CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Lee County Commissioners approved a contract with a local engineering firm to monitor construction of a water quality improvement project adjacent to Yellow Fever Creek Preserve, which is a Conservation 20/20 site.
The project is located in City of Cape Coral near Averill Blvd. and Del Prado Blvd. N, and is designed to improve water quality by diverting excess flow from Gator Slough Canal into a reservoir. There, it will be treated before being released into Yellow Fever Creek, a tributary to the Caloosahatchee River. This will help reduce the flow of freshwater toward Matlacha Pass and restore historic base flows to the Yellow Fever Creek watershed. The water transfer will also enhance the rehydration of wetlands south of Del Prado Blvd., restoring the habitat.
Commissioners spend millions of dollars annually on projects to reduce pollutants in the estuary. They are looking to lower its nitrogen load, earn credits for doing so, and partially fund the project through two Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) grants totaling $992,000.
Construction is budgeted at $1.5 million. It will begin in Jan., and will take approximately six months to complete.
The $155,000 contract approved Nov.10, is with Fort Myers-based Barraco and Associates and is for construction engineering inspection services.
More information is available here.
