With the support of Audubon members, the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir is getting closer to breaking ground after significant victories in Tallahassee and Washington. This top Everglades priority will clean, store, and move water south of Lake Okeechobee- restoring the historic freshwater flows through the parched Greater Everglades Ecosystem and into Florida Bay.
“The recurring toxic algae blooms in South Florida and the 2015 seagrass die-off in Florida Bay tell us our watershed is sick. Implementing Everglades restoration projects like the EAA Reservoir is the antidote the ecosystem needs, and fast action to get these projects approved and funded is essential to recovery. With the EAA Reservoir approved, help for America’s Everglades is coming.”
- Celeste De Palma, Director of Everglades Policy
Audubon members and partners helped shepherd the project’s first big win as Senate Bill 10 was signed into state law last year. State officials then completed project planning in record timing and submitted it for federal approval. During the last four months, thousands of Audubon members urged federal officials to approve the EAA Reservoir.
Perseverance paid off. The project was fully approved and eventually signed into law as part of the 2018 America’s Water Infrastructure Act. A historic accomplishment for America’s Everglades, the move will help to bring balance back into the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Now, Audubon remains focused on securing federal funds and ensuring nothing gets in the way of implementing this critical restoration project.
