On December 6, we celebrate the 78th anniversary of America’s iconic River of Grass. This one-of-a-kind ecosystem was formally dedicated as Everglades National Park on December 6, 1947.
DID YOU KNOW: The South Florida Water Management District (District), together with our local, state, federal, and tribal partners, continues to accelerate restoration projects that are improving the quantity, quality, timing and distribution of water within the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.
ACCELERATING EVERGLADES RESTORATION: Restoring America’s Everglades is the world’s most ambitious ecosystem restoration effort. We continue to make significant progress implementing Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects support the ecological health of the Everglades now and for future generations.
MAJOR SUCCESSES: We have celebrated 80 ribbon cuttings, ground breakings and major milestones on Everglades projects since January 2019. Restoration successes include:
✅ Broke ground on the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Inflow Pump Station in Palm Beach County, which will have the capability to move approximately 3 billion gallons of water per day from Lake Okeechobee into the EAA Reservoir.
✅ Broke ground on the second phase of the Lake Hicpochee Project in Glades County, a key component of the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program.
✅ Broke ground on the Blue Shanty Flow Way in Miami-Dade County, an important project that will ensure that more water flows from the to-be-completed EAA Reservoir south into Everglades National Park and Florida Bay.
✅ Start-up of the Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir in Hendry County. The reservoir will improve water quality, protect ecosystems, and expand Florida’s water storage capacity.
✅ Broke ground on the first major feature of the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP), the L-28 South Culverts.
✅ Making progress on the Lake Okeechobee Component A Reservoir (LOCAR) which will increase water storage in the northern watersheds, increase the availability of water supply for all users, reduce the likelihood of harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the northern estuaries and provide ecological benefits to Lake Okeechobee and the northern estuaries.
✅ Completion of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) New Water Seepage Barrier Wall Project, which extends the successful underground wall that was built as part of the 8.5 Square Mile Area Seepage Wall Project.
✅ Making progress on the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) North, which will restore water levels in the northern portion of the Central Everglades and improve our water resources in South Florida.
✅ Implementing the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) component of the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project. Test wells have been installed and the District is currently following the Science Plan to pursue nine well cluster sites.
LANDMARK AGREEMENT: In July 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the State of Florida and the U.S. Department of the Army reached a landmark agreement to accelerate Everglades restoration, including the EAA Reservoir. This agreement supercharges Everglades restoration by accelerating the EAA Reservoir’s construction timeline by five years—from 2034 to 2029.
CONTINUED MOMENTUM: Ensuring the ecological health of the Everglades benefits all of us. The District remains committed to continuing the momentum and accelerating key restoration projects that safeguard and protect this extraordinary ecosystem.
We encourage you to visit SFWMD.gov/Restoration to learn more about the comprehensive effort to protect and restore America’s Everglades.