Did you know that 43 Everglades restoration projects have broken ground, reached a major milestone or completed construction since 2019? One of the latest projects to complete construction is Stormwater Treatment Area 1-East in Palm Beach County. Located adjacent to the northeast side of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Stormwater Treatment Area 1-East is a vast human-made wetland that spans over 6,500 acres and provides flood control, stormwater treatment, recreational opportunities and helps to re-establish natural hydro-periods in the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.
STA-1E is comprised of two distribution cells and eight treatment cells that are filled with varying types of floating and submerged aquatic vegetation designed to clean water headed to the Everglades. In 2020, the South Florida Water Management District began refurbishments on two of the cells located within this STA, cells 5 and 7, to repair and modify the cells in order optimize and improve their performance. As of this month, Feb. 2022, the construction on these two cells is complete and the replanting of vegetation has started.
These recent enhancements are a part of Restoration Strategies, a program to send more clean water to the Everglades. STAs are one piece of the puzzle in the complex mosaic of Everglades restoration, but thanks to our local, state and federal partners, we are able to move forward on projects like STA-1E.
Thank you to all of the hard-working men and women who worked on this important project.