Thanksgiving is approaching and it is time to reflect. Ed and I are grateful. We are grateful to be able to document the successes and setbacks of the Central Everglades Restoration Plan or CERP from the air. We are thankful to have pilot friends like Dr. Scott Kuhns and professional pilot Dave Stone join us – they have been fellow River Warriors for ten years! The photos we share today do not show perfection but they do show determination. All photographs were taken on November 19th 2023 between 2 and 4pm. It is our story, all of our story, as shown from above.
The following seven photos are of the C-43 Reservoir part of CERP. The SFWMD had a few hiccups due to the contractor and Covid but is now “back on track.” This reservoir will be gigantic. According to the ACOE it is located on 10,700 acres of former farmland in Hendry County, Florida, west of Labelle, the Caloosahatchee River West Basin Storage (C-43) Reservoir will hold approximately 170,000 acre-feet of water, with the maximum depth ranging from 15 feet to 25 feet. To compare, the C-44 Reservoir in Martin County is on 3000 acres and should hold 15 feet too.