Governor Ron DeSantis Allocates $125 Million for Southwest Florida Flood Mitigation and Pump Stations

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Chairman Chauncey Goss announced on Monday the distribution of $125 million in state flood mitigation capital grants to construct high-capacity automated stormwater pump stations, widen primary conveyance canals, and install computerized water control weirs across Lee, Collier, and Charlotte Counties.

The infrastructure investments directly address chronic drainage vulnerabilities in Southwest Florida communities that experienced severe neighborhood flooding during major tropical hurricanes and intense summer convective rainstorms.

Accelerating Stormwater Discharge and Protecting Residential Neighborhoods Low-lying coastal and interior residential developments across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Naples depend on interconnected drainage canal networks that become overwhelmed when high ocean storm tides prevent gravity discharge.

"Southwest Florida has shown incredible resilience in the face of major storms, and our administration is committed to building the permanent engineered infrastructure needed to protect our communities from flooding," Governor DeSantis said at the S-404 pump station in Lee County. "This $125 million investment installs high-capacity stormwater pumps that can move millions of gallons of water per minute, widens drainage canals, and ensures that floodwaters drain quickly away from homes and neighborhood streets."

Major Infrastructure Projects Funded Key awards include:

• Cape Coral Stormwater Pump Station Complex: $45 million to construct two high-volume pump stations discharging canal overflows into the Caloosahatchee River.
• Golden Gate Canal Watershed Modernization (Collier County): $35 million for automated radial gate weirs and canal widening to protect interior estates.
• Charlotte County Burnt Store Drainage Corridor: $25 million for regional stormwater retention basins and box culvert enlargements.
• Automated SCADA Flood Telemetry: $20 million to deploy computerized water level sensors across 350 miles of regional drainage canals.

County commissioners, local emergency management directors, and homebuilder associations praised the state funding, noting that engineered stormwater infrastructure protects residential property values and lowers flood insurance risk ratings.