All federal contracts for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir are signed, marking a major step forward in accelerating completion of that and other critical components of Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.
Having all the contracts signed means the state can take over and expedite the project, and all federal funding and resources are secure until the project is completed, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Army Corps of Engineers announced April 13. The state thinks it can finish the project in 2029, five years faster than the Army Corps projects.
Florida takes lead on Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir
Critical infrastructure, including the inflow pump station capable of moving 3 billion gallons of water daily from Lake Okeechobee, is already underway.
“The Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir will improve the flow of clean water when and where it’s needed to restore the Everglades, protect drinking water, and fuel economic certainty in Southern Florida,” said Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle.
In addition, Florida has assumed responsibility for the Blue Shanty Flow Way project, an essential “last mile” connection that will move water south into Everglades National Park and Florida Bay, according to the governor.
The roughly $4 billion, 240,000-acre-foot EAA Reservoir is crucial for sending more water south and protecting coastal estuaries such as the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. Once the reservoir is completed, it can store water from Lake Okeechobee, treat it in manmade marshes, and send the water south where it is needed.
When Lake O fills and rises now, the Army Corps worries about it breaching the Herbert Hoover Dike and flooding the farms, towns and homesteads in the EAA, so it discharges water east to the St. Lucie River and west through the Caloosahatchee River via the C-44 and C-43 canals.
Investments in Everglades projects have tripled water storage capacity in South Florida and contributed to major environmental gains, including Florida Bay reaching salinity targets for the first time in decades, according to DeSantis. The governor’s proposed 2026 budget includes an additional $1.4 billion, bringing the total investment to $9.5 billion.
Tim O’Hara is TCPalm’s environment reporter. Contact him at tim.ohara@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida ready, funded to expedite Everglades, EAA Reservoir projects
Reporting by Timothy O’Hara, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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