WHAT IS THE
EAA RESERVOIR?
The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir is the only project that will reconnect Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay, thereby allowing clean freshwater to flow south as nature intended
At a combined 17,000 acres, the 10,500-acre EAA Reservoir with its 6,500-acre stormwater treatment area (STA) will be bigger than the island of Manhattan.
WHERE IS THE
EAA RESERVOIR?
The EAA Reservoir is located south of Lake Okeechobee. It is designed to store excess lake water which will be cleaned in the adjacent stormwater treatment area (STA) and then sent south to the Everglades and Florida Bay.
WHY DO WE NEED THE
EAA RESERVOIR?
The reservoir will provide clean freshwater to America’s Everglades in the dry season. The water will also help recharge the aquifer that provides drinking water to millions in South Florida and will help balance the salinity of Florida Bay.
Florida’s east and west coastal estuaries have suffered perennial outbreaks of toxic blue-green algae and red tide fueled by Lake Okeechobee's nutrient-laden water. The reservoir will take that excess water, store it, clean it, and send it south where it belongs.
WHAT IS THE STATUS
OF THE EAA RESERVOIR?
The reservoir is part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, a joint endeavor by the federal government and the State of Florida. The state, which owns the land, has spent $290 million constructing the STA, while the federal government will construct the reservoir at an estimated cost of $3 billion. Continued funding is critical.
The State of Florida estimates that it will complete the STA in late 2023. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to complete construction of the reservoir by 2029.
THE CROWN JEWEL OF
EVERGLADES RESTORATION
The EAA Reservoir has been called “the crown jewel of Everglades restoration,” as it is the most important project to store, clean, and send water south from Lake Okeechobee into the Everglades.
Restoring the Everglades is vital to all Floridians, as our state depends on robust tourism and real estate industries.
EAA RESERVOIR
RESOURCES
NEWS COVERAGE
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THIS WEEK IN SOUTH FLORIDA LOCAL 10 NEWS: GLENNA MILBERG'S INTERVIEW WITH ERIC EIKENBERG
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TO THE POINT WPTV: MICHAEL WILLIAMS INTERVIEW WITH ERIC EIKENBERG
VIDEOS
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EAA RESERVOIR GROUNDBREAKING