Nearly 102,000 wading bird nests were initiated during the 2021 wading bird nesting season, according to the latest South Florida Wading Bird Report. This represented the second largest number of nests initiated by wading birds, one of the bellwether species used by scientists to gauge the overall health of the Everglades, since scientists started surveying nesting throughout the Everglades in 1996. 

Groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings of major Everglades restoration projects, improved wading bird nesting, record hydration and improving water quality are just some of the environmental restoration highlights in the 2023 South Florida Environmental Report (SFER) released today by the South Water Management District (SFWMD).

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is accepting applications for cost-share projects to develop alternative water supplies (AWS)! This initiative is part of the State of Florida’s continuing efforts to implement cost-effective strategies to conserve its precious water resources while meeting the state's water needs.

Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), broke ground on the crown jewel of Everglades restoration, the reservoir component of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project. This project is the most important Everglades restoration project for reducing harmful releases to the estuaries and sending more clean water south to the Everglades. Read more to see what officials and stakeholders are saying:

SOUTH BAY, Fla. - Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) broke ground on the crown jewel of Everglades restoration, the reservoir component of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project! The event marks a defining moment in Everglades restoration for a project that will provide a myriad of benefits for the environment and people in South Florida.

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. - Today, the South Florida Water Management District along with the National Park Service broke ground on the Taylor Slough Flow Improvement Project within Everglades National Park. This environmental restoration project will allow more clean, freshwater to flow south through Taylor Slough and onto Florida Bay, where it is needed to balance salinity levels and promote ecological health. 

Last week, the U.S.

On Tuesday, January 10, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Executive Order 23-06 (Achieving Even More Now for Florida’s Environment). This calls for additional resources for Everglades restoration and water quality/supply projects in Florida. The order is below:

WHEREAS on January10, 2019, I signed Executive Order 19-12, which laid out a bold plan to achieve more now for Florida's environment, and in the last four years, we have made incredible progress, entering into a golden era for conservation and protection of our treasured natural resources; and

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is encouraging our partners, stakeholders and the public to provide comments on the SFWMD's Draft 2023-2028 Strategic Plan.

The plan serves as a blueprint for achieving balanced regional water resource management. The SFWMD updates the Strategic Plan annually to highlight its work to continue advancing Everglades restoration, protecting communities from flooding, meeting the region’s water needs, and engaging the public and stakeholders over the next five years.

KEY LARGO --The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board today officially recognized May 15-21, 2022 as Water Reuse Week.

The annual recognition, signified by a purple jacket worn by one Governing Board member to represent the purple pipes that carry reclaimed water, is made by the Governing Board each year to highlight the ongoing efforts to encourage the use of reclaimed water. Today, "Alligator Ron" Bergeron passed the ceremonial purple jacket to Governing Board Member Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch.