On August 19, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve two significant agreements aimed at improving water quality in the Caloosahatchee River. These agreements, made through interlocal partnerships with the South Florida Water Management District, will fund the construction of two key projects.
The first project is a creek-diversion system and shallow open-water wetland treatment area at Bob Janes Preserve, located north of North River Road in Alva. The $2.5 million in grant funds will be used to restore the property to a more productive, native ecosystem while providing water-quality benefits for the Caloosahatchee River.
The second project, funded with $1.5 million in grant funds, will construct the Palm Creek Filter Marsh Project within the Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve East, south of Bayshore Road and east of Interstate 75. This project will include a series of ponds and a wetland network designed to treat surface water by removing nutrients and improving overall water quality.
Both projects aim to address the Total Maximum Daily Load for total nitrogen in the Caloosahatchee, in line with the state of Florida’s Basin Management Action Plan.
The grant funding, provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, will cover construction costs for both projects. Construction is expected to begin in the spring and be completed by the summer of 2027.
