When people think of Cape Coral, Florida, what often comes to mind first is water: palm tree-lined canals and a boating lifestyle. With over 400 miles of navigable canals—more than Venice, Italy—this Southwest Florida city has been referred to as a “Waterfront Wonderland.” Yet few realize that Cape Coral’s canals are far more than a recreational perk; they are the city’s essential stormwater and flood prevention system, engineered to serve both people and nature.
Building a city from water
Cape Coral’s story began in the late 1950s, when brothers Jack and Leonard Rosen envisioned a master-planned community on 115 square miles of low-lying coastal land. The land was naturally marshy and prone to flooding, which meant that transforming it into a thriving city required vision and innovation. The developers invested millions in Earth-moving equipment, employing hundreds of workers who operated around the clock to create what would become an iconic canal network. These canals weren’t built simply for aesthetics or boating access: the soil excavated from canal construction was used to elevate house lots safely above historically flood-prone levels…