CLEWISTON, Fla — The South Florida Water Management District celebrated a major milestone in Everglades restoration with a ribbon cutting for a massive Flow Equalization Basin in Hendry County
As Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent, I’ve tracked the progress of this project, so I’ll show you what it means for Florida’s water quality and environment.
Watch my report here...
An excited crowd gathered and applause erupted as the ribbon was snipped, marking the completion of this critical phase of Everglades restoration. This 11,000-acre-foot reservoir is the final link in a 13-project system in Southwest Florida, designed to clean water before it reaches the Everglades.
Chauncey Goss, Chairman of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, explained how it works. “This is going to take water and slow it down by putting it into this wetland, and it’s then going to hold that water and move it into the stormwater treatment areas, allowing them to clean water better and allow that water to move south. We’re trying to move water south, but we can’t move dirty water south,” said Goss.
I’ve reported on the harmful effects of Lake Okeechobee water discharges, which bring nutrient-rich water that fuels algae blooms and red tide. Goss says this reservoir’s vegetation will help filter out those nutrients before the water flows south.
“We have a duty to leave Florida better than we found it, and this is part of that,” Goss stated.
Florida’s native tribes, including the Miccosukee and Seminoles, have long advocated for these projects. They say dirty water has disrupted their way of life, affecting fishing and land use.
“This is an amazing moment. It’s a moment that will permit the tribe to really begin again some of its traditional practices down on tribal lands in the central and western Everglades,” said Edward Ornstein of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.
As the ceremony wrapped, the district showcased the main pump station’s power, drawing 500 million gallons of water into the reservoir daily. Once open to the public, the reservoir will double as a recreational park for fishing, birdwatching, and hiking.
Known as the “Fishing Capital of the World”, Goss says Florida’s natural beauty depends on projects like this to protect it’s ecosystems.
“This is where the clean water starts, and we’re going to be able to fish here, so we’re really looking forward to that too,” said Gary Jennings, Director of the Amercian Sportfishing Association.
