for normal operations. This expanded operational flexibility also improves the potential for groundwater recharge, an added benefit to central Golden Gate Estates during the dry season.
- Lake Trafford Watershed Plan: Lake Trafford is the largest freshwater lake south of Lake Okeechobee with an area of 1,600 acres. Located near the town of Immokalee, Lake Trafford serves as the headwaters of the Corkscrew Swamp-Imperial River, Cocohatchee River and Camp Keais Strand-Panther Refuge. An accurate watershed boundary for Lake Trafford is essential for understanding water and nutrient inputs/outputs to the lake and development of a thorough management plan. The objective of the project is to delineate the Lake Trafford watershed boundary via high-resolution LiDAR, hydrologic data and field surveys.
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Flood Protection Infrastructure Study: Computer modeling evaluates the watersheds within the Big Cypress Basin to establish the level of flood protection provided by the existing infrastructure and determine community needs through 2065. The study will identify and prioritize long-term infrastructure projects for future canal and water control improvements.
Local project support includes:
- City of Naples Reclaimed System Expansion Phase 5: The project consists of installation of 11,600 linear feet of reclaimed water mains along Banyan Boulevard west to Gulf Shore Boulevard north, Harbour Drive west to Crayton Road, and on Crayton Road between Harbour Drive and Park Shore Drive. It is a multiphase project that will reduce potable water demands for irrigation of 330 homes. The estimated savings to the Tamiami Aquifer is approximately 1.35 million gallons a day. The project will also reduce the volume of treated effluent from the City's Water Reclamation Facility that is lost to tide (Gordon River). SFWMD is investing up to $738,600.
- Collier County Haldeman Creek Weir Replacement: The project consists of constructing a new straight weir with gates and associated maintenance facilities approximately 350 feet upstream from the existing, but deficient Amil gate control structure. The new structure will improve functionality for the secondary conveyance system within the 1300-acre, mostly residential, basin that discharges to Naples Bay via Haldeman Creek. It will also prevent backflows caused by seasonal high tides which reduce storage within the system, allowing improved wet season pre-storm drawdowns and providing improved water storage during the dry season. SFWMD is investing up to $800,000.
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The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. Our mission is to protect South Florida's water resources by balancing and improving flood control, water supply, water quality and natural systems.
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