Prior to development of southwest Florida, stormwater moved slowly through wetland strands and sloughs and in a sheet of overland flow from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico. The underlying soils have limited storage capacity during summer rainy seasons, with ponding of much of the area from 3 to 6 months every year. Stormwater in the southwest section of Collier County is now managed by a series of interconnected canals with different kinds of control.

• Fixed crest weirs
• Pumping
• Manually operated floodgates
• Floodgates with electronic sensors

BACKGROUND: CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER RESOURCES

“In recent years there has been growing evidence that the earth's climate will become warmer in 21st century, which raises the essential question: What impacts will global warming have on the environment and human activities? Warming will cause hydrologic changes that will affect freshwater resources. These are among the most significant potential impacts of climate change. As the climate warms, there will be changes in the nature of global precipitation, evaporation, snowpack, streamflow and other factors that will affect freshwater supply and quality. Climate change will present challenges to water utilities, and planning now could prevent freshwater crises in upcoming years.”
Dr. Kathleen Miller

WATER WOES WORKSHOP - OVERVIEW

Water can be applied to every aspect of your life - from bathing and brushing your teeth to watering your garden to fisheries and global warming. Water is the basis of all life. The human body is 65% water and needs to be replenished daily. About 70% of the earth's surface is covered in water, but water also exists in the air as vapor and in aquifers and soil, as groundwater. However, only 1% of the earth's water is available for drinking water and 2% is currently frozen. As you can see, without water, we would not be here. This is why conservation, management, and protection of this valuable resource are important.

THE WORKSHOP