Parts of the Cypress Creek Preserve trail network will close starting Monday, Nov. 9, as Tampa Bay Water begins construction on a $933,000 surface water improvement project.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) announced Nov. 6 that the closures affect the northern portion of the paved trail and the hiking and biking trails branching off the paved trail in the preserve's northeast quadrant. Access points and trails outside the project area will remain open.

The closures stem from Phase 3 of Tampa Bay Water's Cypress Creek Wellfield Surface Water Improvements. Construction equipment will be brought in through the trail, according to Tampa Bay Water's project page.

Construction is scheduled to run through mid-2027. A SWFWMD closure map posted Nov. 6 shows a closure window of Nov. 9, 2026, through Jan. 9, 2027, though the district's announcement states trail sections will be closed "for use throughout construction," which extends to mid-2027.

The project will add berms and swales to increase stormwater storage capacity at the wellfield and rehydrate targeted wetlands, according to Tampa Bay Water. It is also expected to reduce stormwater flooding for nearby residential developments.

The Cypress Creek Wellfield spans 4,800 acres in central Pasco County and has operated since 1976. High groundwater withdrawal rates in the 1980s and 1990s damaged the area. Tampa Bay Water made drainage changes in 2007 and 2015 to rehydrate affected wetlands and reduce flooding near two residential developments.

Residents of Quail Run Estates and Homesteads of Saddlewood may hear construction noise on weekdays, Tampa Bay Water said. Equipment will reach the wellfield via Quail Hollow Boulevard and Queen Sago Place.

SWFWMD also plans prescribed burns at the preserve during this period. The burns are unrelated to the wellfield project.