Miami-Dade County - Wednesday April 24, 2024: The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers joined local, state, federal and tribal officials to cut the ribbon on the new Water Seepage Barrier Wall Project.
It's part of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) and extends the 8.5 square mile underground seepage wall already in place.
The project supports ongoing restoration efforts to move water south through the Everglades and into Florida Bay while mitigating potential flooding impacts in communities outside of Everglades National Park. It was completed 8 months ahead of schedule.
“It’s proven to be effective at fostering delivery of water south to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay, while simultaneously providing improved flood protection said SFWMD Board Member Ron Bergeron.
“Since 2019, the SFWMD has celebrated 70 project completions, groundbreakings, and other major milestones," said Bergeron. "Our success would not be possible without the leadership of Governor DeSantis and the record investments made by our Florida Legislature."
“Everglades restoration is an enormous undertaking that cannot be accomplished alone. We are fortunate to have such a strong partnership with the South Florida Water Management District,” said Maj. Cory Bell, USACE Jacksonville District Deputy Commander for South Florida. “These projects provide critical benefits to improve the health of the ecosystem, including endangered species habitat, improve the water supply, improve flood risk management, and improve resilience to climate change and sea level rise. Another piece of the puzzle is completed in an enormously complex system.”
The SFWMD completed the 2.3-mile first phase of the wall in September 2022 and then broke ground on the second phase in December 2022. The second phase adds five miles of the underground seepage wall. The total seepage wall is approximately 7.3 miles long, 63 feet deep and 30 inches wide. During heavy rain events, water that typically would flood communities remained inside Everglades National Park to support the park’s historic hydrology.
By supporting restoration flows of water through the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, the new underground wall supports the Combined Operating Plan (COP) and new infrastructure being put in place throughout the Everglades that delivers more water into Everglades National Park and Florida Bay - two key areas that need increased flows of water.
