The Picayune Strand Restoration Project in Collier County, Florida, has been completed, marking a milestone in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The project was celebrated by representatives from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and other federal, state, and local partners.
“Today we celebrated a significant step toward protecting Floridians from flood risk and restoring America’s Everglades. It is a great honor to be here as we mark the completion of the Picayune Strand Restoration Project, a cornerstone of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan,” said Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. “Reducing flood risk to Floridians and completing rejuvenation of this natural wonder is a gargantuan challenge, the type that can only be successfully pulled off under the get-it-done leadership of President Trump and his Administration. The amount of time and effort that we are contributing to this project is extraordinary, and the result is a testament to the hard work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, our partners with the State of Florida, and everyone involved in making today a reality.”
“Thanks to the support of Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature and their steadfast commitment to Everglades restoration, we are seeing what is possible when state and federal governments, along with our partners, commit to this work and follow through,” said Alexis A. Lambert, Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. “This project is already improving water quality and wildlife habitat and helping ensure America’s Everglades are stronger for generations to come.”
“Historic Achievement. Monumental Day. Collaboration at its finest! We have worked for decades to get to the finish line of this vital Everglades restoration project,” said Charlette Roman, South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Member and Chair of the Big Cypress Basin. “I am enormously grateful to every single person who worked on this project every step of the way. The momentum we have seen under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis is truly amazing. In recent years, we have seen many large-scale projects come on-line, with more in the works. Only by working together with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and all of our federal, state and local partners and stakeholders can we accomplish these monumental feats of engineering, planning and construction. I am so proud to be a part of the critical effort to restore America’s Everglades and can finally say, we completed the Picayune Strand Restoration Project!”
The Picayune Strand project covers 55,000 acres between Alligator Alley and Tamiami Trail in Southwest Florida. Years of collaboration among USACE, SFWMD, local entities, state agencies like the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, as well as federal partners contributed to its completion.
As part of this restoration effort—aligned with the agency’s mission—260 miles of roads were removed while 48 miles of canals were plugged in order to restore natural water flow across wetlands areas. This has improved water quality regionally.
The restored flows will benefit Collier Seminole State Park as well as Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Environmental benefits include wetland restoration; improved habitats for fish and wildlife such as the Florida Panther; reduced drainage impacts on nearby sensitive ecosystems; better aquifer recharge for underground water supplies; prevention against saltwater intrusion; decreased freshwater releases; and improved health for downstream estuaries.
According to the official website, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection serves as Florida’s lead environmental management agency overseeing regulations related to air quality, water resources—including permitting—and waste management across all regions statewide.
Other recent CERP accomplishments highlighted include completion or groundbreaking on several major projects: Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project in Miami-Dade County; Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir Inflow Pump Station in Palm Beach County; Blue Shanty Flow Way south into Florida Bay; Caloosahatchee Reservoir start-up in Hendry County; plus an agreement between state officials and USACE accelerating construction timelines for key restoration infrastructure.
Since 2019 over 80 restoration projects have reached major milestones through partnerships involving USACE,the DEP, SFWMD,and others dedicated to safeguarding Florida’s air, land,and water resources.
