Major cleanup of Imperial River's fallen trees, flood debris begins in Bonita

Fallen trees and other debris in the Imperial River will be removed in the coming weeks, according to the South Florida Water Management District.

A barge is planned to travel between Old 41 Road and Matheson Drive while an onboard crew and backhoe remove any major river blockages. The water management district is funding and operating the cleanup.

“This is almost an emergency project,” district spokesman Randy Smith said in an interview last week. “Had Hurricane Irma not come through, all of these trees and debris wouldn’t be in the river.”

The cleanup is set to operate through the holidays until the second week of January, Smith said.

“It’s a big project,” he said. “A lot of trees were pushed in there.”

The downed trees are causing an increased risk of flooding, Smith said, forcing the cleaning operation.