Everyone said it was dead on arrival and that it would never happen. When they dismissed us altogether, we kept fighting—and for good reason. Today, we prove them wrong because after ten years of fighting, the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir is not just under construction, it’s ahead of schedule. 

I was proud to stand at the construction site today, with public officials from across our state and the federal government to mark the real, measurable progress on the EAA Reservoir. This project will store over 78 billion gallons of water and send the clean water south to the Everglades—where it belongs. 

Here’s where things stand now: 

The 2025 memorandum of understanding (MOU) moved the project completion from 2034 to 2029. Five years ahead of schedule. We broke ground on the Blue Shanty Flow Way back in September. The new inflow pump station, with its nine new pumps capable of moving three billion gallons daily, broke ground in November. After years of advocacy, we’re seeing support across every level of government: in President Trump’s FY27 Budget proposal, he’s requesting a historic $446 million for Everglades Restoration. This is the largest ever—and echoes my request for $725 million during the Congressional appropriations process. 

We know the fight continues. The toxic releases haven’t stopped, but the reservoir is a major step, and we’re putting in the work to get to our goal: zero discharges. 

I’ll keep fighting.