Florida Water Management Districts Allocate $45M for Everglades Agricultural Runoff Mitigation

TALLAHASSEE, FL — The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and Governor Ron DeSantis announced a $45-million infrastructure grant on Saturday afternoon to upgrade massive stormwater treatment areas (STAs) south of Lake Okeechobee.

Phosphorus Filtration and Stormwater Mechanics

The capital allocation funds the expansion of artificial wetland cells engineered with emergent vegetation that naturally extracts agricultural phosphorus and nitrogen from canal runoff before water enters Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. The upgrades include automated telemetry gates and pump station electrification to manage heavy tropical storm discharges.

Water quality monitoring data indicates that the upgraded STA cells will reduce average discharge phosphorus concentrations to below the statutory target of 10 parts per billion (ppb), fulfilling long-standing court-mandated restoration consent decrees.

Ecological and Coastal Resilience

By increasing southern water treatment capacity, the project allows water managers to minimize harmful discharges of polluted lake water east into the St. Lucie Estuary and west into the Caloosahatchee River, significantly reducing the frequency of toxic blue-green algae blooms that harm coastal tourism and fisheries.

Conservation groups, including the Everglades Foundation and Audubon Florida, praised the investment while calling for continued state oversight of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) across sugarcane and citrus acreage.

Construction Timelines

Engineering procurement for the Phase 3 wetland expansion in Palm Beach County will conclude in October, with earthmoving operations scheduled to begin in December 2026.