Audubon Urges Corps to Accelerate Construction Schedule

In January, Audubon weighed in at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Draft Integrated Delivery Schedule (IDS) workshop — pushing to accelerate construction that will deliver more water where and when it is needed while urging continued progress on the Paradise Run component of the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Plan. The final IDS draft was released in late May.

What is the IDS?

The IDS is a document that guides how and when Everglades restoration projects move from idea to construction. It tracks the timing, sequencing, and success of restoration. At its core, the IDS serves as a shared roadmap between state and federal partners, aligning timelines and funding across the vast network of restoration efforts. It brings all restoration projects together in a coordinated schedule. In doing so, it attempts to answer an important question: Are we restoring the Everglades as quickly and effectively as possible?

The significance of the IDS lies in the interconnected nature of the Everglades system. Restoration is not a collection of isolated projects, but a complex, interdependent effort to reestablish the natural flow of water from the Kissimmee Basin to Florida Bay. The timing of one project can determine the effectiveness of another: storage must come online before harmful discharges can be reduced, conveyance must be in place before water can move south, and more.

What is the Paradise Run Project?

 Paradise Run is a relatively intact stretch of the Kissimmee River’s historic channel and floodplain wetlands near Lake Okeechobee that was excluded from the main restoration project. Water flow to this area is now isolated by the C-38 canal. Restoring it could reconnect about 4,000 acres of riverine habitat and expand the overall success of the Kissimmee River restoration by up to 20%.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2026 State of the Everglades Report.