Official Statement on Water Restrictions due to Drought Conditions

February 13, 2026

Statement by The Everglades Foundation Chief Policy Officer Shannon Estenoz and Chief Science Officer Dr. Stephen Davis.

Yesterday, the South Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board took action regarding looming water restrictions due to regional drought conditions. It is very early in the dry season for our communities to be wrestling with water shortages. Just last year we were dumping water out to the coasts due to inadequate storage in the Everglades. 

These circumstances remind us that Everglades restoration is paramount to securing the public’s use of and access to clean freshwater. The storage and treatment of water in the Everglades is essential to Florida’s environmental and economic health.  

The EAA reservoir is the centerpiece of restoring the flow of clean freshwater south to the Everglades and Florida Bay. It is a desperately needed tool to protect the Everglades while managing water for communities.  

Fortunately, the construction of the EAA Reservoir has been recently expedited for completion in 2029. It is critical that the Reservoir and all components of the Central Everglades Project are completed as soon as possible to aid us in avoiding the extremes of water shortages.