Governor Ron DeSantis attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a new inflow pump station at the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project in Palm Beach County. The EAA Reservoir, located south of Lake Okeechobee, is designed to store more than 78 billion gallons of water and deliver up to 470 billion gallons of clean water each year to the Everglades and Florida Bay. It also supports the Biscayne Aquifer, which supplies drinking water for South Florida.
This event marks the 80th milestone since 2019 in Everglades restoration projects under Governor DeSantis’ administration, representing a record number for the state.
“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 stated: “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 inflow pump station will feature nine pumps and will be among Florida’s largest pump stations. It will have capacity to move about three billion gallons per day from Lake Okeechobee into the reservoir.
Historically, modifications made to prevent flooding altered Florida’s water system but restricted natural water flow into the Everglades. The EAA Reservoir Project aims to redirect water southward, restore ecosystems, and reduce harmful discharges into coastal estuaries such as Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie.
A recent agreement between Florida and the U.S. Department of the Army signed in July 2025 accelerates construction on key projects like this reservoir by five years—moving completion from 2034 up to 2029—and reduces regulatory delays.
Since 2019, major progress includes completion of both C-44 and C-43 reservoirs while advancing work on accelerating EAA Reservoir construction; nutrient reduction efforts have removed significant amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus from waterways; and South Florida’s storage capacity has tripled.
Upon taking office, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 19-12 committing $2.5 billion over four years for these initiatives—a goal surpassed with $3.3 billion invested during his first term alone. His current term includes another $1.4 billion allocated in fiscal year 2025-26; overall investment since 2019 now approaches $8 billion toward restoring the Everglades and improving water quality.
