Florida's Picayune Strand Project Hits Everglades Milestone in Collier

Collier County's Picayune Strand Restoration Project, a cornerstone of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), achieved a major breakthrough in late 2025 with the startup of the Miller Pump Station. Spanning 55,000 acres between Alligator Alley and Tamiami Trail in southwest Florida, the project involved removing 260 miles of roads and plugging 48 miles of canals to revive natural sheetflow into the Everglades. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and Florida Department of Environmental Protection hailed the progress, which enhances water quality, wildlife habitat, and flood protection for local communities.[1][5] CERP, signed into law over 25 years ago in 2000, encompasses more than 60 projects to redirect water southward from Lake Okeechobee through the Greater Everglades, protecting estuaries and Biscayne Bay. The Picayune Strand effort, born from a failed 1960s development in the former Golden Gate Estates that Florida bought back in the 1980s, is now over 90% complete and on track for full restoration by January 2026. In 2025, officials also wrapped the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project in Miami-Dade County, rehydrating wetlands and building coastal resiliency.[2][5][6][7] Momentum accelerated in July 2025 when Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a landmark state-federal agreement speeding the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir from 2034 to 2029, with all federal contracts executed ahead of schedule. The governor spotlighted the project in Palm Beach County, emphasizing its role in safeguarding the Everglades from polluted discharges. These advances underscore Florida's $20 billion-plus investment in CERP, a 50/50 state-federal partnership led by SFWMD and USACE.[3][4][5][8]