Services Provided to the Community
The Laguna Lakes CDD provides local government services and maintains the public infrastructure. This includes the stormwater management system, the lakes and lake bank restoration, the irrigation distribution system including mainline distribution piping, pumps and controllers, and a perimeter wall including berm mulching and plantings.
Stormwater Management System
The community lakes are an integral part of the stormwater management system. The lake system is designed not only to receive and convey stormwater but also to store and improve the stormwater quality. The system includes wet detention ponds, water control structures for discharging excess stormwater offsite, and other conveyance systems to prevent flooding within the community.
The lakes are divided into drainage basins consisting of a series of inter-connected lakes that receive stormwater run-off from the surrounding areas within the community and store that stormwater to a certain control elevation. While the stormwater is staged in these basins it seeps into the surrounding ground, where sediments and impurities are allowed to settle out, be absorbed by aquatic plants, or broken down by natural bacteria in the lakes and thus improving the stormwater quality.
Once the water has been stored up to the designed control elevation it will flow over a weir or control structure for that particular area of the community. The stormwater then continues downstream through the system and eventually exits the community on the east side of the perimeter of the community.
Lakes Management
The lake shore (or littoral zone) is the shallow area along the shoreline of a lake or pond, which supports diverse communities of rooted plants and serves as food, habitat, and protective shelter for fish, insects, amphibians, and other aquatic animals. These diverse plant communities provide cover and nesting materials for a variety of birds and mammals. Management of littoral zones is often necessary in systems altered by humans.
Lake bank restoration may become necessary when inevitable washouts and shoreline degradation occur, due to rain and weather, and run off from homes and pools, or caused by invasive species, etc., in order to maintain lake shoreline requirements of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) environmental permit. The District continually surveys and tracks the qualities of the lakes and is often contracting for restoration.
Irrigation System
The irrigation system consists of the mainline distribution fed from reclaimed water, the pumping stations, and the controllers. Irrigation reclaimed water is provided by agreement with Lee County Utilities through a meter connection at the NE edge of the community. The irrigation system south of this connection, and inside the boundaries of the District, is managed and maintained by the CDD. Please report any irrigation issues within Laguna Lakes to the Irrigation Hotline: 239-426-7006.
Perimeter Wall, Fence, and Berms
A perimeter wall, fence, and landscaping provide beauty and security for the community. The perimeter wall runs the outer edges of the community on the north, west, and portions of the south side of Laguna Lakes CDD, with fence along the east and a portion of the south sides. The CDD mulches the perimeter berm areas, and refreshes the perimeter planting areas. The landscaping of Laguna Lakes is managed by an agreement with the Community Association to provide landscaping services.