Posted on July 23, 2026
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects are moving forward, thanks to a state-federal partnership.
On July 21, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District signed an agreement to expedite construction of a seepage management pump station (part of the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir project) and the Blue Shanty Flow Way project.
The Blue Shanty Flow Way project will remove older levees and berms that block flow south, restoring some of the natural sheet flow into Everglades National Park. Officials estimate the project will restore about 14,000 acres of wetlands.
Completion of both projects will coincide with the completion of the EAA Reservoir in 2029.
“The Blue Shanty Flow Way is an integral component of the Central Everglades Planning Project and will allow natural freshwater flow from Lake Okeechobee, through Water Conservation Areas 3A and 3B, and straight into Everglades National Park and Florida Bay,” said Col. Brandon Bowman, commander of the USACE Jacksonville District.
“Looking out at this landscape, it is easy to see what is at stake. The work we do isn’t just about moving water or pouring concrete; it is about securing the ecological and economic future of South Florida for generations to come,” he continued.
“A key part of that agreement is State-led construction. By authorizing Florida to build critical components — such as the EAA seepage pump station, and the Blue Shanty Flow Way — we have freed up the Army Corps to focus our efforts on accelerating the EAA Reservoir which is critical to Everglades Restoration. This is a tangible reduction in federal red tape. It streamlines permitting, accelerates project delivery, and allows us to deploy our resources faster and more efficiently,” Bowman said.
The Blue Shanty Flow Way project is part of the effort to increase flow under the Tamiami Trail. Since the Tampa to Miami road project was completed in 1928, it has blocked the natural sheet flow south, causing the area north of the road to flood and the area south of the road to dry out.
