This Friday, October 23rd, marks eight years since the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir was signed into law. I wrote the language that authorized it. Shortly after I was sworn in, I made a promise on the floor of the House that fixing our water would be my top priority, and I haven’t let up since.
How does the reservoir work? In three steps: first it takes in excess water from Lake Okeechobee, water that would otherwise be dumped into the St. Lucie River and our saltwater estuaries. Second, a 6,500-acre stormwater treatment area (STA) strips out the pollution and toxins. Third, the reservoir sends that clean water south to the Everglades and Florida Bay, where it belongs.
And this project is massive. Together, the reservoir and treatment area cover about 17,000 acres. You could fit the island of Manhattan inside that footprint.
Why is this important? Less water sent toward our communities means less fuel for toxic blue-green algae and red tide. Those are the same outbreaks that closed our beaches, hurt our fisheries, and cost South Florida’s economy $2.7 billion after our “lost summer” in 2018.
Now, the EAA Reservoir is five years ahead of schedule. The finish line is in sight. I’ll keep fighting until we have zero discharges into our estuaries.
