Army Corps unveils new canal to boost Everglades restoration
- WPBF News
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
WPBF News, September 24, 2025
SOUTH BAY, Fla. — A major step toward restoring the health of the Everglades was celebrated today as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers showcased a new canal designed to move massive amounts of water from Lake Okeechobee south.
Officials cut the ribbon on the canal Tuesday morning, marking a key milestone in the decades-long effort to restore the natural flow of water across South Florida. The canal will connect Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir, allowing lake water to be stored, filtered and eventually sent south to the Everglades.
“This is an incredible amount of work, billions of dollars and tens of thousands of man-hours of investment to deliver this,” said Col. Brandon Bowman with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “It’s a massive undertaking. It’s generational at this point. We still have a lot of work ahead of us. This is just one piece in the amazing puzzle of Everglades restoration.”
The reservoir itself will stand about 37 feet high and stretch more than 200 feet across at its base. Once complete, it will help capture and clean water from Lake Okeechobee before it flows south, reducing the need for harmful discharges to the east and west coasts that can trigger toxic blue-green algae blooms.
“That polluted water from the lake is oftentimes dumped east and west, where it’s not wanted, where it fuels toxic blue-green algae,” said Steve Davis, chief scientist for the Everglades Foundation. “Sending it south, storing it, cleaning it and flowing it to the Everglades benefits all of us.”
Watch the full WPBF News interview and read their article here: https://www.wpbf.com/article/army-corps-unveils-new-canal-to-boost-everglades-restoration/68022704
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