Report Says Everglades Restoration Reservoir Needs to Be Larger
A report from Friends of the Everglades argues that the large reservoir being built south of Lake Okeechobee will not provide enough storage to restore the Everglades. It calls for an additional reservoir in the Everglades Agricultural Area capable of holding 1 million acre-feet of water. The added storage would help replenish the wetlands and reduce polluted discharges to coastal estuaries.
The reservoir under construction south of Lake Okeechobee is central to a $27 billion Everglades restoration effort. It is expected to be the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' largest such project and is scheduled for completion in 2029. Friends of the Everglades reviewed scientific literature and concluded an additional 1 million acre-feet of storage is needed in the Everglades Agricultural Area.
That extra capacity, the group says, would help replenish wetlands and reduce polluted lake discharges that can harm coastal estuaries. The proposed reservoir would cover 77,000 acres and be 13 feet deep, resembling a smaller, shallower Lake Okeechobee. The group acknowledges the request is difficult.
If additional storage is pursued, it could affect Floridians who rely on Everglades-fed drinking water, coastal communities vulnerable to polluted discharges, and wildlife in wetlands and estuaries. A larger reservoir may reduce harmful flows and improve wetland replenishment, though costs, timelines, and trade-offs could shape outcomes.