Governor Ron DeSantis participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new inflow pump station at the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project in Palm Beach County. The EAA Reservoir, situated south of Lake Okeechobee, is designed to store more than 78 billion gallons of water and provide up to 470 billion gallons of clean water each year to the Everglades and Florida Bay. The reservoir also supports the Biscayne Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to South Florida.
This event marks the 80th milestone since 2019 for Everglades restoration projects during Governor DeSantis’s tenure. These milestones include ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings, and significant achievements related to environmental restoration efforts.
“Florida reached a historic agreement with the Trump Administration earlier this year to expedite and advance Everglades restoration,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Today, I was pleased to announce a milestone in Everglades restoration made possible by our cooperation with the federal government. Florida is now breaking ground on the new EAA Inflow Pump Station, an essential component of the EAA Reservoir project. This is the second Everglades restoration project to commence since the agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers last summer, which has empowered Florida to step up our Everglades restoration efforts. Today’s groundbreaking marks the 80th milestone event in Everglades restoration that has taken place since 2019, thanks to our leadership and commitment to getting this done.”
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert commented on the importance of these projects: “The EAA Reservoir is a critical component of Everglades restoration and Governor DeSantis has led the charge on getting this project done. Restoring America’s Everglades is one of the most ambitious environmental restoration projects ever undertaken and will restore the natural flow of clean water south to where it’s needed most. With every project we are delivering real results on time, under budget and with strong returns for Florida’s taxpayers.”
The new pump station will feature nine pumps and will be among Florida’s largest pump stations, capable of moving about 3 billion gallons of water daily from Lake Okeechobee into the reservoir.
Historically, changes made to Florida’s water system were aimed at flood prevention but disrupted natural flows into the Everglades. The EAA Reservoir Project aims to reverse those changes by redirecting water southward, restoring ecosystems, and reducing harmful discharges into estuaries such as Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie.
A recent agreement between Florida and the U.S. Department of the Army signed in July 2025 will accelerate construction on key components like the EAA Reservoir by five years—moving completion from 2034 up to 2029—and reduce bureaucratic delays.
Other recent progress includes completion of both C-44 and C-43 reservoirs; annual nutrient reduction totals have reached over 1.8 million pounds of nitrogen and 770,000 pounds of phosphorus removed from waterways; and South Florida’s water storage capacity has increased threefold since 2019.
Since taking office, Governor DeSantis has prioritized Everglades restoration through funding commitments such as Executive Order 19-12 issued early in his first term. State investments now total nearly $8 billion since 2019 for related projects.
