HENDRY COUNTY, Fla. - Today, the South Florida Water Management District (District) along with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, Seminole Tribe of Florida, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and many other local, state and federal officials, celebrated the completion of construction on the C-139 Flow Equalization Basin Project, which means that the construction phase of the Everglades Restoration Strategies Project is complete.
Restoration Strategies was inked in 2012 after the State of Florida and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached a consensus on new strategies for restoring water quality in America’s Everglades. Under these strategies, the District and the State of Florida funded a regional water quality plan to expand water treatment and storage projects for the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.
Restoration Strategies includes 13 projects, more than 6,000 acres of constructed wetlands and over 115,000 acre-feet of water storage. The storage areas capture runoff during storm events and provide a steadier flow of water to the stormwater treatment areas (STAs), helping to maintain the plants and improve the treatment performance of the STAs.
“The Seminole Tribe of Florida appreciates the relationship it has developed with the South Florida Water Management District while on the journey to restore the Everglades,” said Tina Osceola, Acting Executive Director of Operations of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. "It is through earnest and robust communication, consultation, and a shared goal that we stand together as another project reaches its completion.”
“Today we celebrate over 30 years of progress made in removing nutrients that are harmful to America’s Everglades," said Jeaneanne Gettle, Environmental Protection Agency Acting Regional Administrator. “This has been made possible by agriculture, Florida, the federal government, and the public all working together for a common goal – clean water. While we know we still have work to do to meet our ultimate water quality goals, the progress made is truly remarkable. Looking ahead, the Environmental Protection Agency is committed to continued collaboration with all of our partners to ensure the delivery of clean water to the Everglades for years and decades to come.”
The C-139 Flow Equalization Basin Project is an 11,000 acre-foot shallow reservoir, that stores local basin runoff from the C-139 Basin and controls the flow of water to the adjacent Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) 5/6. This project helps to improve the performance of STA 5/6, removing nutrients from stormwater and improving the quality of water before it flows south to the Everglades.
Florida continues to demonstrate progress on several key priority projects including the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project, the Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir Project and the North of Lake Okeechobee Storage Reservoir (LOCAR).
Pictured from L-R: Ben Butler, SFWMD Governing Board Member; Edward Ornstein, Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; Tina Osceola, Acting Executive Director of Operations of the Seminole Tribe of Florida; “Alligator Ron" Bergeron, SFWMD Governing Board Member; Jeaneanne Gettle, Environmental Protection Agency Acting Regional Administrator; Charlette Roman, SFWMD Governing Board Member; Drew Bartlett, SFWMD Executive Director; Chauncey Goss, SFWMD Governing Board Chairman; Sen. Jonathan Martin; Karson Turner, Hendry County Commissioner; Adam Blalock, DEP Deputy Secretary.
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