DeSantis celebrates grand opening of C-43 Reservoir: 'A major milestone in Everglades restoration'

Gov. DeSantis opens C-43 Reservoir to help protect Everglades

Governor DeSantis announces the opening of C-43 Reservoir in Hendry County Tuesday afternoon. The goal is to help protect the Florida Everglades.

HENDRY COUNTY, Fla. - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis marked the official opening of the Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir on Tuesday morning, which he said is one of the most significant Everglades restoration projects in the state's history.

What is the C-43 Reservoir?

What we know:

DeSantis was joined by state, local and environmental leaders on Tuesday morning in Hendry County for the announcement. 

DeSantis said the new C-43 Reservoir is 10,000 acres and will improve water quality, protect coastal ecosystems and expand Florida’s water storage capacity.

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‘Leave this state better to God than we found it’

What they're saying:

"During my time as governor, we have set new records for investing in conservation, water quality improvements and Everglades restoration," DeSantis said. "Today, I was proud to announce the opening of one of the most consequential Everglades restoration projects that Florida has ever undertaken: the Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir. This project will have an impact far beyond the Caloosahatchee. The C-43 Reservoir is a landmark achievement in our broader mission to restore the Everglades, expand Florida's water storage capacity, and leave this state better to God than we found it."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at a press conference on Tuesday morning in Hendry County. 

Nearly $8 billion invested in Everglades restoration since 2019

Dig deeper:

Since taking office, DeSantis said he has made restoring the Everglades and improving water quality a cornerstone of his administration. 

On his second day in office, DeSantis signed Executive Order 19-12, which committed $2.5 billion over four years to water quality and Everglades projects. That goal was exceeded in his first term, with $3.3 billion invested — more than the previous 12 years combined. 

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In his second term, DeSantis said he has continued this momentum. With $1.4 billion included in this year’s Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget, the state has now committed $4.6 billion in the first three years of the term, putting Florida on pace to exceed his $3.5 billion second-term goal. Nearly $8 billion has been invested since 2019 in Everglades restoration and water quality.

"Today, I was excited to join the governor for this major milestone in restoring Florida’s Everglades with the start-up of the C-43 Reservoir," Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis A. Lambert said. "Under Gov. DeSantis’ leadership, we’ve invested more towards restoration and are seeing meaningful results — on time, under budget and with strong returns for Florida’s taxpayers."

Here's a look at some of the largest environmental accomplishments throughout DeSantis' terms thus far:

• Florida has completed or broken ground on more than 75 Everglades restoration projects since 2019.
• Nutrient reductions now exceed 1.8 million pounds of nitrogen and 770,000 pounds of phosphorus annually.
• South Florida’s water storage capacity has tripled to 176 billion gallons.
• The C-43 Reservoir pump station, capable of moving 650,000 gallons per minute, is now fully operational.

DeSantis speaks on supporting funds for Everglades restoration (FULL)

Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference at the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Naples, Florida, to discuss his support for continued funds for Everglades restoration. He was joined by Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Director Roger Young.

Looking ahead 

What's next:

Florida and the federal government share a 50/50 funding commitment for Everglades restoration. 

To accelerate progress and reduce costs for taxpayers, DeSantis said Florida has proposed taking the lead on completing certain federally authorized restoration projects. The governor said the state has already delivered significant progress on the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, breaking ground ahead of schedule and completing its portion of the project in 2024.

Florida is continuing discussions with federal partners, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to explore options, such as updated agreements or a block grant that would allow the state to assume a greater implementation role moving forward.