WET Expands to Southwest Florida

Good news! Based on the WET’s demonstrated utility in identifying priority locations in the Central Florida Water Initiative and Lake Okeechobee watershed, Audubon is excited to announce the expansion of the tool into the southwest region of Florida. Like other regions of the state, Southwest Florida faces increasing development pressure and needs ways to more effectively manage stormwater in an increasingly constricted landscape.

Historically, Florida’s wetlands, floodplains, and soils were expansive enough to buffer dry periods. But development has replaced many of these systems with roads, pavement, and drainage infrastructure designed to move water off the landscape quickly. This reduces our ability to retain water during wet periods and carry it into dry periods, making drought impacts more immediate and severe. Furthermore, pulse rapid water releases through drainage infrastructure (like culverts) can cause severe environmental damage by abruptly altering salinity levels, introducing high nutrient loads, and triggering harmful blue-green algae blooms.

With increased coastal flooding events coupled with more extreme wildfires, the identification of areas in Southwest Florida for storing water on the landscape becomes increasingly urgent, particularly given the estimated loss of over 30,000 acres of wetlands in Collier and Lee counties since 1996. By expanding the WET into this region, Audubon will be able to better assist local governments, water management districts, and landowners in pinpointing opportunities for surface water storage, wetland restoration, and aquifer recharge. Furthermore, expansion of the WET here will play a critical role in the development of the Corkscrew Watershed Initiative restoration plan by ensuring that the substantial restoration investment is spent on projects that will deliver the greatest benefits to the watershed, including Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

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