Miami, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today broke ground on the southern component of the Central Everglades Planning Project, also known as CEPP South. Once completed, the project will reduce discharges to the northern estuaries, including the St. Lucie, by moving additional water south into the Everglades. Rep. Mast has been a strong supporter of CEPP South and helped increase funding for this project, as well as the entire suite of Everglades restoration projects.

“This additional infrastructure is critical to moving more water south during the dry season, which in turn helps prevent toxic discharges into our community,” Rep. Mast said. “Combined with operational change, infrastructure like this and the EAA reservoir are poised to make a substantial difference to protect public health in communities across Florida by putting an end to toxic discharges.”

The Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) is part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). CEPP is cost-shared between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District. The project is designed to send an additional annual average of approximately 370,000 acre-feet of new water south to the Everglades. Specifically, the CEPP South components include the construction of a pump station, the installation of culverts and spillways and the removal of a roadway and levees that will move water from Water Conservation Area 3A to Everglades National Park. Combined with operational change, these projects will free up additional capacity in Lake Okeechobee, which in turn reduces harmful discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries.

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