Lee County outlines Kiker Preserve flood mitigation, recent beach nourishment and park access timelines

Lee County natural resources and parks officials presented a multi‑phase flood mitigation concept centered on Kiker Preserve, summarized recent beach nourishment work on Lovers Key and Bonita Beach, and gave timelines for beach access and boardwalk projects in the City of Bonita Springs.

Roland (Natural Resources, Lee County) said the county studied flood mitigation after Hurricane Irma and is considering storing stormwater in the Kiker Preserve by building a berm to hold runoff and release it gradually into nearby waterways such as the Imperial River, Estero River and Keough Canal. "We received a grant from Resilient Florida," Roland said; he stated the grant amount in the presentation as $22,000,000 and said procurement proposals were due March 28 for consultants to begin detailed design. Roland said permitting could take about two years and design about one year, and that construction could begin within roughly three years if the county secures the remaining parcels needed to complete the plan.

On beach nourishment, Roland said work completed by Weeks Marine placed roughly 655,000 cubic yards of sand on 6,100 feet of Lovers Key and about 235,000 cubic yards on a 4,100‑foot portion of Bonita Beach that has been nourished periodically since 1995. He said some property owners declined temporary construction easements, which required permit modifications and limited placement in certain small areas. Roland said the larger permitted area was extended to restore elevation and width damaged by Hurricane Ian and subsequent storm events.

Mac Young, representing Lee County Parks and Recreation, and Ehab Gorges from the county construction management department provided project schedules for beach access and boardwalk work. They said Bonita Beach access points 2 through 9 had a 60% design submittal expected in March with final design projected by June 2025, construction procurement to start in June 2025 and construction completion targeted for spring 2026. Boardwalks at several accesses were in design and permitting with procurement expected in April 2025 and construction completion in 2026. Officials said Access 10 (Little Hickory Island Beach Park) was used as a staging area for the nourishment project and its reopening was delayed by permitting and weather; the transcript states that Access 10 was reopened after the beach nourishment project was completed on Sunday, March 9 (year not specified in the transcript).

For Big Carlos Pass Park, staff said the design phase was complete and construction is expected to begin in October 2026 contingent on completion of the Big Carlos Pass bridge and FY2027 funding availability. Staff said the park will be monitored by maintenance staff, park rangers and parking enforcement and that 86 parking spaces are planned; the transcript did not provide a fully clear breakdown of space types.

No formal board votes were recorded during the presentations; staff described grant-funded design and permitting steps and multiple timelines for construction and reopening of facilities.