Mission Statement: Our mission is to safeguard and restore South Florida’s water resources and ecosystems, protect our communities from flooding, and meet the region’s water needs while connecting with the public and stakeholders.”
-Ms Jennifer Reynolds, Director of Ecosystem Restoration and Capital Projects, presents to the Governing Board, Okeechobee, October, 2021.
I am proud to serve on the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District. As 2021 comes to a close, I would like to document what the board and staff with the help, firstly, of Governor Ron DeSantis, and also South Florida residents, organizations, and state and federal government investment have accomplished since 2019. This list was compiled by Communications Director, Mr Sean Cooley, after the November meeting in West Palm Beach, as brought to our attention by Vice-Chair Scott Wagner.
Since January 2019, 37 Everglades restoration projects have broken ground, hit a major milestone, or finished construction.
Construction – Broken Ground
- EAA Reservoir Project’s Stormwater Treatment Area
- 8.5 Square Mile Area Seepage Wall
- Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Wells
- C-139 Flow Equalization Basin
- C-139 Annex Restoration Phase 2 and Agricultural Area Stormwater Rerouting
- Tamiami Trail Next Steps – Phase II
- Stormwater Treatment Area 1-West Expansion #2
- Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands – L31-East Flowway
- Picayune Strand Restoration Project Flood Protection Features
Moved to Next Phase or Hit Major Milestone
- Started final phase of construction for the Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir
- C-25 Reservoir/STA, completed land acquisition and starting design
- Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project, started design
- CEPP North, started design
- S-332B and S-332C Pump Station Replacements, started design
- Lake Hicpochee Expansion Phase II, started design
- Began operations at Picayune Strand Restoration Project of the first of three pumps to rehydrate drained wetlands
- Broward County C-11 Impoundment, started design
- S-356 Pump Station, started design
- Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands – Cutler Wetlands, started design
- Boma Flow Equalization Basin, started design
- C-23/C-44 Interconnect Canal in the Indian River Lagoon-South Project, started design
Completed
- Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir Water Quality Study Analysis
- Brighton Valley Dispersed Water Management Project
- Scott Water Farm Project
- Bluefield Grove Water Farm Project
- Allapattah Flats Wetland Restoration, a component of the Indian River Lagoon-South Project
- S-191A Pump Station and Lakeside Ranch Stormwater Treatment Area
- Kissimmee River Restoration Construction
- C-44 Reservoir and STA
- Old Tamiami Trail Roadbed Removal
- S-333N Structure
- Tamiami Trail Next Steps – Phase I
- Combined Operating Plan (COP), Modified Water Deliveries (ModWaters), and C-111 South Dade Project
- Stormwater Treatment Area 1-West, Expansion #1
- Stormwater Treatment Area 5/6, Retrofit
- Stormwater Treatment Area 1-East, Retrofit
- Lake Hicpochee Phase I Restoration
Other SFWMD Everglades Accomplishments, in Partnership with DEP
- Purchased 20,000 acres of sensitive Everglades wetlands to permanently conserve them and prevent oil drilling
- Doubled water quality monitoring efforts
- Created a rapid response team to immediately respond to blue-green algae incidents