Sanibel’s water system faces climate challenges

Sanibel Island is facing challenges as it balances its natural beauty with stormwater management demands.

Known for its shelling and charm, Sanibel also has a weir system that prevents flooding and supplies fresh water.

Holly Milbrandt, the City of Sanibel’s Director of Natural Resources, explained one of the island’s distinctive features.

“One of the things that makes Sanibel really unique is that we have a freshwater system in the interior of the island,” said Milbrandt. “That provides fresh water for plants and wildlife and is an important part of what makes Sanibel, Sanibel.”

This inland river basin is crucial for maintaining the wetlands habitat and managing stormwater. Sanibel City Engineer Oisin Dolley described the system’s role in flood prevention.

“The structure that we’re standing on right now is the sluice gates, which allow us to lower water levels preemptively, which we generally do before severe storm events and large expected rainfalls,” said Dolley.

Eric Jackson, public information officer for the city, noted the recent strains on the system.

“Last year’s hurricanes and record rainfall have put the issues of island resiliency and stormwater management to the top of mind,” said Jackson.

Dolley elaborated on the challenges faced by the system.

“We had both a record rainfall amount that we haven’t seen in around 20 years, but we also had three significant storm surge events just in the last year,” said Dolley.

Milbrandt emphasized the need for future planning.

“Protecting the natural features that we have and then incorporating the more built parts of the stormwater system into that is really how we’re going to have to manage stormwater here on Sanibel for the future,” said Milbrandt.

The island is seeking input from the community to ensure a more resilient future for Sanibel.