Progress Continues on EAA Reservoir with Completion of First Major Federal Contract

September 23, 2025

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers marked the completion of the first major federal contract for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, underscoring the continued momentum to complete this center piece project of Everglades restoration. 

Once operational, the EAA Reservoir project, will reduce damaging discharges to the coasts and deliver billions of gallons of clean freshwater southward, reviving the River of Grass and strengthening the resilience of South Florida’s environment and economy. The Everglades is estimated to be a $1 trillion asset to Florida’s economy and restoration of this ecosystem provides a 4:1 return on investment benefit.  

The completed contract, known as EAA Contract 10A, includes a 7-mile inflow/outflow canal (3,000 cubic feet per second) and a 7-mile seepage canal with an accompanying maintenance road along the northern boundary of the reservoir. These features will be essential to delivering water into and out of the reservoir and providing needed seepage capacity once the project is operational. 

“With today’s ribbon cutting, we are seeing the vision of the EAA Reservoir take shape,” said Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation.  

“This marks a major milestone towards completing the most important Everglades restoration project. Once completed, the EAA Reservoir will provide the capacity to store, treat, and move clean freshwater south—protecting our coastal estuaries, ensuring reliable water supplies, and restoring the heart of America’s Everglades. Thanks to the leadership of our federal and state partners, and the MOU committing both to a 2029 completion, this project is firmly on track.” 

Two additional federal contracts are currently underway for the reservoir’s foundation and embankment, while the State of Florida has also completed the adjacent A-2 stormwater treatment area (A-2 STA), which will clean water it receives from the reservoir. Together, these components represent the backbone of the project that will send clean water south to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay while reducing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries.

Earlier this year, the state of Florida and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expedite completion of the EAA Reservoir and its components by 2029—a major acceleration from the original schedule and a reflection of the urgency to restore the Everglades and protect Florida’s water resources. 

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