Water Resources Legislation

Federal water infrastructure legislation, usually called the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), is key to moving Everglades restoration forward. The South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force (Task Force) and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) were both established by WRDAs. Individual CERP projects and other federally funded Everglades restoration efforts require congressional authorization for construction.

• WRDA 1992 - Authorized the Kissimmee River Restoration Project

• WRDA 1996 - Established the Task Force

• WRDA 2000 - Authorized CERP

• WRDA 2007 - Authorized CERP Generation 1 Projects:

  • Indian River Lagoon - South (C-44 Reservoir & STA)

  • Picayune Strand Restoration

  • Site 1 Impoundment Project

• WRRDA 2014 (Water Resources Reform and Development Act) - Authorized CERP Generation 2 Projects:

  • Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands-Phase 1

  • Broward County Water Preserve Areas

  • C-111 Spreader Canal Western Project

  • Caloosahatchee River (C-43) West Basin Storage

• WRDA 2016 - Authorized the CERP Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP)

• WRDA 2018 - Authorized the CERP EAA Reservoir (later combined with CEPP in WRDA 2020)

• WRDA 2020

  • Expanded the Task Force’s role regarding invasive species

  • Authorized the CERP Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project (Generation 4)

  • Authorized modifications to the CERP Caloosahatchee River (C-43) West Basin Storage Reservoir

  • Authorized additional features for the C-111 South Dade Project

• WRDA 2022

  • Expanded the Task Force membership to include 1 additional State of Florida representative

  • Authorized expedited completion of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir project

  • Authorized expedited completion of feasibility studies for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) and the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project (LOWRP)

  • Authorized additional funding for the Indian River Lagoon-South (IRL-S) project

  • Authorized a comprehensive planning effort for restoring, preserving, and protecting the Northern Estuaries

  • Authorized a comprehensive Central and Southern Florida project feasibility study for resiliency