Is Cape Coral Slowly Sinking? A New Study Says Yes . (Hawthorne: gated, live in)

[Taratova]

A Cape Coral study came up on my feed this morning. It is talking about pumping of water from the aquifer and that parts of Cape Coral is starting to sink. These new osmosis plants Cape Coral has placed in the city maybe at fault says the study.

https://news.wgcu.org/section/enviro...nization-plant

[chiluvr1228]

Well, that's not good news considering we are only about 7 feet above sea level.

[Travelassie]

I thought it might be due to the sheer masses of humanity that have made CC their home....

[Taratova]

Originally Posted by chiluvr1228

Well, that's not good news considering we are only about 7 feet above sea level.

My land is 20 ft above sea level but it's strange only one block is 20 ft and the rest is 18 ft over sea level.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by Taratova

My land is 20 ft above sea level but it's strange only one block is 20 ft and the rest is 18 ft over sea level.

Well, maybe they put in more fill when they built on your land.

[floridarebel]

During the ice age, Florida land was twice as large as it is now. The land used to go out much farther west. Cape Coral at the time would be in the center of the state so that means that Florida is slowing losing its west coast as time goes by. Before CC was developed, it was all swamps.

[tombayles]

Hi. I am the reporter who wrote that story and am wondering if any of you who live in north Cape Coral around the Northern Pumping Plant have had foundation or wall cracking or driveway cracking problems? If so, please call me to share your story 941-713-7570 or email [email]tbayles@wgcu.org[/email] Thanks!

Read more: [url]https://www.city-data.com/forum/fort-myers-cape-coral-area/3450520-cape-coral-slowly-sinking-new-study.html[/url]

[AnnieA]

Have you received any anecdotes about this problem ?

[CRC2020]

Originally Posted by tombayles

Hi. I am the reporter who wrote that story and am wondering if any of you who live in north Cape Coral around the Northern Pumping Plant have had foundation or wall cracking or driveway cracking problems? If so, please call me to share your story 941-713-7570 or email tbayles@wgcu.org Thanks!

Read more: https://www.city-data.com/forum/fort...new-study.html

Been following your work on nextdoor. Hope you are up for constructive criticism...

City pumping is unlikely the cause as the rate of subsidence corresponds almost exactly with mid-hawthorne aquifer levels (residential well levels at 50-75 meters). This is the same aquifer that has prompted Lee County and CC to impose a 1 day a week watering schedule for domestic irrigation in the N/E area. Unfortunately the authors of the paper did not look at their data carefully enough. Just a few hours of research into the actual paper data shows: (1) The paper repeatedly states that ground water extraction is the issue, yet all of the R/O wells of the city are not from ground water; but from Lower-Hawthorne aquifer levels (150-250 meters down)(2) Well number L-4820 (190'), used to show the inSAR data trend comparison, is a mid-Hawthorne aquifer well - this aquifer is used for residential wells, not city wells; (3) The subsidence area is suspiciously centered around a cluster of pre-CC sinkholes and depressions; (4) The southern R/O plant and well L-581 show no subsidence during the InSAR period, and no mention in the paper is given to the fact that almost all residential wells in that area have been abandoned due to UEP; (5) In the 2022 Drinking water report by CC, the intake level of sodium at the North Plant is 110PPM, which is fresh water, not brackish water; (6) While CC does not map water wells, a look at Google maps shows a large amount of residential housing in the subsidence area and the surroundings. (7) The northern R/O plant is NOT centered on the subsidence area, nor are a majority of the wells that serve it.

All of the residential wells in the area are typically 150 to 250 feet deep residential wells and probably show the same decrease in water level that L-4820 does. My issue with the paper, and the peer review, is that they completely ignored domestic well impacts on what they were measuring Since the southern R/O plant is not experiencing subsidence, the obvious solution to a mid-Hawthorne aquifer issue is UEP. The problem is that UEP expansion into the N/E and N/W will not be complete until 2045 to 2050 - unless we want to pay the price and speed up UEP. Other factors to increase mid hawthorne recharge rates should also be investigated. Higher freshwater canal levels. Reinjection wells. Changes in city/county policy to promote xeriscaping, etc..

[LocalYokle]

what was planted here before it was settled?
what was removed to build all of these ugly houses?

hmm wasn’t that hard to figure out why.