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Lee County staff recommend vegetation removal and channel cut to reduce flooding on 10 Mile Canal south segment
Summary
County staff presented a phased plan that would first remove vegetation and cut a narrow channel to reduce rainfall‑driven flooding on the 10 Mile Canal; the near‑term package is estimated at about $5.5 million while a full program could reach roughly $23 million, and staff will pursue FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding with local matching funds.
Lee County staff on Feb. 18 recommended a phased approach to reduce rainfall‑driven flooding along the 10 Mile Canal’s south segment, urging the board to pursue vegetation removal and a targeted channel cut as near‑term steps while pursuing federal grant funding for larger work.
Roland, the presentation lead, said engineering and bathymetric studies and modeling of the Hurricane Irma (INVEST 92L) rainfall event show a peak flow on 10 Mile Canal of about 2,300 cubic feet per second. "We recommend starting with vegetation removal and the channel cut," Roland said, adding that the two measures together could lower water surface elevation by roughly 0.9 feet in the most affected reaches.
The county’s recommended initial package — vegetation removal plus a channel cut in a narrow reach near Hidden Harbor — is estimated at about $5,500,000, Roland said. He described a wider program that would also include reconstructing berms and replacing some private boat ramps or docks as costing about $23,000,000 in total. "With all alternatives in place, it's about a $23,000,000 endeavor," Roland said.
Why it matters: the 10 Mile Canal watershed…
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