LA BELLE –Less than three months after breaking ground, South Florida
water managers celebrated the completion of two 28-acre test cell reservoirs
as part of Florida’s Acceler8 Everglades restoration initiative. The C-43
(Caloosahatchee River) West Storage Reservoir test cells will provide
engineers with valuable data that will guide design and construction of the
$338 million C-43 West Storage Reservoir. When complete, the reservoir will
protect the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary by capturing and storing local stormwater runoff and freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee.
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) project managers and
engineers provided a series of 40-minute guided tours of the test cells
allowing community members to witness the reservoir’s progress. The two test
cells hold approximately 69 acre-feet each of water from the Caloosahatchee
River – the equivalent of approximately 45 Olympic-sized pools – and provide
engineers with critical water quality, embankment and seepage information to
design and build the C-43 Reservoir, which will be located on more than
11,000 acres of former agricultural land known as Berry Groves.
“Completing the important test cell phase is a landmark achievement in
Everglades restoration,” said Florida Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) Secretary Colleen M. Castille. "With more than half of the Acceler8
projects already under way, Florida will realize both the environmental and
social benefits of this monumental plan years ahead of schedule."
Located in Hendry County south of the Caloosahatchee River and west of
the Ortona lock, the C-43 Reservoir will hold approximately 170,000
acre-feet of water – or approximately 79,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools –
averaging 20 feet deep. Scheduled to be operational by 2011, the
above-ground reservoir will comprise a significant portion of the total
water storage requirement for the entire C-43 basin. The reservoir will
capture and store local stormwater runoff and freshwater releases from Lake
Okeechobee, reducing discharges to the coastal estuaries, improving the
health of the ecosystem and revitalizing fish and oyster habitats by
maintaining salinity levels. The project will also provide public access and
recreation opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts.
“The great turnout today for the tours is an indication of the public’s
high level of interest in the restoration,” said SFWMD Governing Board
Member Alice J. Carlson. “The tours also help the public gain a better
understanding of how water storage is critical to getting the water right to
improve the health of our interconnected Everglades water bodies, including
the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary.”
The C-43 (Caloosahatchee River) West Reservoir Project is one of four
Acceler8 projects launched this year. The State started construction on
three treatment wetland expansions in February, the C-44 (St. Lucie River)
Reservoir/Stormwater Treatment Area in March and the Water Preserve
Area/Acme Basin B Discharge Project construction in June.
On August 2, the State will begin construction on the Everglades
Agricultural Area Reservoir, the largest of the three Acceler8 reservoirs,
which will have the capacity to store approximately 62 billion gallons of
water when complete. The reservoir will improve the timing and quality of
water delivered to America’s Everglades.
Announced by Governor Jeb Bush in October 2004, Acceler8 is stepping up
the pace of funding, design and construction to complete eight critical
Everglades restoration projects over seven years. At substantial savings to
taxpayers, the projects will restore 100,000 acres of wetlands, expand water
treatment areas by close to 29,000 acres and provide 418,000 acre-feet of
additional water storage for Everglades restoration a decade ahead of
schedule.
Under the leadership of Governor Bush, Florida has forged ahead to
implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan with an investment
of $1.3 billion and a commitment for an additional $3.2 billion through the
end of the decade to clean up and restore the famed River of Grass.
For more information on Acceler8, visit
www.evergladesnow.org
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