May 18, 2017
Orlando, FL - A crucial undertaking generations in the making, the Kissimmee River Restoration Project is now within sight of the finish line.
"The Kissimmee River is part of the heart of Florida and key to the restoration of America's Everglades," said South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board Chairman Dan O'Keefe. "Through our partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we are restoring the river and protecting it for the enjoyment of generations of Floridians to come."
The Kissimmee River Restoration Project was first devised in 1976 after channelization of the naturally curving river for flood protection had the unintended consequence of eliminating crucial floodplain wetlands and degrading the ecosystem along the river. The SFWMD Governing Board and Army Corps entered an equal cost-sharing partnership in 1994 to backfill 22 miles of the C-38 Canal and reconnect 44 miles of river channel to mimic historic flows.
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At the May 11, 2017, Governing Board meeting, Lawrence Glenn, SFWMD Lake and River Ecosystems Section Administrator, presented a construction update on the Kissimmee River Restoration project.