Fort Myers, FL Environmental Rules: Coastal Development (2026)

Florida's Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) is established under FS Chapter 161 (Beach and Shore Preservation) and represents the landward limit of FDEP jurisdiction over construction that could damage the sandy beach-dune system based on 100-year storm conditions. Lee County's CCCL was established in 1978 (recorded at Lee County Clerk PB 31, PG 1) and updated in 1991. The line runs through the Gulf-facing barrier islands — Fort Myers Beach (Estero Island), Sanibel, Captiva, Boca Grande — and is NOT mapped through the City of Fort Myers proper, which sits on the south bank of the Caloosahatchee River roughly 15 river miles upriver from San Carlos Bay. As a result, building seaward of the CCCL is not a Fort Myers permitting issue (use FDEP's Map Direct tool at geodata.dep.state.fl.us to confirm any specific parcel). Coastal-style activities inside the city — work in or adjacent to the Caloosahatchee River, mangrove fringes, tidal canals, and submerged lands — are instead regulated by: (1) Fort Myers Code Chapter 110 Floodplain Protection (BFE + 1', substantial-improvement 50% Rule); (2) Chapter 118 Land Use Regulations (waterfront setbacks, riparian-zone development standards); (3) SFWMD Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) under FS 373.4131 and FAC 62-330 for dredging, filling, dock construction, and stormwater treatment; (4) US Army Corps of Engineers Section 10 (Rivers and Harbors Act) and Section 404 (Clean Water Act) permits for any structures or fill in waters of the US; (5) State submerged lands authorization (lease, easement, or consent of use) from the Florida Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund under FS Chapter 253 for any structure on or over sovereign submerged land. Hurricane Ian (Sept 28, 2022 — Category 4 at Cayo Costa landfall) caused catastrophic surge along the Caloosahatchee, prompting tighter post-disaster enforcement of substantial-improvement rules for waterfront properties under Chapter 110.