It's Worth it
From the mural-lined streets of Miami to the shell-strewn beaches of Sanibel Island, from the expanse of Lake Okeechobee to the coral cays of the Florida Keys, South Florida is bound together by water. The Kissimmee River carried rain into Lake Okeechobee for millennia, feeding the Everglades and the coastlines beyond. Yet decades of infrastructure development cut off that natural flow southward, harming Florida’s ecosystem, economy and water supply. Over the past 25 years, federal, state, tribal and local governments have worked to reverse the damage, fighting against the tide of population growth and environmental change. The largest missing piece of the puzzle is now under construction: the EAA Reservoir.
📍The EAA Reservoir site in 2023.
HURRICANES, FIRES AND FLOODS
The Everglades was once a sweeping river of grass that covered most of South Florida, but in the 19th century Floridians began to drain the wetlands for farming. These changes slashed the Everglades to half its original size — and the new infrastructure couldn’t hold up during powerful hurricanes, leading to catastrophic flooding. In response, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Herbert Hoover Dike along the southern edge of Lake Okeechobee. Water that used to flow south was rerouted to the coasts via the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers. More than 70 percent of the Everglades’ natural water flow was lost to the coasts, sparking fires and more devastating floods.
The federal government responded with another round of interventions in the 1940s: establishing The Everglades National Park, designating farmland south of Lake Okeechobee as the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) and building a new system of canals and levees. By 1950, South Florida faced a deepening water management crisis — worsened by the very infrastructure meant to solve it.
📍Damage from the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. Thousands of people drowned in floods when the storm’s surge overwhelmed Lake Okeechobee’s levees.
1928
Catastrophic hurricane and floods kill thousands of people near Lake Okeechobee.
1932
Herbert Hoover Dike constructed to prevent flooding from Lake Okeechobee.
1948
The federal government established The Everglades National Park and the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project.
Infrastructure built in the 1900s disrupted Florida’s natural flow of water, with devastating impacts on communities across the state.
The Current Crisis
Historical water management decisions linger today, threatening Florida’s overall ecosystem, economy and drinking water supply.
The state’s current water management crisis seems simple at first: too much water is sent east and west, and not enough is sent south through the Everglades. But in one of the most complex ecosystems in the world, a “simple” problem has far-reaching consequences. Today, Florida faces three major problems:
Toxic algae blooms. Nutrient-rich water from Lake Okeechobee is currently discharged east and west, causing toxic algae blooms that kill wildlife and cripple coastal economies.
At-risk drinking water supply. Not enough water is sent South through the Everglades and into the Biscayne Aquifer, which supplies drinking water for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. A growing population and rising seas are further stressing the aquifer. A 2021 Florida Department of Environmental Protection report warned that without action the state’s water supply will fail to meet future needs.
Salinity imbalance in Florida Bay. Not enough freshwater flows into Florida Bay, a rich estuary at the southern tip of the state. That freshwater is needed to balance the Bay’s salinity. When salinity levels rise too high, wildlife dies and the fishing industry suffers.
In Florida, water challenges are economic challenges. Florida’s economy and tax revenues are inextricably tied to the natural ecosystem — Miami-Dade’s tourism industry alone contributed $30 billion in economic impact in 2023. Tourism and real estate, both of which rely heavily on water, also play an outsized role in tax revenues.
“South Florida is a hotbed for population growth, and it’s all being supported by an abundant supply of fresh water. And that future is in jeopardy because of the way we currently manage water.”
Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation
“Small and medium-sized companies in the tourism economy are now coming to the table, telling elected officials in Washington and Tallahassee that Everglades Restoration must happen in order to preserve their lifestyles and livelihoods,” Eikenberg continues.
📍Photo 1: Harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee can cause toxic algae blooms, like this 2018 outbreak in the Caloosahatchee River near Labelle, Florida.
📍Photo 2: Noxious algae blooms, including red tide and toxic blue-green algae, can cause respiratory symptoms and kill wildlife. The 2018 outbreak left beaches, like Fort Myers Beach, littered with dead fish.
$180 million
Cost of 2016 toxic algae bloom outbreaks to Florida’s coastal tourism economy.
1 of 3
South Floridians get their drinking water from the Everglades
$1900
Tax burden reduction for an average Floridian because of water-based tourism.
📍Today, polluted water is discharged east and west, while insufficient water flows south through the Everglades.
Water in Reserve
Funded through a $4 billion partnership between state and federal agencies, the massive EAA Reservoir is a major investment in Florida’s clean water future.
In recent decades, policymakers and scientists have recognized that short-term fixes are insufficient. In 2000, state and federal leaders launched the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), a multi-billion-dollar initiative to restore natural water flow south from Lake Okeechobee. Of its 68 planned projects, 33 have been completed, alongside dozens of state-led initiatives. The most ambitious project yet, the EAA Reservoir, began construction in 2021.
Instead of sending polluted, excess Lake Okeechobee water east and west, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will direct water from Lake Okeechobee into the reservoir, where it will be stored until the dry season. Water is then released into the adjacent stormwater treatment area (STA), an artificial wetland that cleans the water before sending it south through the Everglades.
“Lake Okeechobee is the heart of the system. EAA and the reservoirs north, south, east, and west of Lake Okeechobee move excess water during hurricanes and major rain events out of the lake and store it.”
Major Cory Bell, Deputy District Commander for South Florida, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers
The EAA Reservoir, which will look like a massive “above-ground-pool,” can store at least 10 times more water than other reservoirs — enough to lower Lake Okeechobee by a half foot and give Everglades restoration a massive boost. The EAA Reservoir can double the amount of freshwater sent into the Everglades.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the EAA Reservoir build, working with the state’s South Florida Water Management District, Seminole and Miccosukee governments and local communities.
150
Together, the reservoir and STA span 17,000 acres — an area larger than 150 Disney Magic Kingdoms combined.
About this Story
Writing and reporting by Katie L. Burke.
Animations and illustrations by Patrick Gleason.
Photos and videos by The Everglades Foundation, The Composition Collective, Adobe Stock and Getty Images.