Stormwater / Flood Control

Our stormwater team provides flood control through managing the district’s 22 miles of waterways, including canal maintenance and managing vegetation, cleaning the waterways and bank improvements. Canals and pump stations are used to regulate water levels and prevent floods in the area by us remotely monitoring the water levels to a standard maximum height. Water levels are managed to prevent flooding based on weather conditions and other factors. As needed or directed by the South Florida Water Management District, we can pump up to 300,000 gallons of water per minute to the C-14 canal. The South Florida Water Management District also has benchmarks on water levels it must maintain, especially since this water feeds into the intercoastal ecosystem.

Additionally, we maintain vegetation in the canals such as adding Triploid Carp, a type of fish, to the waterways to help keep canals clear of nuisance aquatic plants and exotic vegetation like hydrilla. These sterile fish reduce the need for other treatment methods like herbicide applications. If left unmanaged, aquatic weeds can disrupt flood protection infrastructure and have negative ecological impacts. Regular maintenance is needed, especially to prepare for extreme weather and erosion, and public awareness is required to minimize challenges caused by Illegal disposal of chemicals into waterways.