Groundbreaking Celebration of Blue Shanty Flow-way Project

September 12, 2025

Three South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) shovels stand in the sand at the Blue Shanty Flow-way Project groundbreaking event. Photo by The Everglades Foundation.

The Everglades Foundation joined the South Florida Water Management District and partners to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Blue Shanty Flow-way Project, a critical component of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP-South) that will reconnect the flow of clean freshwater from Lake Okeechobee through Water Conservation Areas 3A and 3B into Everglades National Park. 

How will the Blue Shanty Flow-way help restore the Everglades?

The Blue Shanty Flow-way will restore natural sheet flow through the southern Everglades by removing barriers and improving conveyance, allowing clean water to move south where it is needed most. Together with the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, the project will help deliver much needed freshwater to the ecosystems in Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. 

“This groundbreaking marks another major milestone in the historic restoration of America’s Everglades,” said Dr. Steve Davis, Chief Science Officer at The Everglades Foundation.  

“The Blue Shanty Flow-way will allow us to decompartmentalize the Central Everglades, ensuring that clean freshwater can once again flow freely through the River of Grass down to Florida Bay. This project not only supports the health of the Everglades but also protects our coastal estuaries and strengthens the resilience of South Florida’s environment for generations to come.” 

Aerial view of the Blue Shanty Flow-way. Photo by The Everglades Foundation.

The project involves construction of a new flow-way through western Water Conservation Area 3B that will convey freshwater directly under the western Tamiami Trail bridges and into Shark River Slough. These modifications will restore more natural freshwater flows into Everglades National Park, benefitting a variety of freshwater and estuarine habitats, ranging from tree islands, sawgrass marshes, sloughs, cypress forests, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows. 

State and Federal Agencies Partner to Expedite Restoration

The Everglades Foundation commends the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for their leadership and partnership in advancing this project, as well as the bipartisan support of elected officials who continue to champion restoration efforts. 

“As we celebrate today’s groundbreaking, we look forward to working alongside federal, state, and local partners to ensure that CEPP components like Blue Shanty stay on track for expedited completion by 2029,” Davis added. 

The Blue Shanty Flow-way is one of the many projects under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), the largest ecosystem restoration effort in the world. 

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