March 15, 2018
West Palm Beach, FL – An independent external peer review released this week found that the South Florida Water Management District's (SFWMD) plan for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Storage Reservoir is technically sound and based on a foundation of successful scientific practices and engineering. SFWMD's Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP) for the proposed EAA Storage Reservoir would reduce damaging discharges to the northern estuaries, deliver clean water for Everglades restoration and meet water quality standards.
"This plan combines sound science with public feedback to achieve all of the goals and objectives of state law," said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Dan O'Keefe. "After all the hard work our staff put into designing this reservoir project in such a short time, it is rewarding to see an independent expert review validate the District's scientific process and conclusions."
The District contracted the independent firm Battelle Memorial Institute to review SFWMD's findings in the Post Authorization Change Report (PACR) for the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) that seeks federal approval and cost-sharing to build the EAA Storage Reservoir. Battelle is the same firm that performed the required independent review of the original CEPP plan in 2012 that was approved by Congress.
"Based on the panel's review, the SFWMD CEPP PACR is a well-written document that provides excellent supporting documentation on economic, engineering, environmental and plan formulation issues and decisions," the independent review states. "The report provided a balanced assessment of the economic, engineering and environmental issues of the overall project."
- For modeling data and more information on the previously held meetings, including agendas and presentations, visit www.sfwmd.gov/eaareservoir.
- Order from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection approving SFWMD's Post Authorization Change Report.
- Statement from the Everglades Foundation.
- Statement from Audubon Florida.