The C-43 Test Cell Project in Hendry County, Florida, northeast of Fort Myers, was undertaken to construct two test cells using primarily onsite materials. Owner South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) used the test cells to determine which construction methods control water seepage while also offering the SFWMD the best value. During the project's five-month construction period, Barnard constructed two test cells approximately 500 feet square along the centerline of the embankment. One test cell used a clay core within the dam. The second test cell used a soil-bentonite cutoff wall. The cells are capable of holding roughly 127 acre-feet of water each. The contract involved clearing and grubbing 267 acres of orange groves, establishing a borrow area, and building the test cells as well as perimeter canals. Challenges included a groundwater table that was typically two feet below the surface, dewatering that had to be handled onsite, and excavation of a hard limestone layer 15 feet below grade. Installation of extensive field instrumentation allowed the SFWMD to monitor the test cells for seepage.