Big Cypress Basin Completes Infrastructure Project to Improve Regional Water Management

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. - Members of the Big Cypress Basin (BCB) Board including Chair Charlette Roman celebrated the completion of the Lake Trafford Tower Project.

This new infrastructure project improves regional water management in Collier County by enabling real-time data transmission, monitoring, and operations, ensuring a timely response to changing water levels during normal and emergency operations.

"This new tower is a game-changer because it is now a key part of the backbone network that will serve as a vital link for the region, facilitating essential, high-speed data transmission from the Big Cypress Basin to the South Florida Water Management District's Headquarters Building in West Palm Beach," said Charlette Roman, Chair of the Big Cypress Basin Board and Governing Board Member of the South Florida Water Management District. "We broke ground on this project in April 2025 and now just over a year later, we completed another important project for the people of Collier County. The Big Cypress Basin Board remains laser-focused on improving the quality of life of our residents."

The project improves the efficiency and accuracy of flood control management and reduces the risk of flooding for over 400,000 residents. The 300-foot tower supports remote operations, minimizing the need for on-site personnel who would manually operate our water control structures in the region and lowers the long-term operational costs.

The project is part of the Big Cypress Basin's 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan. Capital improvements to the water management infrastructure are designed to enhance water resources and ecosystems while protecting communities from flooding. This tower also strengthens communications and improves the reliability and resiliency of the flood control system in the region.

The Big Cypress Basin is one of two major watershed basins within the South Florida Water Management District's 16-county region and includes a network of over 134 miles of canals and 34 water control structures, while providing flood protection in Collier County. The Big Cypress Basin Board sets regional policy and works with stakeholders, as well as local governments, and agencies to set the basin's priorities.