From the headwaters of the Kissimmee River south to Florida Bay, significant progress continues on key restoration projects that are improving the quantity, quality, timing and distribution of water within the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.

DID YOU KNOW: To date, 75 Everglades restoration projects have been completed, broken ground or hit a major milestone since January 2019.

CELEBRATING SUCESS: As we begin 2025, our team at the South Florida Water Management District is celebrating the significant progress that continues to be made to advance key restoration projects that support the ecological health of America's Everglades. We look forward to continuing the momentum this year. 

MAJOR PROGRESS: Working together with our local, state, federal, and tribal partners, we are making real progress to implement the largest ecosystem restoration effort on Earth.

Major milestones in 2024 include:

✅ Completed construction of the 6,500-acre Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Stormwater Treatment Area.

✅ Completed 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.

✅ Completed an important component of the Picayune Strand Restoration Project - the plugging of the Faka Union Canal.

✅ Broke ground on the first major feature of the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP), the L-28 South Culverts.

✅ Completed the Partin Family Ranch Project, a water storage project in Osceola County. This public-private partnership spans over 3,000 acres and is estimated to store over one billion gallons of water per year.

✅ Broke ground on the District’s new Clewiston Field Station in Hendry County. The field station is relocating to a hardened 80,000 square-foot facility to consolidate and centrally locate District operations in support of existing infrastructure as well as new ecosystem infrastructure.

✅ Completed the construction on the C-139 Flow Equalization Basin Project, which means that the construction phase of the Everglades Restoration Strategies Project is complete.

✅ The District's Governing Board declared the C-44 Project as a "Stormwater Treatment Area" and started providing recreational activities such as wildlife photography, hiking and bicycling. Audubon of Martin County also started providing birdwatching tours. 

✅ Completed the El Maximo Ranch Northern Everglades Water Quality Project in Osceola County. This dispersed water management project diverts water from the Kissimmee River and Blanket Bay Slough for treatment on approximately 7,000 acres of privately-owned land.

✅ The Record of Decision for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) was signed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). 

✅ Announced support for an interagency effort to implement a new captive breeding program for the critically endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow to help with the recovery of this species, while we continue to expedite Everglades restoration. 

✅ Took over construction of a critical feature of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) South at the request of the USACE. This critical feature is known as the S-355W structure and it paves the way for the Blue Shanty Flow way, which will help restore the balance of water flows between the Central Everglades, Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. The District remains laser focused on sending water south. 

MOMENTUM CONTINUES IN 2025: We look forward to continuing this significant progress for the resiliency and restoration of our region’s water resources.

Projects such as the EAA Reservoir, Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir, and the North of Lake Okeechobee Storage Reservoir (LOCAR) and many more continue to make progress.

As the District continues to celebrate 75 years of public service, we are committed to ensuring that our water management system continues to operate smoothly and efficiently to safeguard our water resources - now and for future generations. 

We encourage you to visit SFWMD.gov/Restoration to learn more about the comprehensive effort to protect America’s Everglades.

Make sure to follow the District on our social media channels for the latest news on Everglades restoration and updates on the continued momentum in 2025 and beyond.