Charlotte County Public Works is currently in our busiest season. The summer rains bring an increase in service calls, particularly related to drainage and mosquitoes.
After an extraordinarily dry season and one of the worst droughts on record, it might seem that mosquito activity would be lower. However, as residents in Englewood and Punta Gorda along Charlotte Harbor can attest, the salt marsh mosquito hatch this year has been especially significant. Our team has been communicating with partnering agencies to the north and south, and they have reported similar conditions.
Salt marsh mosquitoes can lay eggs on dry salt flats, where the eggs remain dormant until rainfall and higher tides provide the conditions needed for them to hatch. We use larvicide treatments to help control these populations, but even a small area can contain millions of eggs that eventually become adult mosquitoes and affect outdoor activities. We are also working with our partners at the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office to conduct helicopter spray missions to help reduce mosquito populations.
The unusually dry conditions can also contribute to drainage issues when the first rains of the season arrive. These rains are often heavy and intense, washing fallen leaves and other organic material into our drainage infrastructure and sometimes limiting the flow of water through the system. Our crews are working throughout the county to identify and clear these blockages. Residents also sometimes assist by removing leaves that accumulate around catch basin grates.
The first rains of the season typically absorb into the ground or run off quickly. As the summer rainfall pattern develops, however, storms can be intense and occur more than once a day. As drainage systems fill and swales become saturated, water takes longer to absorb or move through the system.
To newer residents, this may appear to be standing water that requires investigation. Charlotte County is a coastal community with very little elevation change and drainage systems that are influenced by the tides. While we take these calls seriously and will send our teams to investigate, in many cases the water simply needs additional time to recede.
As a general guideline, we ask residents to wait 72 hours after a rain event before calling about extensive standing water. If your swale is full following a heavy rain event, please allow 72 hours for the water to recede. If the water begins to decrease but additional rain occurs, the 72-hour period should begin again. This is particularly important in lower-lying coastal areas, where summer high tides can slow the discharge of our drainage systems.
Charlotte County Public Works remains committed to serving our residents. We have staff prepared to respond 24 hours a day when flooding occurs and stand ready to assist our community throughout the summer season.