These photos are part of a series of “reservoirs” that have been covered in my blog the past months and is meant to be educational. The South Florida Water Management District is to be congratulated on completing the STA, a feat! However we must ask ourselves about the significance of the algae bloom as seen in a couple of the photos below.
There is a lot to this subject but for today, it’s just the photos!
Geoffrey Smith and Ed Lippisch prepare for flight.EAA Reservoir/STA, 2-11-26. Ed Lippisch
Included are the ” STA 1-W, N side of Reservoir, Reservoir STA, and A-FEB.” Thanks SFWMD!
On Friday, February 6, 2026 , Ed and I joined a group tour of the C-23/24 Storm Water Treatment Area put on by Mark Perry and the Florida Oceanographic Society. ACOE’s Major Cory Bell drove along with us and was available to answer questions. It was a very educational and really fantastic day! This part of “Indian River Lagoon South” is about the North Fork of the St. Lucie River that has been negatively impacted by development and agriculture in St. Lucie County.
A large portion of the group consisted of family members: my husband Ed and me; my mother, Sandra Thurlow; my brother, Todd Thurlow and his wife, Deanna Thurlow who works for Florida Oceanographic and together with staff arranged the tour.
Todd and Deanna Thurlow stand before the 10 Mile Creek Reservoir east of C-23/24 STA also visited on this field trip.Mom and me at the C-23/24 STA, St. Lucie County, FL.
It was a chilly day so we were all bundled up as the wind whipped by. We drove from Stuart/Hutchinson Island to St. Lucie County taking Highway 70, or Okeechobee Road, to the intersection of Sneed Road. This area was once citrus and other agricultural lands and is now part of Indian River Lagoon South – part of CERP – and on the docket to help clean up the impaired waters of the St. Lucie River.
I know I have written on this before, but I wanted to share some of my photographs and the hand outs as a resource for the public. We also visited Ten Mile Creek Reservoir and Strom Water Treatment area. For simplicity and so as not to confuse, I am focusing on the C-23/24 STA.
You will notice that the C-23/24 STA presently resembles a desert. The project should be completed by the Army Corps of Engineers this year. No water yet, but as we know, it will come….
We also need the two reservoirs to be built. The IDS or scheduled of the ACOE will be coming out soon to let us know where funding and priorities for 2026.
Partial view of the 10,000 acre C-43 Reservoir, 1/24/26, Ed Lippisch.
Today I am going to share all of the aerial photographs of the C-43 Reservoir that were recently taken by my husband Ed Lippisch. I think it is important to be able to “see” these huge CERP/Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan projects that are, or should be, coming on-line.
My post is meant to be a visual resource.
The C-43 Reservoir encompasses more than 10,000 acres and is located on the west coast near LaBelle, Florida. Ed took these photographs on January 24, 2026 and the reservoir appears to be empty of water, as it has not rained much and much of Florida has drought conditions.
