Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently marked the official opening of the Caloothahatchee (C-43) Reservoir, a 10,000-acre water reservoir that has been recognized as one of the most important Everglades restoration projects in Florida’s history.
With state and local officials, environmental advocates and water management leaders, DeSantis celebrated the completion of the reservoir. This is expected to significantly improve water quality along Florida’s Gulf Coast, enhance freshwater storage and protect downstream ecosystems.
“This project will have an impact far beyond Kalutha Hatchee,” DeSantis said. “The C-43 Reservoir is a groundbreaking achievement in our broader mission to restore the Everglades, increase Florida’s storage capacity and make this state better than we found.”
Located in Hendry County, C-43 Reservoir captures and preserves excess stormwater runoff from the Karozahatchie River during the rainy season. It releases freshwater during drying periods to balance salinity levels in the estuary and helps reduce harmful discharges to the Gulf of Mexico. The project is part of a larger initiative to restore natural water currents in South Florida.
Desantis made Everglades Restoration a central focus in his administration. On his second day in office in 2019, he signed Executive Order 19-12, pledging $2.5 billion over four years for water quality improvements and the Everglades project.
In his second term, DeSantis continues this momentum. The recently signed state budget for 2025-26 includes $1.4 billion for the water initiative, totaling $4.6 billion for its current term. In total, since 2019, around $8 billion has been working on water quality and repairing the Everglades.
“Today, I was thrilled to join the governor for this major milestone,” said Alexis A. Lambert, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. “Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, we are investing more in recovery and looking at meaningful outcomes within the budget.”
