A major win for Everglades restoration was announced on March 28, 2025, bringing good news for Southwest Florida’s environment, economy, and future. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, allowing the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project to move forward without interference from the sugar industry. This decision ensures that clean water will flow south, helping restore the Everglades and protect coastal communities from harmful discharges.
For decades, our region has suffered from toxic algae outbreaks fueled by polluted water releases from Lake Okeechobee. These discharges, full of excess nutrients, have led to blue-green algae blooms in the Caloosahatchee River and devastating red tide events along the Gulf Coast. Local businesses, from fishing charters to waterfront restaurants, have felt the economic impact as tourists and residents avoid affected waters.
The EAA Reservoir is a game changer. Once completed, this massive project—covering 17,000 acres—will store excess lake water, clean it in a stormwater treatment area, and send it south to the Everglades instead of dumping it into our estuaries. This means fewer harmful algae blooms, healthier ecosystems, and a boost to industries that rely on clean water, like fishing and tourism.
The sugar industry, led by Okeelanta Corporation and United States Sugar Corporation, challenged the project, arguing that the Army Corps should be required to replace all water supply reductions caused by changes to Lake Okeechobee’s regulation schedule. However, the court rejected this claim, ruling that the water supply protections in the law apply only to Everglades restoration projects—not unrelated operational changes. Had the sugar industry won, the reservoir’s purpose could have been altered to prioritize agricultural water supply over environmental restoration, resulting in less clean water for the Everglades and more polluted discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers.
“This decision ensures that the EAA Reservoir will do what it was meant to do—restore water flows to the Everglades and protect Florida’s coastal communities,” said environmental advocates celebrating the ruling.
With this legal hurdle cleared, the EAA Reservoir Project can move forward as planned. The stormwater treatment area has already been completed, and the Army Corps aims to finish the reservoir by 2034. While that may seem far off, progress is happening, and this ruling secures the project’s future.
For Southwest Florida residents, this is a victory worth celebrating. It means our waters will be cleaner, our fisheries will thrive, and our coastal communities will be better protected from toxic discharges. As more restoration projects move forward, we can look forward to a healthier Everglades and a stronger, more resilient Southwest Florida. This win shows that our voices matter in protecting the place we call home.
