Hancock Creek

The Hancock Creek Watershed is located in the north central area of Lee County. Hancock Creek originates at the Caloosahatchee, approximately three quarters of a mile west of U.S. 41. The watershed is approximately 12 square miles in size, with seven of the twelve square miles being located in the tributary Yellow Fever and Yellow Fever East Branch watersheds. The Hancock Creek Watershed (with its Yellow Fever tributary watersheds) is approximately two miles wide by six miles long. This report will focus on the five square mile watershed area of Hancock Creek itself. The watershed is generally located south of the Gator Slough Watershed and west of the Powell Creek Watershed.

The watershed boundary has changed somewhat since the 1979 "Water Management in Lee County" report by Johnson Engineering. The net result of these changes has added approximately one square mile to the overall watershed area (including the tributary Yellow Fever Creek and Yellow Fever Creek East Branch watersheds).

Although not significant, there have been refinements to the watershed boundary since the "Lee County Interim Surface Water Management Plan." One area of approximately 110 acres was removed from the Hancock Creek Watershed and added to the Powell Creek Watershed. Other areas removed were generally south of Pondella Road from U.S. 41 to Business 41 and all of the area south of North Key Drive west of U.S. 41. These areas are part of the coastal drainage area along the river. There is also a triangular area on the west side of the watershed that was noted in the Interim Plan as being part of this watershed. This area is bounded by SR 78 on the north, the Cape Coral city limits on the east and Pondella Road on the south. It has since been determined that this area does not drain into the Hancock Creek Watershed and has subsequently been removed.

Johnson Engineering utilized a number of verification methods, including SFWMD permit information and on-the-ground reconnaissance, to generally confirm the watershed boundary presented in this report. There is a break in the watershed boundary at a bridge on Business U.S. 41 approximately one thousand feet south of Littleton Road. Much of the flow in the upper portion of the watershed that contributed to Hancock Creek prior to the development of Cape Coral (pre-1960) has been redirected to the west through the Cape Coral canal system. The Hancock Creek main trunk remains a natural channel which has seen little modification.

A general description of the Hancock Creek Watershed boundary (not including Yellow Fever or Yellow Fever East Branch watersheds) is as follows: the northwest corner of the watershed starts at the northwest corner of Section 33, Township 43 South, Range 24 East; then runs east along the section line to Corbett Road; then south along Corbett Road to SR 78; then east along SR 78 to Barrett Road; then southeast along Barrett Road to a point approximately 500 feet north of the conveyance; then southeast by contour to Hancock Creek; then northeast by contour to a point on SR 78, 300 feet west of US 41; then east along SR 78 to Brown Road; then north along Brown Road to Monterey Street; then east along Monterey Street to Woodward Street; then north along Woodward Street to San Jose Street; then east along San Jose Street for 300 feet; then northeast by contour to a point on Business US 41 approximately 900 feet north of Littleton Road; then southeast along Business US 41 to a point approximately 2,100 feet south of Littleton Road; then generally south by contour to SR 78; then west along SR 78 for 300 feet; then south to Pondella Road; then west along Pondella Road to US 41; then southeast along US 41 to Hancock Bridge Parkway; then southwest along Hancock Bridge Parkway to Beau Drive; then southeast along Beau Drive to North Key Drive; then west along North Key Drive and its westerly extension to Hancock Creek; then west and northwest by contour to a point on Moody Road approximately 1,700 feet south of Hancock Bridge Parkway; then north along Moody Road to Hancock Bridge Parkway; then west along Hancock Bridge Parkway to the Cape Coral city limits; then north along the Cape Coral city limits to the southwest corner of Section 33, Township 43 South, Range 24 East; then north along the section lines to the northwest corner of the watershed.

The above description is provided as general information only and does not constitute a legal description. See the watershed boundary map on page 16-WM for details of the boundary.

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