TAMPA, Fla. — As we approach hurricane season, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is wrapping up inspections of the Tampa Bypass Canal System.

It is critical infrastructure that helps prevent the Hillsborough River from flooding the cities of Tampa and Temple Terrace during major storm events. The system uses five flood control structures along the nearly 16-mile canal.

The system was activated in September 2017, before and after Hurricane Irma.

“At this structure, we were moving approximately 3 billion gallons of floodwaters out of this region every single day during Irma,” said Operations Bureau Chief Jerry Mallams, while standing in front of Structure S-160.

The water is then diverted to McKay Bay. The system was built in 1968 in response to Hurricane Donna, which caused flooding in 1960.

Mallams toured the original control room, which is still on site.

“So originally, to operate this structure, we would have to have an operator stay in this building through a hurricane event,” he described. “Now, with modern technology, we’re able to not only monitor the water levels but operate the gates remotely from any place we have the internet.”

Upgrades are now on the way, in preparation for the impacts of climate change. Mallams pointed out more saltwater exposure with sea level rise and the potential for the steal components of the structure to be corroded.

“Which is why we’re doing two projects to protect the concrete, which has steel rebar within it and also to replace these steel gates with stainless steel gates,” Mallamas said.

The concrete improvement project will cost an estimated $2.4 million. Half of that will be covered by a grant from the state’s Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection. It’s expected to be completed ahead of hurricane season 2026.

The gate replacement project is still in the design phase.