(The Center Square) – Florida officials announced a deal on Friday that would allow the state to take over a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project designed to enhance water quality and help restore the Everglades.
The state will take over management of the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir project, which is a 10,000 acre reservoir with an additional 6,500 acre stormwater treatment area capable of holding 78 billion gallons of water.
The long-term goal of the Everglades restoration project is for water flow from Lake Okeechobee to be cleaned going into the Caloosahatchee River, which empties into the Gulf of America, and the Indian River, which empties into the Atlantic.
These flows are often contaminated with agricultural runoff, which can cause water quality issues and red tide algae outbreaks on both coasts.
The vital flow of water south into the Everglades will also be assisted by the project and its massive pumping stations, which state officials say is important to balancing the salinity of Florida Bay south of the Everglades.
The state says 370,000 acre-feet of clean water will be flowing into the ecosystem called the River of Grass by environmentalist and author Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
The agreement will also allow state officials to manage other Everglades restoration projects.
The project is intended to be completed in July 2029, ahead of the previous scheduled finish of 2034.
“The completed EAA Reservoir will deliver major benefits for Florida’s coastal communities, fishermen, tourism industry, and our unique natural environment that we’re conserving for generations to come,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference on Marco Island.
“The Army feels very comfortable that the state of Florida is what we call a model partner,” said acting Assistant Secretary of the Army D. Lee Forsgren. “We are ecstatic to be doubling down today on that partnership with the commitment to continue and accelerate the rehydration of the Everglades and the Florida Bay.”
Earlier this week, DeSantis celebrated the opening of the Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir project.
