South Florida Water Management District [SFWMD] Project Experience

Project Name:             Caloosahatchee River (C-43) West Basin Storage Reservoir Design, Hendry County, FL

Owner:                           SFWMD

Initial Design
Prime Consultant:           Stanley Consultants

Final Design
Prime Consultant:            Carollo Engineers

EDC
Prime Consultant:            Black & Veatch

Start / Complete:             July 2003 – December 2018 [Design]

                                           Construction on going [EDC ongoing since 2019]

GCME Scope:                      Initial Design

                                            Final Design
                                            EDC

Project Description:          Caloosahatchee River (C-43) West Basin Storage Reservoir, South Florida Water Management District, Henry County, FL:  The Caloosahatchee River (C-43) West Basin Storage Reservoir (C-43 WBSR) project is designed to regulate flows along the Caloosahatchee River (i.e., the C-43 Canal) in order to protect the downstream coastal estuaries from the effects of high fresh water discharges from Lake Okeechobee, and to limit the potential for salt water intrusion during periods of drought or low flows in the C-43 Canal.  The reservoir is to have a nominal water storage capacity of about 170,000+ acre-feet, all of which will be above ground.  A perimeter earthen dam (about 6 x 3 square miles) will be constructed to contain the water.  Water depths in the reservoir will range between approximately 15 and 25 feet.  GCME provided geotechnical services which included geotechnical field exploration, laboratory testing and engineering design and analyses required for the design (stability and settlement) of the perimeter and separator dam and ancillary structures / bridges, and develop geotechnical engineering recommendations and provide geotechnical reports for each components of the project.  SFWMD has gone through the bidding process and have signed the contract with contractor for the construction of the reservoir.  GCME is being retained as part of the EDC (Engineering During Construction) Team for overview of the reservoir construction.

Project Name:                     Bridge Structure, STA-5/6 Connection to Lake Okeechobee – Phase 1, Hendry County, FL

Owner:                                  SFWMD

Final Design
Prime Consultant:              CDM Smith

Start / Complete:                July 2022 – TBD [Design on going]

GCME Scope:                      Bridge Design

Project Description:          The proposed connection between Stormwater Treatment Area 5/6 (STA-5/6) and Lake Okeechobee is intended to move water from the lake to prevent or minimize dry-out of STA-5/6 and the planned C-139 FEB, help optimize both facilities’ water quality treatment performance, and provide additional capacity to move lake water south to the Everglades. The project will allow up to 300 cfs of lake water to the south while meeting the Water Quality Based Effluent Limit (WQBEL), which is contained in the NPDES permit for discharges from the stormwater treatment areas (STAs) to the EPA.  This project utilizes Manley Ditch, STA-5/6 Discharge Canal Seepage Canal, and STA-5/6 North Seepage Canal to convey water from the Miami Canal to STA-5/6 or C-139 FEB along the L-3 Canal. The proposed connection route is approximately 9 miles long and located approximately 15 miles south of Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach and Hendry Counties.