Florida: Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Completion of the C-23 Canal Estuary Project to Reduce Harmful Discharges into the Indian River Lagoon

Today's completion comes a decade after the 2016  "Lost Summer" which plagued the environment and economy of the region with harmful algal bloom discharges

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla.— Today, Governor Ron DeSantis joined the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District to officially celebrate the completion of the C-23 Canal Estuary Discharge Diversion Project, which recently completed a successful operational testing period. The $50 million dollar project was funded and completed during the Governor's tenure and will prevent the risk of future harmful discharges into the St. Lucie Estuary.

As part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, the C-23 Canal Estuary Discharge Diversion Project reduces harmful discharges to the St. Lucie Estuary by routing excess water from the C-23 Canal to the C-44 Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area (STA). The project includes the construction of a new 7-mile canal and a new pump station which has three pumps and can pump 112,000 gallons per minute. Since the project began operational testing, it has already diverted 4.8 billion gallons away from the St. Lucie Estuary, improving water quality to the broader Indian River Lagoon system and a more natural salinity gradient in the St. Lucie Estuary.

"Today, we celebrated the completion of the C-23 Estuary Discharge Diversion Project, a milestone in Everglades restoration that will transform water quality along the Indian River Lagoon," said Governor Ron DeSantis. "Since I became governor, we've made record-breaking investments in projects to improve water quality by addressing underlying issues, and those investments are delivering real results. Florida gets things done, and we're proud of our infrastructure improvements that preserve and improve the quality of life in our state."

"With the opening of the C-23 Estuary Diversion Project, we are taking a major step forward preventing harmful discharges from reaching the St. Lucie Estuary and Indian River Lagoon," said Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis A. Lambert. "Under Governor DeSantis' leadership, Florida has made unprecedented progress toward improving Florida's waterways and estuaries, creating a healthier environment that Floridians and visitors will enjoy for generations to come."

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"Today is a great day for the St. Lucie Estuary and a great day for the water resources in South Florida," said South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Drew Bartlett. "During his tenure, Governor DeSantis has made historic investments in protecting our water resources and has made Florida a leader in water resource protection. The South Florida Water Management District continues to prioritize the health of our waterways and reduce nutrient pollution such as excess nitrogen and phosphorus. Thank you, Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for prioritizing infrastructure projects that improve the environment and our water resources."

Before the DeSantis administration, toxic blue-green algae blooms coated the St. Lucie River after billions of gallons of nutrient-laden water were discharged from Lake Okeechobee into the estuaries. Since that time, Governor DeSantis has prioritized conserving Florida's natural resources and investing in projects to ensure the abundance of clean water for our families and communities, recognizing the direct link between Florida's environment, our economic competitiveness, and quality of life.

The crisis from 2016-2018 devastated the region's environment, economy, and quality of life. Since then, under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis and consistent investments by the Governor and Legislature, historic progress has been made to advance Everglades restoration and improve water quality, including in the Indian River Lagoon.

Since taking office, Governor DeSantis has made restoring the Everglades and improving water quality a cornerstone of his administration. During his first term as Governor, he signed record investments to protect America's Everglades and support water quality, investing a record $3.3 billion. At the start of his second term, he called for a historic $3.5 billion investment over the next four years. His 2026-27 budget included $1.2 billion for Everglades restoration and water quality, bringing the total investment during the Governor's second term to $6 billion, and bringing the investment during the Governor's tenure to nearly $9.5 billion. These historic investments have tripled water storage capacity in South Florida, accelerated critical restoration efforts, and produced measurable environmental results, including Florida Bay reaching its salinity targets for the first time in decades.

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This includes continued investments in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), the landmark dollar-for-dollar commitment between the state and the federal government to restore America's Everglades. When Federal bureaucracy attempted to delay restoration, the Governor secured the funding and support of President Trump to accelerate the completion of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, which, thanks to his advocacy, is on track to finish five years ahead of its original 2034 completion date to 2029. The same can be said for the state's commitments to the project, as the 2026-27 state budget fully funds the remaining components of the state's portion of the EAA project and remaining projects to send water south from the EAA to the Blue Shanty Floway and into Everglades National Park and Florida Bay—a long overdue correction of decisions of Florida's past leaders to harm the River of Grass.

Today's announcement builds on the DeSantis Administration's record of achieving more now for Florida's environment and natural resources including:

• Since 2019, there have been over 90 project launches, completions and major milestones on Everglades projects.
• Nutrient reductions now total over 5.6 million lbs. of nitrogen and 933,000 lbs. of phosphorous annually that is removed from South Florida's waterways. This marks a major reduction in nutrient pollution.
• South Florida's water storage capacity has tripled to 176 billion gallons, and it will reach 336 billion gallons of water storage capacity with current and planned projects through 2035.
• The C-44 Reservoir is operational on the east coast, the C-43 Reservoir is operational on the west coast, and the EAA Reservoir, the "crown jewel" of Everglades restoration, is projected to have construction completed five years ahead of schedule.

As Governor, Ron DeSantis has prioritized conserving Florida's natural resources since his first day in office, recognizing the direct link between Florida's environment, our economic competitiveness, and quality of life. From restoring America's Everglades, to improving the quality and abundance of clean water, and protecting our natural landscapes, ensuring the Florida we know today is here tomorrow—the DeSantis Administration continues to deliver on that historic commitment.

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