As the Board noted in last summer’s budget letter, the Common Lot Irrigation System (CLIS) responsible for irrigating the community was installed 30 years ago. Over time, age-related deterioration—particularly within the system’s wiring—led to increasingly widespread and frequent failures.
Recognizing the urgency, the Board engaged with Hydrologic Irrigation Design & Engineering, a firm to develop a master plan for CLIS. Following that process, Stahlman-England, a leading irrigation contractor, was selected in October 2025 to install a new Rain Bird IVM two-wire control system. The project is now nearing completion and is anticipated to come in under the approved $2.8M budget. This upgrade represents a significant step forward in modernizing our irrigation infrastructure and improving overall system performance.
While all large-scale irrigation systems experience occasional issues—such as broken heads or mainline pipe failures, this new system is designed to provide more consistent and reliable watering. Over time, residents can expect improved watering conditions that better support your landscape practices.
Smarter, Weather-Based Irrigation
The new system represents a significant advancement over the previous one. It incorporates weather-based technology with sensors at each of the eleven controllers that automatically adjust irrigation run times using real-time environmental data, including temperature, rainfall, humidity, solar radiation, and evapotranspiration.
Unlike the former system, which relied on fixed watering schedules, irrigation will now be dynamically adjusted based on actual plant water needs. As a result, residents may notice variations in watering times—or that irrigation does not run at all if weather conditions provide sufficient moisture.
Watering Approach & Scheduling
Below is a baseline watering schedule matrix designed for normal operating conditions. Due to the system’s advanced technology, all schedules remain subject to real-time weather conditions and applicable Lee County water restrictions, which are currently in effect.
Irrigation will operate within general watering windows- from 5pm to 9am the following day-rather than fixed start times. Watering days will vary based on odd and even-numbered addresses.
Based on the chart and map below, under normal operating conditions, the front half of the community- where hydraulic capacity is more limited- will typically be irrigated three times per week, while the back half of the community will generally be irrigated twice per week. Both areas will receive approximately the same total amount of water over time. Generally, 1 ¼” per week.
