The Kissimmee River Restoration project is nearly complete, and water managers report that it performed well during Hurricane Irma. Before restoration, the channelized Kissimmee River would flush water quickly into Lake Okeechobee, draining the surrounding floodplain. During and after the storm, the restoration completed to date allowed the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes to hold significant amounts of water rather than sending it into the lake, mirroring the ecosystem’s historic ability to respond to high water levels in the Northern Everglades.