The overall administration of all programs and activities in the Basin are performed under the auspices of this division. This includes preparation of the annual operating budget for submission to the Basin Board and District Governing Board, coordination/liaison with the public and various levels of government, public outreach and other miscellaneous functions. Meetings of the Basin Board are held approximately every other month. All meetings are open to the public and provide a forum for matters relating to the region's issues.
Clarence S. Tears, Jr. is the Director of the Big Cypress Basin. He and his staff are responsible for administering Basin affairs, assisting in policy development and implementing Basin policy, as directed by the six member gubernatorial appointed Board. He also oversees local governmental assistance activities, as well as water resources, capital project planning and implementation and public education.
Clarence has over 20 years of expertise in water management, emergency management, crisis management, short-term and longterm water resources planning, and sustainability of water resources for Collier County. Contact Clarence at (239) 263-7615, ext. 7601 or ctearsjr@sfwmd.gov.
Barbara Pinx, Staff Administrative Assistant, (239) 263-7615, ext. 7602, bpinx@sfwmd.gov
Lisa Koehler, Community Outreach and Media Specialist, (239) 263-7615, ext. 7603, lkoehler@sfwmd.gov
Planning
Section 373.0695(1)(a) of Florida Statutes defines one of the primary responsibilities of the Basin Board as "preparation of engineering plans for development of water resources of the Basin, and conduct of public hearings on such plans." The primary activities of Basin Planning have been conducted under the umbrella of the Big Cypress Basin Watershed Management Plan. The Basin Planning Unit also performs hydromonitoring, hydrologic-hydraulic investigation and development of mathematical models of the overall Basin and individual sub-basins for flood control, water quality improvement, environmental enhancement and restoration.
The unit has also assisted with the development and implementation of three major ecological restoration projects now underway: Picayune Strand Hydrologic Restoration, Lake Trafford Restoration, and Tamiami Trail Flow Enhancement.
Max Guerra, Senior Engineer, (239) 263-7615, ext. 7612, mguerra@sfwmd.gov
Kent Feng, Senior Engineer, (239) 263-7615, ext. 7609, kfeng@sfwmd.gov
Andy Potts, Engineering Technician III, (239) 263-7615, ext. 7608, apotts@sfwmd.gov
Tim Howard, Engineering Technician III, (239) 263-7615, ext. 7610, whoward@sfwmd.gov
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) Project Management
The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), as well as Acceler8 Everglades Now, a stepped-up series of projects, together represent an ambitious federal/state undertaking to restore and preserve South Florida's natural ecosystems, while enhancing water supplies and flood control. CERP was commissioned to look at the environmental consequences of the original construction and to find alternatives to restore/protect some of the natural ecological systems. Everglades restoration can be framed by four interrelated factors: quantity, quality, timing, and distribution of water. The principal goal of restoration is to deliver the right amount of water, of the right quality, to the right places, and at the right time. The natural environment will respond to these hydrologic improvements, and we will once again see a healthy Everglades ecosystem. The Comprehensive Plan consists of over 60 components that work together to accomplish this.
The South Florida Water Management District protects the supply and the quality of water resources by regulating the management and storage of surface waters and the dredging or filling of wetlands with environmental resource permits. We also regulate ground and surface water withdrawals by major users such as water utilities, agriculture and nurseries, golf courses, mining and other industrial users.
Environmental Resource Permits (ERPs) are the District's means of protecting the movement and quality of water resources by regulating the management and storage of surface waters and the dredging/filling of wetlands. Environmental Resource Permits are typically required for all projects which involve the construction of an urban or rural facility that will alter or divert surface water runoff; encroachment on a floodplain or disruption to existing wetlands; change in point of discharge of an existing surface water management system; or creation or construction of a mitigation bank. The objective of the permitting program is to assure that the permitted activities are neither harmful to the water resources of the District, nor inconsistent with the public interest. In certain basins where unique management conditions exist, additional requirements must be satisfied.
Mark White, Senior Regulatory Supervisor (239) 338-2929, ext. 7765, mwhite@sfwmd.gov
Other Permitting Staff
John Policarpo, Environmental Analyst III
Pakorn Sutitarnnontr, Senior Engineer
Karyn Allman, Environmental Analyst I
Steve Nagle, Field Representative
Right-of-Way Permitting
RIGHT OF WAY (ROW) PERMITS are issued to protect the SFWMD's ability to effectively and safely use the canal and levee rights of way of the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project, the related water conservation areas, the works of the Big Cypress Basin, and certain other canals and rights of way.
Phillip Jimenez, Engineering Technician II, (239) 263-7615, ext. 7614, pjimenez@sfwmd.gov
Operations & Maintenance
Operating and maintaining the "works of the Basin," which consists of a network of 162 miles of primary canals and 46 water control structures (see Operating Schedule below), is a big job. Canals require shoal and debris removal, as well as control of aquatic and terrestrial vegetation by herbicides or mechanical methods to maintain design flood conveyance capacities. BCB is also involved in aquatic weed control activities on Lake Trafford, a 1600-acre lake in north central Collier County.
Water control structures need to be maintained to assure their operating mechanisms work effectively, when needed, to achieve Basin water management objectives. BCB publishes monthly gate operation logs detailing operation activities for Basin facilities. Gates are operated according to a basic Operation Schedule.
If you would like to know when the BCB will be performing maintenance in your area or you have a specific maintenance request, you can call us at (239) 597-2236.
Big Cypress Basin
Info & Education
![Big Cypress Basin Watershed Management Plan [pdf 1mb]](http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/6758071.GIF)
![Picayune Strand Hydrologic Restoration [pdf 5mb]](http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/6758073.GIF)
