Multibillion-dollar reservoir to be built in Florida by 2029

A joint project between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) will annex the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), a multi-billion dollar reservoir, to the State of Florida to implement a decades-long comprehensive Everglades restoration plan.

Florida Construction of the reservoir began in February 2023.south of the state’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Okeechobee, according to . Described because the “crown jewel” of Everglades restoration, the reservoir will refill an aquifer that supplies South Florida residents with drinking water and significantly reduce algae-causing discharges which have caused dark water on beaches and foul odors from dead fish. “This is a critical project to store, purify and ship Lake Okeechobee water to nourish the Everglades and provide clean drinking water to millions of South Floridians,” said Meenakshi Chabba, an ecosystem scientist on the Everglades Foundation.

Congress passed the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan in 2000, which incorporates 68 infrastructure projects in Florida, including rewetting carbon-sequestering wetlands and developing smaller reservoirs and water control structures. When the EAA reservoir is predicted to be accomplished in 2029, the Sunshine State will be home to the world’s largest environmental restoration project, which can cover 10,100 acres, exceeding the realm of ​​Manhattan and Staten Island combined. The EAA will include a 6,500-acre stormwater treatment area.

Florida’s water supply has been challenged by the state’s rapid population growth, which is predicted to reach 26.4 million by 2040. “Florida’s current fresh water supply is it is predicted that in the longer term it’s going to not be able to meet all of the growing needs of Florida residents “without the development of alternative water supply projects,” the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s 2021 annual water report found.

“Increasing freshwater flow through restoration has the potential to slow the impact of saltwater intrusion into our sensitive water source,” Chabba said. But other environmental experts say the reservoir has its own challenges, including the fact of rising sea levels and rainfall patterns that would potentially alter the project’s long-term effectiveness. “…The entire ecosystem is a leaky system. It’s an incredibly delicate balance between drinking water and flood control,” said Barry Rosen, a professor of ecology and environment at Florida Gulf Coast University. He questions the water’s usefulness if the reservoir becomes home to algal blooms.

Smaller improvements have already been made because the reservoir is under construction, including raising sections of the Tamiami Trail that crosses the Everglades and installing a 2.6-mile-long bridge. Both projects improve water flow to the Northeast Shark River Slough, situated in Everglades National Park.