Faster Timeline for the EAA Reservoir

Thanks to a new agreement between the State of Florida and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps), construction of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir is slated to be complete in 2029 instead of 2034.

Under the new agreement, the State, through the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), will assume leadership over key project components, such as the inflow/outflow pump stations, auxiliary structures, and the Blue Shanty flow way, while the Corps focuses on the reservoir’s core basin work. This rebalancing of roles is explicitly designed to speed up permitting, reduce federal bottlenecks, and compress the project timeline by a full five years.

Because these peripheral systems (pump stations, inflow/outflow works, flow ways) often create regulatory or engineering delays, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)’s shift of those responsibilities to state agencies is intended to streamline coordination and reduce costly pauses.

This marks a big shift in Everglades restoration strategy. Granting the state more authority, while maintaining rigorous environmental safeguards, offers a path to speed up years of incremental progress. Yet, the promise of faster delivery can only succeed if implementation is transparent, science-based, and accountable. Audubon will insist that water quality standards, salinity controls, and ecosystem flow targets for the greater Everglades system are never sacrificed for speed. We will also work to ensure other conveyances and components maintain this speed to prevent bottlenecks, especially in the southern part of the system.

However, questions remain. Will long-term funding, contracting oversight, and public scrutiny keep pace? Audubon Florida plans to remain vigilant, urging regular public updates and adaptive management. If this MOU yields on-time, on-budget results that restore water connectivity southward, it could stand as a bold model — not just for the Everglades, but for large-scale ecosystem restoration nationwide and beyond. Still, keeping this pace of funding will be a challenge for those like us who lobby and advocate for it.

This article original appeared in the Fall 2025 State of the Everglades report. Read the full report here.