Originally published by Chad Gillis in the News-Press on April 23, 2025
An Everglades restoration project that’s been in planning stages for decades will finally be completed this year, likely within a few weeks, Gov. Ron DeSantis said April 22 in Naples.
The Caloosahatchee River reservoir has long been touted as one way to improve the health of the ailing river, which acts as a flood plain at times for Lake Okeechobee.
…
Calusa Waterkeeper Emeritus John Cassani said he was skeptical that the reservoir would be used at its full capacity this summer.
“In the early 2000s we were asking for a reservation of existing water to ensure flows to the Caloosahatchee River,” Cassani said. “I was at a meeting in 2010, and they announced that it would be ready in 2012. And they kept kicking the can down the road every few years. That’s 13 years since the first time they said it would be ready.”
…
Several problems have plagued the $500 million project.
A test in the mid-2000s shows that one area of the reservoir developed blue-green algae after river water was pumped into the facility.
And less than two years ago the state fired the contractor for the project due to delays.
“Along the way, the river and the estuary have become verified impaired for nutrients,” Cassani said. “I think the district may release water that doesn’t meet state water quality standards.”
Cassani said the water released from the reservoir will need to meet standards under the Clean Water Act.
“There’s a testing phase once it’s filled with water and then there’s the functional operational range, which was planned for a year or two later,” he said. “So, I don’t think they’ve started putting water in that reservoir.”