DeSantis, Army Corps Reach Deal on Major Everglades Project
(AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an agreement on April 22 with the Army Corps of Engineers that will continue work on a key reservoir in Everglades restoration.
Work on the long-stalled Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir in western Palm Beach County is to be shared between the state and federal governments. DeSantis said Thursday’s agreement will accelerate the Army Corps portion of the project.
“We think this project is absolutely essential,” the governor said at a news conference, with work on the reservoir as a backdrop. “A lot of people throughout Florida are happy that we’re finally tackling this in a really comprehensive way.”
The state and federal governments have spent billions of dollars over the years on restoration of the Everglades. The vast wetland suffers from lack of adequate fresh water and also fertilizer-laden runoff that brings unwanted nutrients to the system.
One recent and costly project was raising five miles of Tamiami Trail in Miami-Dade County to allow better water flows toward Everglades National Park.
The reservoir will have a water storage component and a wetland with vegetation that can cleanse water from Lake Okeechobee, according to the South Florida Water Management District.
The plan is to sharply reduce the Lake Okeechobee discharges down the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers to estuaries where the water is blamed for blue-green algae blooms and other environmental problems.
“It will reduce if not end discharges from Lake Okeechobee,” said former state Sen. Joe Negron, who worked on Everglades issues in the Legislature.
DeSantis said environmental issue would remain a priority as lawmakers wrestle to complete a state budget over the next week or so.
“I think people are going to be really, really satisfied with what we’re doing in terms of the budget for protecting Florida’s water resources and what we’re doing for our infrastructure related to water,” the governor said.
Pedro Ramos, superintendent of Everglades National Park, called construction of the reservoir a major milestone in restoring the ecosystem.
“This is progress. This is it. We’re making it happen,” Ramos said.
Related News
From Archive
- OSHA issues 16 citations following fatal sewer confined space incident
- 27 pipeline safety violations tied to deadly Pa. chocolate factory explosion
- Contractor gas line strike triggers home explosion in Missouri
- LA recovery reports call for $650 million power line burial, major utility upgrades in Pacific Palisades
- Comprehensive microtrenching FAQ: Key insights on the Vermeer MTR516 microtrencher
- T-Mobile to expand fiber broadband infrastructure footprint with $4.9 billion Metronet acquisition
- First tunnel boring machines complete testing for Hudson Tunnel Project
- NWPX grows water infrastructure portfolio with Colorado precast facility
- Cityside launches $100 million fiber build in Corona, Calif.
- FiberLight to build 1,400-mile West Texas dark fiber network in $350 million expansion
Comments