Governor Ron DeSantis Directs $110 Million for Everglades Stormwater Treatment Reservoirs

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Shawn Hamilton announced on Monday the distribution of $110 million in state environmental restoration funds to construct 6,500 acres of engineered wetland filtration cells within Stormwater Treatment Area 1-East (STA-1E) in Palm Beach County.

The project, managed in partnership with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), utilizes native aquatic vegetation—including submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and emergent cattail marshes—to naturally absorb agricultural phosphorus and nitrogen from runoff before clean freshwater is delivered south into the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and Everglades National Park.

Restoring Clean Historic Sheetflow South to Florida Bay Phosphorus runoff from agricultural and urban development historically fueled toxic cattail blooms that choked native sawgrass prairies and degraded water quality throughout the Everglades ecosystem.

"Restoring America's Everglades is one of the top environmental priorities of our administration," Governor DeSantis said at the S-319 pump station in Palm Beach County. "Since 2019, we have invested over $5 billion in historic Everglades restoration and water quality projects. This $110 million expansion of our Stormwater Treatment Areas ensures that billions of gallons of clean freshwater flow south every year to restore our sawgrass marshes, protect Florida Bay, and recharge the Biscayne Aquifer that supplies drinking water to 9 million South Florida residents."

Engineering Specifications and Water Purification Capacity The $110 million capital package funds:

• 6,500-Acre Marsh Cell Earthmoving: Constructing 22 miles of perimeter containment levees and internal water control culverts.
• Automated Inflow Siphon Structures: Installing automated radial gate weirs to regulate optimal water depth for aquatic phosphorus uptake.
• 10 Parts-Per-Billion Compliance: Engineered to ensure treated water meets strict statutory water quality benchmarks of 10 parts per billion total phosphorus before discharge into conservation areas.

Environmental advocacy groups, commercial fishing captains, and water resource engineers commended the investment, highlighting that clean freshwater sheetflow protects coastal estuaries from toxic blue-green algae blooms.