Restoring Wetlands: Quality Enterprises Completes Picayune Strand State Forest Restoration Project

Quality Enterprises is proud to have completed construction of a protection levee along the border of Picayune Strand State Forest. This large-scale project is part of restoration efforts under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).

The importance of the project is best understood by knowing some of the history of the wetlands we call home. In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, man-made interventions such as canals, roads, and levees disrupted the flow of water to and through the Everglades. In 2000, Congress launched the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Its goal is to “restore, preserve, and protect the south Florida ecosystem, while also addressing other water-related needs of the region, such as water supply and flood protection.”¹ Restoration efforts extend to Collier County and include the Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PRSP). The scope of this project includes plugging canals, removing over 260 miles of unused roads, and building pump stations to restore the natural flow of water.² The goal is to restore wetland conditions, attract more wildlife, and support the growth of native vegetation. Restoration efforts will also aid in protecting the City of Naples eastern Golden Gate wellfield by improving groundwater recharge.³ Restoring natural wetland conditions in the forest, however, puts nearby private land at risk of substantial flooding. The solution is a levee constructed by Quality Enterprises.

As part of restoration efforts, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contracted Quality Enterprises to construct seven miles of levees to allow for wetland restoration without flooding nearby farmlands. The project is in Collier County, south of I-75 and north of US Highway 41, between the Belle Meade area and the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve.⁴ The levee was constructed using over 100,000 tons of fill dirt, topped with base rock, creating a barrier between higher water levels within the forest and nearby private properties. In addition to extensive earthwork, Quality Enterprises also constructed a conveyance canal, installed double and triple barrel culverts, constructed an access road across the levee, and resurfaced an existing access road. Throughout the duration of the project, Quality Enterprises performed vital environmental monitoring, including bird nesting surveys and water turbidity testing.

Leveraging innovations in construction technology was essential to the completion of the project. Quality Enterprises used survey data to create CAD models of the levee. Model information was then sent directly to heavy equipment operators and their machines, such as the CAT D4, CAT D6XE, and the CAT 160. By following the model data, operators were able to construct the levee at a three-to-one slope with no guesswork.

Drone technology was also integral to the completion of the project. Weekly and monthly drone flights provided imagery for progress reports reviewed by the Corps. The integration of advanced construction technology, coordination with multiple local and federal agencies, and continuous environmental monitoring made this project a resounding success. 

Quality Enterprises’ mission to build quality infrastructure for quality lives extends beyond typical categories like bridges and airfields. The Picayune Strand Restoration Project stands as an example of how providing diverse construction services can support a community and its ecological interests. The slice of paradise we call home is environmentally complex, but Quality Enterprises is prepared to meet the complexities with viable, sustainable solutions that support and protect our community.

1. National Park Service. “Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).” Accessed January 20, 2026. https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/cerp.htm. ↩︎
2. South Florida Water Management District, “Picayune Strand Restoration Project.” Accessed February 4, 2026, https://www.sfwmd.gov/our-work/picayune-strand-restoration-project. ↩︎
3. Quality Enterprises USA. “Construction Has Begun on the Picayune Strand Restoration Project.” June 8, 2021. Accessed February 4, 2026. https://qeusa.com/construction-commences-on-the-picayune-strand-restoration-project/. ↩︎
4. Quality Enterprises USA. “Construction Has Begun on the Picayune Strand Restoration Project.” June 8, 2021. Accessed February 4, 2026. https://qeusa.com/construction-commences-on-the-picayune-strand-restoration-project/.  ↩︎