Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis attended the groundbreaking for the new inflow pump station at the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project, a key part of Florida's ongoing Everglades restoration effort.
According to a press release from DeSantis' office, the EAA Reservoir, located south of Lake Okeechobee, will hold more than 78 billion gallons of water -- larger than Manhattan -- and deliver up to 470 billion gallons of clean water annually to the Everglades and Florida Bay. The project also supports the Biscayne Aquifer, South Florida's main source of drinking water.
"Florida reached a historic agreement with the Trump Administration earlier this year to expedite and advance Everglades restoration," DeSantis said. "Today, I was pleased to announce a milestone in Everglades restoration made possible by our cooperation with the federal government. Florida is now breaking ground on the new EAA Inflow Pump Station, an essential component of the EAA Reservoir project."
The governor noted that this marks the 80th milestone event in Everglades restoration since 2019 -- more than any other period in state history.
"The EAA Reservoir is a critical component of Everglades restoration and Governor DeSantis has led the charge on getting this project done," said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert. "With every project we are delivering real results on time, under budget and with strong returns for Florida's taxpayers."
The new pump station will feature nine pumps, making it one of the largest in the state, capable of moving about 3 billion gallons of water per day from Lake Okeechobee into the reservoir.
The EAA Reservoir Project aims to restore the natural flow of water south to the Everglades, reduce harmful discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries, and improve ecosystems across South Florida.
Thursday's groundbreaking follows a landmark July 2025 agreement between Florida and the U.S. Department of the Army that accelerates the project's completion timeline by five years, from 2034 to 2029.
Since 2019, Florida's leadership has completed major projects including the C-44 and C-43 reservoirs, reduced millions of pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus from waterways, and tripled South Florida's water storage capacity to 176 billion gallons.
DeSantis has made Everglades restoration a cornerstone of his administration, committing nearly $8 billion to water quality and restoration efforts since taking office.