Bonita Springs is a city in southwest Florida, in Lee County, located on both Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The City has a population of over 50,000 and is known for its Gulf Coast beaches and parks, including secluded Little Hickory Island Beach Park and Bonita Beach Park. Fishing and outdoor activities are popular in Bonita Springs, as are the sparkling beaches. The City is approximately thirty minutes from the Southwest Florida International Airport.
A welcoming beach community, between Fort Myers and Naples, Bonita Springs is surrounded by water. The Imperial River runs through the City offering many water recreation opportunities. The water is home to fish, turtles and, if lucky, even manatees. Winding through Bonita Springs into Estero Bay on the Gulf of Mexico, it provides residents and visitors opportunities to enjoy kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding and fishing. The river has a beautiful, natural shore with mangroves and sandy banks and is lined with ancient trees, which provide a shady canopy. The beautiful river was overcome with water by Hurricane Irma and flooded nearby neighborhoods for more than two weeks.
The City experienced significant flooding in the summer of 2017 with the onset of Invest 92L and hurricane Irma. The rainfall from both the Invest 92L and Hurricane Irma were historic storm events on their own. The significance of these two storms was that they occurred less than 2 weeks apart. Water levels were still high from Invest 92L storm when Hurricane Irma hit. In some areas, water levels were 3.5 feet higher prior to Hurricane Irma than they were prior to Invest 92L This led to historic flooding within the Imperial River watershed. In some areas of Bonita Springs, the peak water levels from the 2 storms were 6.5 feet higher than the water levels before Invest 92L. In the aftermath of the storm, the City commissioned a flood reduction study by the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council to identify flood reduction techniques and potential projects. As a follow up, the City commissioned detailed flood modeling and project concept development studies to further develop project concepts identified in the Flood Reduction and Mitigation Study. Project funding request to the Florida State Legislature, FEMA and the CBDGR grant programs currently total $36.1 million dollars across a suite of six potential projects. The project costs are reflective of the magnitude and severity of the flooding Bonita has experienced and the challenges associated with reducing those risks in a built urban environment.
Delightful homes and cottages line the beach in Bonita Springs, and it is home to Lovers Key State Park. Lovers Key State Park is a 712-acre Florida State Park located on Lover’s Key and three other barrier islands – Black Island, Inner and Long Key. It is a popular swimming and kayaking spot. The park is home to manatees and dolphins, and the 2.5-mile beach is lined with natural vegetation and is known for beachcombing and birding. You may catch sight of dolphins playing and hunting for fish offshore. Visitors can join in by casting a line out to catch trout, redfish, snook and tarpon. The beautiful coastline that makes the City so desirable also makes it vulnerable to flooding and sea level rise. Lee County is projected to be near the same pace as global sea level rise, with projections for sea level rise by 2030 at about 5 inches. The City is proactive about the threat of rising waters, offering flood information to its residents and also, by joining the American Flood Coalition.
