TAMPA, Fla. — For more than 55 years now, the Tampa Bypass Canal System has been helping mitigate river flooding during severe rain events and hurricanes, preventing serious damage to homes and businesses along the Hillsborough River in Temple Terrace and Tampa.
Ahead of hurricane season, 10 Tampa Bay got a behind-the-scenes look at the largest of the 84 structures (S-160) the Southwest Florida Water Management District operates and maintains around the clock. Over the past few months, crews have been monitoring them.
“Right now the structure is in fantastic shape, well maintained, and operationally well,” Jerry Mallams, SWFWMD’s operations bureau chief, said.
When launched into action, Tampa’s Bypass Canal System, made up of five flood control structures, can safely divert billions of gallons of water from the river into McKay Bay. It's one of the first lines of defense when a hurricane or major storm hits the Tampa area.
“There's a lot of urbanization nested up very, very close to this river. So when this river comes out of its banks, it can cause a lot of damage,” Mallams explained.
The system was constructed after Hurricane Donna in 1960 caused devastating flooding in the area. When it was first built, engineers operated it out of an on-site control room built to withstand Category 5 hurricanes. Now, new tech controls it remotely.
“We have technology that is able to allow us not only to monitor the water levels to see when we have to activate but it allows us to move all those gates remotely anyplace in the world as long as we have access to the internet,” Mallams said.
Due to its age and changes to water levels, with matching grant funding from the state, more than $2 million in upgrades are underway to keep the crucial piece of infrastructure fit for the future.
“These two projects will make sure the structure is resilient for future sea level conditions, and that it continues to provide flood protection benefits to the cities of Tampa and Temple Terrance for decades to come,” Mallams added.