Pinellas County commissioners voted unanimously to accept $12.9 million (with a county funding match) from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to fund Phase 1 of the Cross Bayou Canal Improvements project – a major effort to reduce flooding and improve stormwater flow through one of the county’s most important drainage corridors.
According to county planning documents, the Cross Bayou Canal Improvements project – listed as Project 002124A in the Capital Improvement Plan – is designed to improve water conveyance through the canal and shorten the duration of flooding after heavy rain. The plan also specifies that any material removed during construction must be tested to account for pollutant removal.
The Cross Bayou Canal runs nearly eight miles through central Pinellas County, connecting several watersheds before reaching Boca Ciega Bay. Data from the Pinellas Water Atlas show that the canal is monitored for water quality, nutrient levels, and dissolved oxygen – indicators that help track the health of the larger watershed system.
A related initiative, the Cross Bayou Estates Drainage Improvements project, is also moving forward in the same watershed. According to the county’s procurement portal, that work involves upsizing stormwater pipes and improving the outfall near 82nd Avenue North – with benefits expected for streets such as Pelican Lane, Quail Road and Robin Road.
Together, these projects form part of a countywide strategy to modernize stormwater infrastructure and strengthen resilience against heavier rainfall. Public works staff have described the Cross Bayou corridor as one of the county’s most flood-prone drainage systems, and the new state funding will allow engineers to proceed with design, modeling and environmental compliance ahead of construction.
The $12.9 million grant marks a significant step in the county’s long-term plan to manage stormwater more effectively and to protect communities that depend on the Cross Bayou Canal to move water safely toward the bay.