Abstract
Sparse investigation of the hydrology and geology of Lee County, Florida was conducted before Durward Boggess established the U.S. Geological Survey office in Fort Myers during 1966. Past work included a general description of the geology along the banks of the Caloosahatchee River (Heilprin, Dall, DuBar) and some paleontological studies of barrow pit spoils piles and some surface-water studies in a few streams. Durward Boggess quickly grasped the water-supply problems of Lee County and recognized the need for both surface-water and groundwater data. The completion of the Okeechobee Waterway (construction of S-79) occurred only a short time before Mr. Boggess moved to Lee County. In 1966, the Caloosahatchee River was believed to be the most reliable source of water supply for the City of Fort Myers and the unincorporated areas of Lee County. Intakes were designed and constructed about 1 mile upstream of the W. P. Franklin Dam (S-79) on the river. These intakes fed the artificial recharge system for the City of Fort Myers Wellfield via a pipeline and the new Lee County Water Treatment Plant. Mr. Boggess was concerned about the proximity of the intake structures to the lock through S-79. Each time a boat passed through the lock in dry periods, a slug of saltwater moved upstream. So, his first work in Lee County was on how to control the upstream movement of saline water in the Caloosahatchee River. Among the many contributions made by Durward Boggess to the study and management of water resources in Lee County were: 1) the establishment of permanent gaging stations on the Caloosahatchee River and other larger streams in Lee County, 2) the establishment of the crest-stage gages in Lee County to assess flooding and drainage problems, 3) the creation of an extensive data base on the geology and hydrology of Lee County, 4) the initial mapping of the shallow and intermediate aquifer systems, 5) the definition and naming of the principal aquifers used in Lee County, including the Lower Hawthorn Aquifer, the Upper Hawthorn Aquifer (now termed the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer), the Sandstone Aquifer, and the water-table aquifer, 6) the recognition that brackish, saline-water in the Lower Hawthorn Aquifer was a resource to be conserved and would be a water supply for the future, 7) helped establish how saline water interacted with the shallow aquifer system of Sanibel Island and helped established development practices that would be fundamental to the writing of the City of Sanibel Comprehensive Land Use Plan, 8) recognized that cut and fill landfills, which were the state-of-the-art landfill type at that time, were causing groundwater contamination, 9) suggested that the shallow groundwater system in southern and eastern Lee County would be the source for future public water supplies in Lee County, 10) recognized that the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer was being over-pumped in Cape Coral and Fort Myers, 11) recognized that improper well construction practices were causing contamination of the freshwater resources of the county with saline water, which led to the adoption of new well construction codes and the establishment of a well plugging program, 12) recognized that over-drainage of the Lehigh Acres area of Lee County was adversely affecting the water resources and wetlands, and 13) convinced the Lee County government that the planning process should include the management of the groundwater resources. Without the scientific expertise and insight of Durward Boggess, Lee County would have had severe water supply problems many years ago. Durward Boggess believed that it was very important for the public to understand how the hydrologic system functioned and he spent much time with the media and interested citizens to help educate them. He was one dedicated individual, who cared about Southwest Florida, that made a difference in molding the future management of water resources.