ORLANDO, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis and other officials broke ground on a new pump station as part of the Everglades restoration project, aiming to send cleaner water from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades.
The new pump station is designed to move about 3 billion gallons of water a day into a massive reservoir, which is expected to be completed by 2029.
This project is part of an $8 billion effort to restore the Everglades and improve water quality in the region.
Florida reached a historic agreement with the U.S. Department of the Army in July 2025 to expedite and advance Everglades restoration.“Restoring America’s Everglades is one of the most ambitious environmental restoration projects ever undertaken,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert.
The EAA Reservoir, located south of Lake Okeechobee, will store over 78 billion gallons of water and deliver clean water to the Everglades and Florida Bay.
This ceremony marks the 80th milestone event since 2019, celebrating ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings, and major achievements across Everglades restoration projects under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis—the most in state history.
The new inflow pump station will have nine pumps and will be one of the largest pump stations in the State of Florida. The pump station will have the capability to move approximately 3 billion gallons of water per day from Lake Okeechobee into the EAA Reservoir.
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