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South Florida Water Management District outlines C‑8/S‑28 pump station project; residents press for more outreach and environmental safeguards
Summary
South Florida Water Management District officials presented plans to replace the S‑28 salinity structure and add pumping capacity to the C‑8 basin, saying the work will restore lost drainage capacity and protect roughly 132,000 people upstream. Residents raised concerns about diesel storage, water quality, marine life and construction impacts and requested more public workshops and technical detail.
Carolina Moran, division director for flood control and water supply planning at the South Florida Water Management District, told the Village of Biscayne Park commission on Oct. 7 that the agency plans to replace the 70‑year‑old S‑28 coastal structure on the C‑8 canal and add pumping and gate improvements to recover the basin's original drainage capacity. "We are gonna replace the existing structure by a more robust corrosion resistant and really elevated structure with elevated gates," Moran said, adding that the design includes pumps, backup power and debris collection.
Moran said the project addresses reduced gravity drainage caused by sea‑level rise and urbanization: "Today we have ... more hours that the gate is completely closed because the ocean level is higher," she said, and added that the replacement is intended to restore a level of service the system had before ocean levels rose. The presentation estimated about 132,000 people would benefit from the basin improvements and said construction could take roughly four years with work potentially starting in fiscal year 2026 after final permits and bidding.
Commissioners pressed the district on several community impacts: how high the gate will be raised (Moran said roughly 2–3 feet), how access and sequencing will affect local streets (possible use of an existing easement behind Miami Country Day School was discussed), and what noise and visual mitigation the design includes. Moran said the plan incorporates an acoustic building shell and a hybrid motor solution to reduce the need for large diesel generators.
Residents who spoke during public comment urged the district to provide clearer, direct notice and to explore upstream retention instead of releasing more untreated stormwater to Biscayne Bay. "This proposed dam or pump will put endangered species in harm's way," said Janet Goodman, a Miami Shores resident who urged the district to avoid adding what she called a "30,000 gallon fuel farm on the water." Several speakers asked the Army Corps of Engineers and the district to provide more detailed water‑quality modeling and to consider alternate sites or additional retention and treatment upstream.
Moran acknowledged the community's concerns and said the district will continue public consultation as designs are finalized: "We will continue on additional public consultations. As soon as we have this updated design, we're gonna come back and present to the village," she said. Commissioners and staff agreed to schedule a workshop to allow detailed Q&A with the district's engineers once the design is refined and permits are under review.
Next steps: the district expects to finish permitting (U.S. Army Corps and state reviews) and close design details in the coming months, then move to bidding and construction sequencing; the village and district plan at least one community workshop before major construction begins.
