Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday joined state and federal officials in breaking ground on a new inlet pumping station at the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project south of Lake Okeechobee, marking another major step in Everglades restoration.
The new pumping station, one of the largest in Florida, will have nine pumps capable of transferring approximately 3 billion gallons of water per day from Lake Okeechobee to EAA Reservoir. Once completed, the reservoir will hold more than 78 billion gallons of water, more by volume than Manhattan, and will help provide up to 470 billion gallons of clean water annually to the Biscayne Aquifer, the primary source of drinking water for the Everglades, Florida Bay, and South Florida.
Wednesday’s ceremony also marks the 80th milestone event since 2019 under the DeSantis administration, which includes ribbon cuttings, groundbreaking ceremonies and major project launches, the most ever related to Everglades restoration in state history.
Accelerate historic restoration efforts
DeSantis highlighted a landmark agreement reached earlier this year between the state of Florida and the Trump administration that would bring forward the construction schedule for EAA reservoirs by five years, from 2034 to 2029, while reducing federal red tape and directing resources to speeding up key repair components.
“Earlier this year, the state of Florida reached a historic agreement with the Trump administration to accelerate and accelerate Everglades restoration,” DeSantis said. “Today, we are pleased to announce a milestone made possible through our collaboration with the federal government. The State of Florida is currently breaking ground on a new EAA inflow pumping station, a key component of the EAA Reservoir Project.”
The new inflow station is the second major project to begin in the Everglades since a state-federal agreement was signed in July 2025. In September, Florida also broke ground on the Blue Shanty Flow Way, a new system designed to push more clean water south into Florida Bay through the Tamiami Trail.
State environmental officials praise progress
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert said the reservoir is a “key component” of extensive restoration efforts.
“Restoring America’s Everglades is one of the most ambitious environmental restoration projects ever undertaken,” Lambert said. “With every project, we deliver real results on time and on budget, delivering significant benefits to Florida taxpayers.”
Correcting decades of water mismanagement
For decades, South Florida’s water system has been designed to prevent flooding, but rerouting has cut off natural flow to the Everglades and increased harmful drainage into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries. The EAA Reservoir Project is designed to reverse these effects by restoring the southward movement of water and reducing nutrient-laden runoff.
Once operational, the reservoir is expected to provide long-term benefits to coastal areas, estuaries and wildlife habitat.
Billions of dollars of national funding have already been committed.
Since taking office, DeSantis has made Everglades restoration and water quality a central focus of his administration.
The C-44 and C-43 reservoirs are now completed and the EAA reservoir is moving forward on an accelerated schedule. Annual nutrient reductions include 1.8 million pounds of nitrogen and 770,000 pounds of phosphorous removed from the state’s waterways. South Florida’s water storage capacity tripled to 176 billion gallons.
DeSantis’ first executive order in 2019 pledged $2.5 billion over four years for water quality and restoration efforts, exceeding the goal by more than $800 million. His second term continues at an even faster pace. This year’s 2025-26 budget includes $1.4 billion, and the state currently has $4.6 billion allocated for the second term alone. Since 2019, nearly $8 billion has been invested in Everglades and water quality projects.
Florida officials said the new pumping station marks another milestone in recovery efforts that are moving at the fastest pace in the state’s history.
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