Hurricane Milton Damage Repair Approved for Circle B Bar Reserve
by James Coulter
To restore the site to pre-Hurricane Milton conditions, repairs have been approved for Circle B Bar Reserve near Lakeland.
At their regular meeting on Tues. Apr. 7, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve an agreement for engineering services for repairs at Circle B Bar Reserve.
The proposed project will include “repairs to historic berms constructed in the early 1900s and improvements to drainage infrastructure along the existing trail system,” wrote Brad Howard, Sr. Procurement Analyst.
“The scope also includes investigating opportunities to enhance the functionality of the wetland system and its hydraulic capacity to improve water conveyance to Lake Hancock and ultimately the Peace River,” he wrote.
The agreement is with Dewberry Engineers, Inc. to provide engineering services for the repairs. The duration of the agreement will be either until the project’s completion or until Dec. 31, 2027.
The project is expected not to exceed $1,149,927.44. Funding is budgeted and available in the 5-year Parks and Natural Resources CIP within the Environmental Lands Acquisition Fund.
Circle B Bar Reserve, a wildlife reserve consisting of 1,267 acres near Lakeland, received significant storm damage from Hurricane Milton in 2024. The park was completely closed after the storm because major portions of the property were underwater, as reported by Fox 13 Tampa Bay.
Specifically, “the trail leading to Alligator Alley and the driveway approaching the visitor center was underwater a week after the hurricane,” wrote Carla Bayron on Fox 13 Tampa Bay. Furthermore, sections of the Alligator Alley trail were “undermined or washed away” during Hurricane Milton, requiring county crews to repair them, as reported by the Fighting Irish Wire.
The damage was exacerbated due to Circle B Bar Reserve sitting on a marsh and floodplain connected to Lake Hancock. As such, stormwater from Milton continued draining into the reserve long after the hurricane passed. The County is seeking planning, design, environmental permitting, and construction specifically to repair Hurricane Milton damage, as reported by BidNet Direct.
The damage most likely to be addressed through this agreement will include washed-out and undermined trails (especially along Alligator Alley and possibly Marsh Rabbit Run), along with flood-damaged infrastructure like boardwalks and foot bridges, impacted access roads and parking areas, and storm debris and vegetation damage.
