Florida: Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Landmark Agreement with U.S. Department of the Army to Accelerate Everglades Restoration

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. ~ In a groundbreaking announcement, Governor Ron DeSantis declared that the State of Florida and the U.S. Department of the Army have reached a significant agreement that will allow Florida to take charge of crucial aspects of the federally funded Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). This includes the highly anticipated Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, often referred to as the "crown jewel" of Everglades restoration.

Governor DeSantis expressed his excitement about this long-awaited project, which was first envisioned and authorized decades ago. He stated that not only is the EAA Reservoir fully funded and currently under construction, but it is also progressing at a faster pace than expected due to new cooperation between state and federal authorities. The completed reservoir is expected to bring immense benefits to Florida's coastal communities, fishermen, tourism industry, and unique natural environment for generations to come.

Located south of Lake Okeechobee, the EAA Reservoir will have a storage capacity of over 78 billion gallons of water - larger than Manhattan - and will deliver up to 470 billion gallons of clean water annually to the Everglades and Florida Bay. It will also support the Biscayne Aquifer, which is South Florida's primary source of drinking water.

Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), Mr. Lee Forsgren, expressed his enthusiasm for signing this agreement with Florida. He emphasized that by strengthening their partnership with the state, they are building on President Trump's commitment in his FY26 budget to expedite work on Everglades restoration.

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For decades, Florida's water system has been altered to prevent flooding but at the cost of disrupting the natural flow of water into the Everglades. The EAA Reservoir project aims to correct this by redirecting water southward, restoring ecosystems, and significantly reducing harmful discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis A. Lambert highlighted the state's commitment to the Everglades, stating that Floridians understand the importance of this unique ecosystem as they live, work, and recreate in the area. She also expressed appreciation for their federal partnership and stated that while the structure of their partnership is evolving with these new agreements, their goal remains aligned - restoring America's Everglades.

The new agreement between Florida and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will accelerate the EAA Reservoir's construction timeline by five years, from 2034 to 2029. It will also authorize Florida to construct inflow and outflow pump stations and other supporting features, allowing the Corps to focus on the main reservoir basin. Additionally, Florida will assume responsibility for managing future CERP projects through expedited permitting and updated federal memoranda of understanding. This will cut federal red tape and redirect resources to fast-track critical restoration efforts.

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Under Governor DeSantis' leadership, Florida has already made significant progress in restoration efforts. Since 2019, several projects have been completed ahead of schedule, including the C-43 Reservoir, C-44 Reservoir, S-333 Expansion, and Old Tamiami Trail Removal. These projects have improved freshwater flow to key ecosystems and resulted in annual nutrient reduction totals of over 1.8 million pounds of nitrogen and 770,000 pounds of phosphorus removed from Florida's waterways.

The Biden Administration has faced significant delays in federal projects managed by the Army Corps, with some taking three times longer to begin construction. This was further compounded by delays from leadership in the Biden Interior Department. In contrast, Florida's approach managed by the South Florida Water Management District has outpaced the federal timeline by delivering projects six to seven years faster and under budget.

Today's announcement includes a formal signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between Florida and Department of the Army, which will be implemented through a Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the South Florida Water Management District. These agreements reflect a shared commitment between Florida and the U.S. Army to get the job done efficiently and effectively.

To view the Memorandum of Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding, please visit the links provided in the press release. With this landmark agreement in place, Florida is taking a significant step towards restoring one of its most precious natural resources - the Everglades.

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