Lee County commissioners on Tuesday voted to approve a contract to build a project adjacent to Yellow Fever Creek Preserve, a Conservation 20/20 site, to improve water quality and the ecosystem. 

The project in Cape Coral near Averill Boulevard and Del Prado Boulevard North is designed to improve water quality by diverting excess flow from Gator Slough Canal into a reservoir. There, it will be treated before being released into Yellow Fever Creek, a tributary to the Caloosahatchee River. 

This joint project with the city of Cape Coral will help reduce the flow of freshwater toward Matlacha Pass and restore historic base flows to the Yellow Fever Creek watershed. The transfer of water will also enhance the rehydration of wetlands south of Del Prado Boulevard, restoring the habitat. 

The $1.5 million contract approved Tuesday with Fort Myers-based Cougar Contracting is for the installation of a reservoir, pumping station, water transfer main, submersible pumps and related equipment. 

Construction is expected to begin in February and take about six months to complete, the county reports.