Gov. DeSantis celebrates as Florida completes $50 million Everglades project after diverting 4.8 billion gallons from troubled estuary
Florida – A new piece of South Florida’s water system is already moving billions of gallons away from an estuary that has spent years under pressure from harmful freshwater discharges.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the completion of the $50 million C-23 Canal Estuary Discharge Diversion Project, a major Everglades restoration effort designed to protect the St. Lucie Estuary and improve conditions across the broader Indian River Lagoon system. During operational testing alone, the project diverted 4.8 billion gallons of water away from the St. Lucie Estuary.
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The project redirects excess water from the C-23 Canal to the C-44 Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area rather than allowing that water to flow into the estuary. Infrastructure includes a new seven-mile canal and a pump station equipped with three pumps capable of moving a combined 112,000 gallons per minute.
By reducing those discharges, state officials say the system will help improve water quality and support 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.”
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The project is part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, the state-federal partnership aimed at restoring the Everglades and improving South Florida’s water management.
The region has experienced severe water-quality problems before. From 2016 through 2018, blue-green algae blooms affected the St. Lucie River after billions of gallons of nutrient-laden water were discharged toward coastal estuaries, damaging environmental conditions and affecting nearby communities.
Florida has since expanded spending on Everglades restoration and water quality. DeSantis invested $3.3 billion during his first term, while the 2026-27 state budget included another $1.2 billion for restoration and water-quality projects. According to the administration, total investment during his tenure has reached nearly $9.5 billion.
State officials say South Florida’s water-storage capacity has tripled to 176 billion gallons and is expected to reach 336 billion gallons through projects planned by 2035. More than 90 Everglades project launches, completions and major milestones have also occurred since 2019.
“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.
