Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project About to Begin

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District has awarded a construction contract that will help to restore critical water flow to Biscayne Bay as part of its ongoing efforts to restore America’s Everglades.

USACE awarded the construction contract for the L-31E Flow Way Culverts 712A and 712B to Sweat, LLC from Orange Park, Florida on Thursday (Sept. 29) for $777,572.

The work involves construction of culverts that will allow water to flow from the canal to adjacent wetlands as part of the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project in Miami-Dade County.

The Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project is a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ largest ecosystem restoration program, conducted in partnership with the South Florida Water Management District.

When completed, the project will improve the ecology of Biscayne Bay, including the freshwater wetlands, tidal creeks and near-shore habitat by:

• Rehydrating coastal wetlands;
• Reducing freshwater point source discharges to Biscayne Bay that are physiologically stressful to fish and benthic invertebrates in the Bay near canal outlets;
• Redistributing available surface water from the existing canal network to wetlands located east and west of the L-31E Levee through a spreader canal system.