Former Florida Golf Course to Provide Storm Water Drainage Benefits

Construction has begun on the Timber Oaks Retention Facility Project in Port Richey, Fla. The project aims to repurpose a 78-acre golf course into a retention facility, providing flood relief, a park setting and wildlife refuge in the Timber Oaks subdivision.

According to the Tampa Bay Reporter, Pasco County purchased the property in 2015 with the goal of creating a solution for storm water drainage during flood events. The subdivision frequently has been the subject of flooding in roads, yards and homes, rendering a need for the project. In attention to flood relief, the project will provide a scenic lake and a wetland habitat.

“This will not only relieve flooding in Timber Oaks, it will provide residents a park-like setting and provide wildlife a refuge,” said Pasco County Project Manager Mark Guttman.  

The project is a collaboration between the Pasco County Public Works Department and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). It is scheduled to be completed in early 2019.

View a SWFWMD video of the project: