SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

quick facts on… BCB droplets! Barron River (SR29) Canal Corridor

Aerial Mapping and Survey Project

August 2006

BACKGROUND PROJECT AREA

The South Florida Water The Barron River Canal was originally Approximately 296-square mile Management District is a constructed in the 1920’s as a borrow watershed feeds the Barron River Canal regional, governmental canal to provide fill for construction of Corridor, extending from southwestern agency that oversees the the railroad grade between Immokalee Hendry County to Chokoloskee Bay and water resources in the and Everglades City in Collier County, Everglades National Park in Collier southern half of the state. It Florida. County. is the oldest and largest of the state’s five water Construction of the railroad grade, management districts. including modifications to accommodate OBJECTIVES the commercial logging industry of the The project objectives include: Our mission is to manage 1940’s, significantly altered the historic • developing topographic contour maps and protect water resources surfacewater sheetflow by channeling (<1 ft. contours) of the region by balancing water into the Barron River (SR29) • assimilating data (location, and improving water quality, Canal. hydrologic, etc) for upgrading flood control, natural drainage infrastructure systems and water supply. While the population of the area grew, • using data from this project to

few improvements were made to the model, assess, plan, design and

original railroad grade, other than it’s implement future restoration and transformation into the State Road 29 BASIN BOARD enhancement projects (SR29) highway. • incorporating data from this project

Alice Carlson into local and regional studies

Chair, ex officio ISSUE Several natural areas will benefit from

While the project area has changed little this project, including Okaloacoochee John Sorey over the past 60 years, current land uses Slough, Twelve-Mile Slough, Florida Vice Chair within and adjacent to the project are Panther National Wildlife Refuge,

Leisa Priddy converting from agriculture to residential Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, Big and commercial developments and some Cypress National Preserve and Secretary industrial uses. Everglades National Park.

Libby Anderson Additionally, the existing water control

structures are 60 years old and in need

Alicia Abbott of immediate repair.

Detailed topographic data for the Jon Staiger, Ph.D. development of water management plans for the area is not available. The BCB 5-Year Plan has identified procuring washout area at SR 29 topographic data by aerial Clarence Tears, Jr structure #1 Director photogrammetric survey

PROJECTU PHASES: The original project area extended from Immokalee to Tamiami Trail. However, the project was expanded at the suggestion of Governing Board member, Mr. Collins and has now been divided into two

phases:

PHASE I - 70 square miles - 4

miles southeast of Immokalee, south to Tamiami Trail (US41)

PHASE II – 15 square miles – Tamiami Trail, south to Chokoloskee Island

PROJECT COST:

PHASE I – $1,282,542

PHASE II – $178,601

TOTAL - $1,461,143

Big Cypress Basin 6089 Janes Lanes Naples, FL 34109 239-597-1505