By Christine Sexton, Florida Phoenix
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday marked a major milestone in state’s Everglades restoration efforts — completion of a reservoir designed to hold billions of gallons of water with the goal of preventing recurrences of the toxic algae blooms that have befouled rivers in Florida.
The event, however, came as his administration continues to get hammered by environmentalists for its immigration detention center in the Everglades, which has triggered an ever-widening legal battle over “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The Caloosahatchee River reservoir, dubbed C43, can hold approximately 55 billion gallons of water with a maximum depth ranging from 15 feet to 25 feet. The reservoir captures and stores offloads from Lake Okeechobee if the water gets too high during the wet season and will provide essential water flows to the river during the dry season. The idea is to improve the health of the river and its estuary.
The four large pumps can move more than 650,000 gallons of water per minute from the Caloosahatchee River into the reservoir.
“We understand that the Everglades is home to a lot of great species, that it provides fresh water to Florida Bay, as well as clean drinking water for more than 8 million Floridians, and it supplies irrigation for the state’s agriculture. So this was something that had been neglected for too long. We needed to take the bull by the horns, and we needed to get it done,” DeSantis said during a press conference at the site.
The event came just days after the administration opened a quickly built detention center deep in the heart of the Everglades at the site of a training airport. Democrats have decried conditions at the center and environmentalists warn the facility — which at last count held nearly a 1,000 detainees — threatens harm to the “River of Grass.”
Lawsuit
Several groups filed a federal lawsuit and, late Monday evening, the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida asked to intervene in the case. The tribe is concerned about the potential for harm to the Everglades, noting that there are 10 tribal villages located within a three-mile radius of the site.
The court filing argues that tribal members have routinely used land at and near the center for hunting and fishing as well as traditional ceremonies. They also fear a security risk.
The court filing insists environmental studies are needed to understand the potential harm from the center, which eventually could hold as many as 3,000 detainees.
DeSantis, however, has contended that the center — toured by President Donald Trump earlier this month — will have “zero” environmental impact and will not undo the ongoing efforts to restore the Everglades.
The governor mentioned the billions of dollars Florida has spent since he became governor to help the Everglades and prevent pollution.
Blooms of toxin-producing algae caused a death of wildlife and wreaked economic damage on the coastal communities that rely on the water for their economic activity. The glow of the blue-green algae made national headlines in 2018 and helped inform the gubernatorial debate that year. While on the stump, then-candidate DeSantis vowed to clean up the environmental mess and immediately issued an executive order after taking office in 2019 that included expediting the C43 reservoir.
He also appointed a task force to recommend solutions but never acted on its report.
Delays
The project was completed by the South Florida Water Management District after years of questions and delays including the state firing its contactor. Environmental groups questioned the project because it lacked a water quality treatment facet and said algae could grow in the reservoir.
DeSantis was joined at the press conference by Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert and Senate President Ben Albritton, who praised the governor for his work on expediting the dam.
“We are one step closer to being able to provide the protection for our coastal communities, making sure that our fisheries remain healthy and bountiful for those that make their living in and around the water in these communities, and it is meaningful for the future of Florida,” Albritton said, adding that the Senate “will be heavily and heartily fighting for Everglades restoration.”
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Banner photo: A 2018 algae outbreak in Stuart, where Lake Okeechobee water is discharged (Photo by John Moran).
Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here. To support The Invading Sea, click here to make a donation. If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece to The Invading Sea, email Editor Nathan Crabbe at ncrabbe@fau.edu. To learn more about harmful algal blooms, watch the video below.
