FORT DENAUD, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference on Tuesday morning to mark the completion of a dam in the Everglades.
During the news conference in Fort Denaud, DeSantis said the new Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir is capable of storing nearly 55 billion gallons of water and it can capture excess runoff from Lake Okeechobee and the surrounding watershed during the rainy season, but also released “strategically: during the dry season in Southwest Florida.
“This is a really significant achievement, one of the most significant projects that’s ever been done in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “By investing in restoration and smart infrastructure, we are securing stronger, more resilient Florida.”
According to Drew Bartlett, executive director of the South Florida Water Management District, said this dam is the second largest in America, only behind the Herbert Hoover dam.
The governor also highlighted the state’s investment of nearly $8 billion for water infrastructure since 2019, including $4.6 billion in the second term, and the completion or groundbreaking of over 75 projects.
“Water is flowing south to the Everglades like never before in modern history, and you’re seeing it in the salinity levels in Florida Bay. You’re also seeing it in a recharge aquifer. So all that is really good,” DeSantis said.