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South Florida Water Management District outlines pump station and conveyance work for Cutler Wetlands component of Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Phase 1
Summary
District staff told the Cutler Bay council the BBCW Phase 1 Cutler Wetlands work includes a 400 cfs pump station, a box culvert and a microtunnel to redirect C-1 Canal water into restored coastal wetlands; construction began in 2022 and officials expect major features complete around late 2025.
Nicole Niemeyer, project manager with the South Florida Water Management District, told the Town of Cutler Bay council on Oct. 16 that the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands (BBCW) Phase 1 Cutler Wetlands component is moving forward with site work and in-progress construction. The project, authorized by Congress in 2014 as part of a comprehensive Everglades restoration plan, aims to reduce point-source discharges from the C-1 Canal, restore salinity regimes and reestablish nursery habitat along the shore.
Niemeyer said the Cutler component includes an S-701 pump station with a capacity of about 400 cubic feet per second, a concrete-lined conveyance channel, a box culvert under SW 90th Avenue and a microtunnel under SW 80th Avenue to carry water east into spreader features and the restored coastal wetlands. She said construction of the pump station began in late 2022 and the remaining features started earlier in 2024; the agency expects construction to be substantially complete around this time next year.
Terrance Scribe, the project construction manager, described site activities now under way: underground work at the pump station is complete, crews are working on superstructure elements, vegetation clearing and levee/embankment formation have started near Isles of Bayshore, and a temporary closure of SW 90th Avenue is necessary to build the box culvert. He said the microtunnel under 80th Avenue was chosen specifically to avoid long-term road closures and minimize traffic disruptions.
Council members raised questions about vegetation removal and permitting. Councilman Lohr asked whether mangroves had been impacted by recent clearing; Niemeyer responded that any mangrove impacts were permitted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Miami-Dade County. Niemeyer also cited an economic study showing Biscayne Bay contributes roughly $64 billion annually to the local economy and said the project will provide ancillary resiliency and recreational benefits.
The presenters also described planned public amenities on the west side of SW 90th — a bird blind, parking, a pavilion, restrooms and a bike rack — and a bike path on the east side connecting to existing infrastructure. The district indicated fencing will be installed to discourage illegal dumping near the corridor. Niemeyer and SFWMD staff said they welcome requests for outreach and suggested educational field trips for local schools once areas are safe for public visits.
No formal council action was required on the presentation. Town staff and agency partners said they will continue construction coordination and public information as work proceeds. The council recorded the exchange and public-safety and traffic-management measures described by the contractor and agency team.
