Happy 2026! After a break the Florida Legislature is back in session and Everglades Restoration is back in the news. About a week ago, my husband Ed asked me what I wanted photographed for the new year, and I replied: “The C23/24 Strom Water Treatment Area in St. Lucie County.”
Ed came back after a morning of flight and said: “I can’t find it.”
“Hmmm, I thought. Maybe because it’s not full of water yet, it is hard to make out?”
After a little more study and pinpointing the entirety of the C23 and C24 Canals we found it! Because the reservoirs are not yet constructed there was little change to the look of the land. Thankfully storm water treatments areas “blend.”
So what “it”?
The C23/24 STA and Reservoirs are the northern part of Indian River Lagoon South. (IRLS) “Indian River Lagoon South” is the St. Lucie River’s portion of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).
This is a very important part of the project and like the rest of Indian River Lagoon South has been a long time coming. And though Governor DeSantis did not mention it yesterday in his State of the State speech, it must be funded.
So where are things now?
Both the Army Corps and the South Florida Water Management District are responsible for completing the project.
Drew Bartlett, Executive Director of the South Florida Water Management District noted the following:
~C23/24 Strorm Water Treatment Area is under construction by the Army Corps of Engineers and should be finished in 2026. (above photo)
~C23/24 North Reservoir (to be built by the Federal/ACOE) is ready for construction, but not funded.
~C23/24 South Reservoir (to be built by the State/SFWMD) is ready for construction, but not funded.
~C25 Reservoir (State/SFWMD) is in design and will be ready for construction in 2027.
These giant projects are/have been a shared responsibility. The ACOE and the SFWMD are/have been a team…
The Governor’s last budget request focused on fully funding the rest of the EAA Reservoir and CEPP, very important! But did not include a request for Indian River Lagoon South’s C23/24/25 components. If we’re going to finish the job for the St. Lucie River, “it” will need to be included too.