Moments after a ribbon was cut in a Hendry County field Tuesday, pumps were opened and the first of 55 billion gallons started filling the new C-43 reservoir and filtering of that water began.
"This is a big deal," Ben Albritton, Florida State Senate president said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony just before the pumps started up.
That pump-opening ceremony was the culmination of a years-long project to take polluted water from Lake Okeechobee heading down the Caloosahatchee and divert it to the 18-square-mile reservoir.
South Florida Water Management District executive director Drew Bartlett put the project in perspective:
"Welcome to the largest above-ground reservoir in America. This is an accomplishment. This was not easy," he said. "Halfway through, the district decided to take over this project and run it ourselves with some incredible subcontractors to get us back on schedule and where we are today to get this thing done."
The hope of the reservoir is that during the wet season it will help reduce the amount of harmful water flowing from Lake O and thus the risk of environmentally damaging discharges into the Caloosahatchee and the river’s estuary.
Gov. Ron DeSantis was among state and local officials to observe the ribbon-cutting and starting of the pumps. He highlighted the environmental factors of the reservoir in helping the Everglades.
"This is a really significant achievement, one of the most significant projects that's ever been done in the state of Florida," DeSantis said. "Now the full system is operational, and it will have a long lasting impact for those who not only live in the area, but who visit the area."
The now activated pump station completed over a year ago at the C 43 reservoir can move as much as 650,000 gallons of water each minute.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.