Florida has finished construction on the C-23 Canal Estuary Discharge Diversion Project, a piece of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan aimed at protecting the St. Lucie Estuary and the wider Indian River Lagoon from damaging freshwater releases.
Governor Ron DeSantis joined officials from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District on September 9 to mark the milestone, which comes after the infrastructure passed a period of operational testing. The scheme diverts surplus water from the C-23 Canal toward the C-44 Reservoir and its associated stormwater treatment area, rather than letting it flow directly into the estuary. Works included a new pump station fitted with three pumps capable of moving 112,000 gallons per minute, alongside a newly built seven mile canal. During testing alone, the system has already redirected 4.8 billion gallons, according to the state.
“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,” DeSantis said. “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.”
Building on years of restoration funding
The project sits within a much larger funding effort. DeSantis signed $3.3 billion for Everglades and water quality work during his first term, then set a goal of $3.5 billion over four years for his second. His 2026-27 budget adds $1.2 billion for Everglades restoration and water quality.
State figures put nutrient reductions across South Florida’s waterways at over 5.6 million pounds of nitrogen and 933,000 pounds of phosphorus removed annually, with regional water storage capacity now tripled to 176 billion gallons and projected to reach 336 billion gallons by 2035. Officials also point to Florida Bay reaching its salinity targets for the first time in decades as a measurable result of these investments.
