Florida: Governor Ron DeSantis Celebrates Continued Everglades Restoration Momentum and Breaks Ground on New Inflow Pump Station at Critical EAA Reservoir Project
The Floridant/10322220

Trending...
~ Palm Beach County, Fla. - Governor Ron DeSantis attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new inflow pump station at the EAA Reservoir Project today. The project, located south of Lake Okeechobee, is a critical component of Everglades restoration and will store over 78 billion gallons of water. This amount is larger than Manhattan and will be able to 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 the primary source of drinking water for South Florida.

This event marks the 80th milestone since 2019 in a series of ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings, and major achievements across various Everglades restoration projects under Governor DeSantis' leadership. This is the most number of milestones achieved in state history.

In a statement, Governor DeSantis said, "Florida reached a historic agreement with the Trump Administration earlier this year to expedite and advance Everglades restoration. Today, I was pleased to announce a milestone in Everglades restoration made possible by our cooperation with the federal government." He also added that Florida is now breaking ground on the new EAA Inflow Pump Station, which is an essential component of the EAA Reservoir project. This is the second Everglades restoration project to commence since last summer's agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers.

More on The Floridant
The Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert also praised Governor DeSantis' leadership in getting this project done. She said, "The EAA Reservoir is a critical component of Everglades restoration and Governor DeSantis has led the charge on getting this project done." She also highlighted that restoring America's Everglades is one of the most ambitious environmental restoration projects ever undertaken and will restore the natural flow of clean water south to where it's needed most.

The new inflow pump station will have nine pumps and will be one of the largest pump stations in the State of Florida. It will have the capability to move approximately 3 billion gallons of water per day from Lake Okeechobee into the EAA Reservoir.

For decades, Florida's water system was altered to prevent flooding, but at the cost of cutting off the natural flow of water to the Everglades. The EAA Reservoir Project is designed to correct that by redirecting water south, restoring ecosystems, and significantly reducing harmful discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries. Once complete, it will provide lasting benefits for Florida's coastal communities and unique natural environment.

Today's groundbreaking ceremony commemorates another major milestone since the new landmark agreement was signed in July 2025 between the State of Florida and the U.S. Department of the Army. This agreement has accelerated Everglades restoration efforts by five years, from 2034 to 2029. It has also cut federal red tape and redirected resources to fast-track critical restoration efforts. In September 2025, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Blue Shanty Flow Way, a vital system that will deliver clean water south across Tamiami Trail and into Florida Bay.

More on The Floridant
Under Governor DeSantis' leadership, Florida has seen faster, cleaner, and more affordable restoration efforts since 2019. The C-44 reservoir is complete, along with the C-43 reservoir, while work on the EAA Reservoir is being accelerated. Annual nutrient reduction totals have reached over 1.8 million pounds of nitrogen and 770,000 pounds of phosphorus removed from Florida's waterways. South Florida's water storage capacity has also tripled to 176 billion gallons.

Since taking office, Governor DeSantis has made restoring the Everglades and improving water quality a cornerstone of his administration. On his second day in office, he issued Executive Order 19-12, which committed $2.5 billion over four years for water quality and Everglades projects. This goal was exceeded in his first term, with $3.3 billion invested - more than the previous 12 years combined.

In his second term, Governor DeSantis has continued this momentum by including $1.4 billion in this year's FY 2025-26 Budget. This brings the total commitment to $4.6 billion in the first three years of his term, putting Florida on track to exceed his $3.5 billion second-term goal. Overall, nearly $8 billion has been invested since 2019 in Everglades restoration and water quality efforts under Governor DeSantis' leadership.

Filed Under: Government, State
Show All News | Report Violation

0 Comments

Latest on The Floridant