Business Leaders Get Firsthand Look at the EAA Reservoir Construction

2 hours ago
3 min read

March 11, 2026

Group of people in casual attire and hard hats stand on a dirt path under a blue sky with clouds, in the construction site for the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir.

Last week, The Everglades Foundation convened an extraordinary group of business and community leaders from across South Florida for a behind-the-scenes tour of the construction site of the EAA Reservoir—the crown jewel of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).

A total of 26 participants representing seven counties—Monroe, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin—joined the tour. The group included representatives from four Chambers of Commerce—Islamorada, Key Largo, ChamberSouth, and Fort Myers Beach—as well as industry leaders from hospitality, restaurants, tourism, arts, healthcare, construction and development, multimedia, and waste management.

Guided by engineers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, participants experienced firsthand the remarkable complexity, innovation, and sheer scale of the engineering and construction behind the project. The group toured key sections of the 11A project area, which includes approximately 15.3 miles of foundation supporting a 17.3-mile embankment dam.

For many attendees, seeing the project in person brought a new appreciation for its size and significance.

“I thought I had a good understanding of the EAA Reservoir and the STAs (stormwater treatment areas), but today I learned just the breadth and scope of this project, and it is amazing,” said Bob Beville, Chairman of the Board of the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce. “It is mind-boggling to think that it is going to be done in just over four years. I am so looking forward to this project being completed and seeing the benefits throughout South Florida.”

Katie Creek, Chair of the Florida Keys Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, said the tour helped her better understand how the project will benefit coastal communities.

“I learned about how many pieces of the puzzle it takes to put this huge project together and the importance of being able to have this clean water sent down south to our communities in the Florida Keys,” Creek said. “The size of this project is massive. Seeing it on a map is one thing, but being out here and seeing the vastness of this project is really impressive.”

Rob Stober, President of the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce, echoed that sentiment. “The massive scope of this project is impressive,” Stober said. “It is 26 square miles of water reservoir, which will be super important to Islamorada as the water flows down to Florida Bay, but also to Florida as a whole.”

The EAA Reservoir, which was recently accelerated for completion by 2029, will be one of the largest water storage projects ever built for Everglades restoration. Located in the Everglades Agricultural Area south of Lake Okeechobee, the reservoir will store and clean billions of gallons of water that would otherwise be discharged to the coasts.

Once completed, it will capture, store, and send cleaner water south into the Everglades and Florida Bay, helping restore the natural flow of water through the ecosystem. This project will reduce harmful discharges to the St. Lucie River and Caloosahatchee River, improve water quality, protect coastal estuaries, and help ensure a more reliable water supply for communities across South Florida.

Beyond its environmental benefits, the project supports the region’s economy. America’s Everglades is a $1 trillion natural asset that generates approximately $31 billion in economic benefits annually through tourism, outdoor recreation, fishing, real estate, and other industries that depend on clean water and healthy ecosystems.

“The business community plays a critical role in the future of Everglades restoration,” said Keely Weyker, Director of Engagement at The Everglades Foundation, who organized the tour. “When leaders from across industries see the scale and progress of the EAA Reservoir firsthand, they understand how vital this project is—not just for the environment, but for our communities, our economy, and the long-term resilience of South Florida.”

The strong cross-sector participation reflected a shared sense of momentum and a growing understanding that the benefits of the EAA Reservoir will extend far beyond the construction site. From the Florida Keys to the Gulf Coast, cleaner water and a healthier Everglades will support the people, businesses, and ecosystems that make South Florida unique—for generations to come.

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