Caloosahatchee River Estuary Storage and Treatment (CREST) | 2025 Top Projects

At times, residents in the Bedman Creek Drainage Basin would face flooded homes and roads for three weeks during hurricane events. So, this project was born, which reduces peak intensity and duration of downstream flooding impacts. 

The project, which has reduced flooding from weeks to days, also provides a connection between the Bedman Creek and Carlos Waterway Drainage basins to allow for real-time basin management to direct stormwater away from the most impacted basin. Additionally, a BMP treatment train system, which includes a planted circuitous treatment marsh, shallow and deep lakes, planted wide swamps, marsh areas and created uplands, results in nutrient removal. There is also aquatic habitat restoration through the creation of wetland hydroperiods in place of agricultural farmlands, and on top of that, the three major water control structures include intelligent gates that are electrically actuated and remotely controlled, which allows for safe stormwater flood mitigation.  

Securing funds proved challenging, but implementing more elements into the design opened the project to grant funding — including the nutrient removal projects that achieved ecosystem restoration, habitat diversification and passive recreational benefits. Additionally, the project provides more than 785,000 cubic yards of embankment material, which allows for more economic development in the community.  

The project was not done before consulting the local community. The public was invited to workshops to review the concept and give feedback on what was important to them. This led to recreation elements including kayaking, fishing, birdwatching and more.  

The project, which will soon complete its final phase, has been done over a seven-year period and removes 942 pounds per year of total nitrogen and 172 pounds per year of total phosphorus from the impaired Caloosahatchee River Estuary.