Water-Related News

FGCU using its campus to study floodwaters and how to protect against them

Southwest Florida sees its fair share of flooding, whether it is during a hurricane or just a regular summer storm, but those rising waters also tell a story.

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) uses its own campus as a science experiment to benefit our area and learn more about what those floodwaters can teach us.

FGCU students and professors measure the water that flows into ponds to protect the Southwest Florida community better.

Dr. Don Duke, an environmental studies professor at The Water School at FGCU, said, “the work that we’re doing is, on the surface of it, really simple. We’re just watching to see how the ponds rise and fall over time.”

FGCU environmental science graduate student, Madison Mullen, said, “you can comment if it looks like it’s about to rain or if it’s super sunny or anything like that.”

They also collect data from sensors. What they find tells them how these ponds respond after big storms, and where that water goes.

“Primarily, what we’re doing is proving that these ponds don’t do flood control,” said Duke.