PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis marked a major milestone in restoring the Florida Everglades, the country’s unique and prized ecosystem, with a groundbreaking event in Palm Beach County.
Speaking at the EAA (Everglades Agricultural Area) Reservoir project on U.S. Highway 27 South, DeSantis was joined by key leaders, including DEP Secretary Alexis Lambert, Everglades Trust CEO, and South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Up Upton.
Since taking office in 2019, Florida has invested $8 billion in Everglades restoration.
“We’ve tripled the water storage capacity in South Florida since I’ve been governor,” DeSantis said, citing the opening of the C-43 and C-44 reservoirs that help manage water flow and reduce harmful discharges.
[VIDEO BELOW: DeSantis discusses Everglades restoration]
DeSantis emphasized the importance of collaboration with the federal government, noting a historic agreement made during the Trump administration that allows Florida to take the lead on construction projects traditionally managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. This agreement has accelerated key projects by five years, moving completion dates from 2034 to 2029.
One highlighted project is the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) reservoir, a 10,000-acre reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee that will store over 78 billion gallons of water. This reservoir will send water to a 6,500-acre stormwater treatment area where it will be cleaned before nourishing the Everglades.
“This will provide an additional 370,000 acre-feet of clean water to the ecosystem each year,” DeSantis said. “That’s enough to lower Lake Okeechobee by six inches and significantly reduce harmful discharge to our coastal estuaries.”
The groundbreaking also included the start of construction on the inflow pump station for the EAA reservoir, which will be one of the largest in Florida, capable of moving about 3 billion gallons of water per day. The project is slated to finish five years ahead of schedule.