FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 12, 2024

Sending more clean water south remains a top priority for the South Florida Water Management District (District). Today, the District’s Governing Board unanimously approved two projects to expedite progress to send more clean water south.

The District will take over construction of a critical feature of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) South at the request of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This feature is known as the S-355 West structure, and it paves the way for the Blue Shanty Flow way, which will help restore the balance of water flows between the Central Everglades, Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. The District will be able to begin construction of this project in 2025 and have the project completed earlier than currently planned.

In addition, to mitigate for Everglades restoration delays associated with management of the critically endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, the District is supporting an interagency effort to implement a conservation breeding program to help with the recovery of this species, while we continue to expedite Everglades restoration.

The pilot project by the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida entails building enclosures and other necessary structures for the propagation and continued managed care of the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow for reintroduction and wild population augmentation.

“Governor DeSantis charged us with the task of expediting Everglades restoration projects, and this is another key step forward,” said Chauncey Goss, Chairman of the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board. “Thanks to the Governor’s strong leadership, a suite of Everglades restoration projects are underway in South Florida to allow more water to be directed south to the Central Everglades into Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. We are expediting these projects and continue to take actions that will restore the natural flow of water south.”

"We are fortunate to have a strong partnership with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). The unwavering support of our partners and stakeholders during our annual, public process to update the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Program’s Integrated Delivery Schedule, allowed us to highlight opportunities to expedite construction of essential features that reconnect the central and southern Everglades," said Col. Brandon Bowman, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District. "We applaud SFWMD for taking the lead to construct the Central Everglades Planning Project - South, S-355 West structure, a key feature of the Blue Shanty Flow-way.  We are encouraged by our partner’s actions to protect endangered species in the Everglades ecosystem like the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow."

“Thanks to Governor DeSantis’s leadership, DEP and the South Florida Water Management District are making great strides in advancing critical Everglades restoration projects,” said Alexis A. Lambert, Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.  “We’ve heard the message loud and clear – Floridians expect us to use every tool in our toolbox to expedite progress. With today’s approval of two key projects by the District’s Governing Board, we are taking significant steps to send more clean water south, delivering lasting benefits to the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.”

“The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida sees annual catastrophic flooding on Tribal lands, submerging tree islands, eroding away our traditional lands, and devastating our local species. We are excited to see the South Florida Water Management District expediting the construction of the S-355W feature, which will help to improve drainage of Tribal lands,” said Talbert Cypress, Chairman of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. “We are similarly hopeful that the District’s commitment of funds for the endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow’s management will ensure that the Tribe and this important species are no longer pitted against one another by federal decision makers in Everglades restoration and management. We look forward to the more wholistic restoration of the Central Everglades, from Tribal tree islands to the wading bird habitat surrounding them, and from Shark River Slough in the east to Lostman’s Slough in the west.”

“We are excited that the South Florida Water Management District continues to find ways to accelerate Everglades restoration,” said Roger Young, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Director. “The S-355W gated spillway is a critical structure to balance water flows between the Wildlife Management Areas, Everglades National Park, and Florida Bay.  Additionally, the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Captive Breeding and Release Pilot Program, in partnership with the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida, is a positive step for the long-term conservation of this species and Everglades restoration.”

“The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida is excited to partner with the South Florida Water Management District and other agencies to ensure a bright future for the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow,” said Andrew Walker, President & CEO of the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida. “The plans being implemented now will hasten restoration of the Everglades hydrology while ensuring the Everglades’ unique and diverse wildlife can thrive.”

"Audubon cheers South Florida Water Management District seed funding to jumpstart conservation breeding for the critically endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow,” said Julie Wraithmell, Executive Director of Audubon Florida. “Saving this species from the brink will be a race against time - but today there is a brighter outlook thanks to SFWMD's principled investment. Audubon also applauds the District for taking the lead on the S-355W gated spillway, which will relieve high water in WCA 3A faster and improve water conveyance south to Everglades National Park. Kudos to SFWMD for their initiative - the world's largest ecosystem restoration depends on this kind of teamwork."

“Everglades restoration must remain a nimble coordination of the federal-state partnership to effectively restore America’s Everglades. The S-355W gated spillway is a critical piece of infrastructure needed to maintain appropriate water levels just north of Everglades National Park. This structure, along with the completed EAA Reservoir project, will maximize CEPP benefits by enhancing flow through the Blue Shanty Flow way and into Everglades National Park,” said Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation. “There are other challenges to environmental recovery that transcend restoration’s infrastructure objectives. Sea level rise presents a long-term problem for Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow habitat. The Everglades Foundation supports the conservation breeding program, which has previously demonstrated success with the Florida grasshopper sparrow. We appreciate the South Florida Water Management District’s continued commitment to restoring America’s Everglades.”

The State of Florida continues to be at the forefront of America’s ecosystem restoration efforts and continues to demonstrate historic 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).

Since 2019, the District has celebrated more than 70 ribbon cuttings, ground breakings, and major milestones on Everglades restoration projects across Central and Southern Florida.

Media Resources

Sending More Clean Water South Video

Media Contact:  Randy Smith |  rrsmith@sfwmd.gov   |  Office: 561-682-6197  |  Cell: 561-389-3386

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