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Scope
BCI was hired by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) to design and implement dredging for seven miles of the Leslie Hefner Canal and install a new water control structure on Moccasin Slough to restore drainage flow ways and improve navigability.
BCI developed a detailed dredging plan characterizing the quantity/quality of material to be dredged. Due to the limited number of disposal sites, dredged material was piped several miles; transport was completed without the use of booster pumps. Two upland disposal area sites were constructed using perimeter embankments. Permits did not allow for off-site disposal of decant water; all excess water was handled using on-site filtration. BCI was also responsible for maintaining turbidity testing reports, performing daily construction inspection activities, and all ecological assessment and permitting activities to include the relocation of numerous gopher tortoises.
Problems related to the management of water levels in Lake Tsala Apopka, a major chain of lakes in Citrus County, were also addressed. BCI identified several improvements that assisted in the management of the lake system. One of these improvements was a control structure on Moccasin Slough that manages flow between the pools of the lake system. The Floral City pool, the southernmost of three major pools in the lake system, was only partially controlled because of an unregulated outlet through the Moccasin Slough, thereby reducing the effectiveness of other structures.
To solve this problem, BCI designed a new control structure for Moccasin Slough. After reviewing the operating rules for the Floral City pool and long-term goals of the SWFWMD, a decision was made to construct a water control device in conjunction with a new bridge to replace the existing wooden structure. The new bridge was designed to accommodate special aesthetic requirements to maintain the rustic nature of the area.
BCI was responsible for design, permitting, construction management and bid document preparation for the Moccasin Slough structure.
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