Governor DeSantis signs deal to speed up Florida Everglades restoration projects

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an agreement on Friday with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to speed up Florida Everglades restoration projects, including completion of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir.

The governor's announcement came at a news conference in Marco Island on Friday.

Pictured: Gov. Ron DeSantis in Marco Island on July 18, 2025.

What is the EAA Reservoir?

The backstory:

According to the South Florida Water Management District, the project includes a treatment wetland that will clean water and a reservoir that will store excess water from Lake Okeechobee.

The reservoir is designed to "send clean water south while reducing damaging discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the east and west coasts."

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Dig deeper:

Under the new agreement, projects will be completed by the State of Florida on behalf of the Army Corps of Engineers using allocated federal funds.

What they're saying:

DeSantis says the plan will allow for completion of the project by 2029 instead of 2034.

"We've had so many people throughout this state who have worked hard on this," DeSantis said. "The progress and the results have been fantastic."

Pictured: Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a news conference in Marco Island on July 18, 2025.