The Florida Airports Council (FAC) has recognized the Naples Municipal Airport Water Management System Improvements and Taxiway A Extension project with the 2015 J Bryan Cooper Environmental Award, General Aviation Airport.
The winning project includes two components that provide conventional and state-of-the-art solutions for water-quality and noise issues. Airport ponds were reconfigured to improve pollutant filtering and discourage wildlife, which pose a threat to aircraft, and Taxiway A was extended, so that aircraft fly higher when they leave airport property.
After shorelines were altered, the ponds showed an overall reduction in bird use, particularly wading birds, which is a safety enhancement for aircraft and the surrounding communities by decreasing the potential for bird strikes. The pond redesign resulted in a significant increase in the removal of phosphorus and nitrogen.
Water from the airfield historically has been cleaner than residential runoff, but the airport accepts and cleans runoff from an adjoining 400 acres of industrial development. Underwater gabions – walls created with baskets of rocks – have slowed water flow and increased the effectiveness of the filtration process. If ongoing monitoring confirms the improved filtration trend, the design is expected to become a model for Florida water-management pond design.
The Federal Aviation Administration and Florida Department of Transportation funded 95% of the US$8m project.
The annual J Bryan Cooper Environmental Award recognizes environmental projects and programs that have a positive effect on the Florida aviation system. Winning projects demonstrate a balance between environmental benefits and financial viability, address environmental issues of local, regional or statewide concern and promote partnerships with entities outside the aviation industry.
Naples Municipal Airport, a certificated air-carrier airport in Florida, USA, is home to, among other things, flight schools, air charter operators and corporate aviation. During the 2013-2014 fiscal year, the airport accommodated 95,120 takeoffs and landings.
August 11, 2015
