Governor Ron DeSantis Allocates $150 Million for St. Johns River Basin Filter Marshes and Water Quality

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Shawn Hamilton announced on Monday the distribution of $150 million in state environmental restoration grants to construct 7,200 acres of regional flow-through wetland filtration marshes and upgrade municipal wastewater treatment facilities across the St. Johns River watershed.

The capital investments, managed in coordination with the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), utilize native aquatic vegetation to capture agricultural and urban nutrient runoff before water enters Florida's longest river, mitigating harmful blue-green algal blooms and restoring submerged wild celery grass beds that sustain manatees and gamefish.

Restoring Florida's Most Iconic North-Flowing River System The 310-mile St. Johns River flows north through twelve Florida counties into the Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville, supporting multi-billion-dollar commercial fisheries, recreational boating, and ecotourism. However, nutrient enrichment from legacy septic tanks and agricultural runoff has historically driven recurring summer algae blooms.

"The St. Johns River is an iconic Florida treasure, and our administration is dedicated to restoring its pristine water clarity from its headwaters in the Indian River marsh to its mouth in Jacksonville," Governor DeSantis said along the riverfront in Jacksonville. "This $150 million investment builds expansive engineered treatment wetlands that naturally filter out nitrogen and phosphorus, upgrades local wastewater treatment facilities, and ensures clean water for our manatees, fishermen, and future generations."

Watershed Allocations and Treatment Marsh Construction Key project awards include:

• Lower St. Johns River Wetland Treatment Complex (Duval/Clay): $55 million for a 3,500-acre marsh filtration system near Doctors Lake.
• Upper St. Johns River Basin Agricultural Retention Cells (Brevard/Indian River): $45 million to construct retention reservoirs capturing citrus and cattle runoff.
• Municipal Wastewater Advanced Denitrification Upgrades: $35 million in matching grants for municipal sewer utilities in Volusia, Seminole, and Putnam counties.
• Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Nursery Propagation: $15 million to propagate and plant 500,000 square feet of native tape grass beds.

Environmental advocacy federations, riverkeeper organizations, and marine tourism leaders commended the state investment, highlighting that watershed filter marshes provide natural, permanent water purification.