Photo By Misty Cunningham | Juan Col. Brandon Bowman, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, Leaders...... read more read more
SOUTH BAY, Fla. (Sept. 25, 2025) —--The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District, celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony for the completion of Contract 10A for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project with its federal, state, and local partners in South Bay, Fla., today.
The milestone ceremony sets an intricate piece of the puzzle that marks a critical milestone for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, a major component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan that reconnects Lake Okeechobee water to the central Everglades.
“It is truly an honor to welcome each of you here today as we celebrate a major milestone in the Central Everglades Planning Project—the completion of Contract 10A within the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir,” said Col. Brandon Bowman, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District Commander. “It may not be the flashiest part of this massive undertaking but make no mistake--- it is essential. It’s the quiet work, the initial effort, that makes the entire reservoir function.”
With the backdrop of a newly constructed 8.3-mile inflow/outflow canal, a seepage canal, and a maintenance road that together provide the essential conveyance, and protection features for the EAA Reservoir that began in 2023, the first piece of the puzzle of the massive 10,500-acre reservoir is set.
“The EAA reservoir is called the ‘Crown Jewel’ of CERP – and rightly so,” said Bowman. “The entire project spans 17,000 acres and represents billions in investment. But more importantly, it represents hope. Hope for restoring the Everglades. Hope for sending water south when Lake Okeechobee rises too high. Hope for improving water quality, timing and distribution across South Florida.”
When complete, the reservoir stores up to 240,000 acre-feet of water — equivalent to more than 118,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools — reducing harmful discharges to coastal estuaries and delivering clean, fresh water south to the Everglades and Florida Bay. The project is massive, spanning approximately 16-square miles, an area equivalent to the cities of Stuart and Fort Myers put together.
More than 17 million cubic yards of earthen material was used to construct an embankment 37 feet tall and will store water 23 feet deep. That translates to a capacity of approximately 240,000 acre-feet of water, or about 5000 spaceship earth balls at Epcot Centers.”
The project will capture, store, treat and release lake water to the central and southern Everglades instead of diverting water or having to send it east and west to the estuaries.
Bowman said beyond their structural importance, these canals serve a vital protective role. They help shield neighboring landowners from elevated water tables when the reservoir is full—a testament to the thoughtful planning behind every phase of the project.
“This isn’t just about infrastructure—it’s about resilience,” said Bowman. “It’s about turning what once seemed impossible into reality. And that reality is being built everyday by the dedicated teams at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and our incredible partners at the South Florida Water Management District.”
Featured speakers included Connor Tomlinson, the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Adam Telle, Dr. Larry McCallister, USACE, South Atlantic Division Programs Director, Adam Blalock, Deputy Secretary, Florida Department Environmental Protection and Drew Bartlett, South Florida Water Management District Executive Director.
McCallister highlighted the scale of the project and accomplishments of the USACE team. He lauded the USACE team, SFWMD, the community, legislators and contractors for their hard work to get to this point.
“This EAA reservoir is massive — over ten-thousand acres, capable of holding 240,000 acre-feet of water and equaling 118,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools,” said McCallister. He paused during his speech, asked Juan Sanchez- Bulted, the Area Engineer and technical lead for the Everglades Agricultural Area office, Jacksonville District, to stand and applaud him with recognition for his leadership and work on the project.
“It will likely be one of the largest above-ground reservoirs in the nation, and it’s only possible because of strong partnerships between the Corps, the South Florida Water Management District, and our contractors,” said McCallister.
The total cost of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) EAA phase is estimated at $3.9 billion, a huge investment in Everglades Restoration.
The EAA Reservoir Project benefits both Florida’s environment and economy. In addition to more clean water for the Everglades, the project is creating jobs and providing a significant boost to the nearby local economies south of Lake Okeechobee.
Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) projects focus on the construction of a large reservoir and stormwater treatment area south of Lake Okeechobee to store excess water, clean polluted water using treatment wetlands, and then send it south to improve the health of the Everglades ecosystem and reduce harmful discharges to coastal estuaries.
Key components include the 240,000-acre-foot EAA reservoir and a 6,500-acre stormwater treatment area (STA), which are central parts of the state-federal Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP).
Work on the STA began in 2020 and is ongoing, with reservoir component construction also progressing. USACE estimates the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir project may be finished by 2029, years earlier than first planned.
On Aug. 22, 2025, the Honorable Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) and Maj. Gen. Jason Kelly, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, visited the Everglades Agricultural Area project.
"The complexity of this huge projects effort requires the best of us and that’s what we have… a team compiled of the best of the United States Army Corps of Engineers working in partnership, in collaboration with the State of Florida, a very capable partner in the South Florida Water Management District and there’s a lot of work yet to be done,” said Kelly. “But I’m confident that we are getting the engineering right, getting the project management right and we’ve got the right team working on this project.”
“Today we mark the completion of Contract 10A and reflect on 25 years of CERP, we recognize that every piece owe finish adds strength, flexibility, and resilience to South Florida,” said Bowman. “Each milestone brings us closer to a restored Everglades and a more sustainable future,”
The EAA project is located 27 miles south of Lake Okeechobee, 45 miles west of West Palm Beach, 75 miles east of Fort Myers and 75 miles northwest of Miami.
For more news, updates and information visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District district’s website at www.saj.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Jacksonvilledistrict, and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JaxStrong.
Everglades Agricultural Area Highlights and Aerials
https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/EAACONTRACT10A
Everglades Foundation
8 Things to Know About the EAA Reservoir
Key Projects and Features
EAA Reservoir: A large reservoir designed to store large volumes of water from Lake Okeechobee.
Stormwater Treatment Area (STA): A 6,500-acre constructed wetland with aquatic vegetation that naturally filters out nutrient pollution from the stored water, cleaning it before it flows south.
Conveyance Improvements: Canals and other infrastructure to move water from Lake Okeechobee to the treatment area and then to the southern Everglades.
Project Goals
Reduce Harmful Discharges: Decrease the volume of damaging freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the coastal estuaries.
Send Clean Water South: Provide clean water to the central Everglades and Everglades National Park, restoring the natural flow of water.
Improve Water Quality: The STA's function is to remove nutrient pollution, which is crucial for the health of the ecosystem.
Key Partners and Legislation
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP): The EAA Reservoir is a key component of this larger state-federal effort.
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD): Responsible for constructing the STA and canal improvements.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE): Building the reservoir component and involved in CEPP.
Florida Senate Bill 10 (2017): Legislation passed by the Florida Legislature to accelerate planning and funding for the EAA Reservoir project.
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.29.2025 15:07 |
| Story ID: | 549596 |
| Location: | SOUTH BAY, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 66 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USACE sets the Pace with Completion of Everglades EAA 10A Project, by Mark Rankin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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