DeSantis says state invested more than $8 billion in Everglades projects, touts accelerated reservoir timeline

Governor DeSantis used the Monroe County ceremony to summarize progress on Everglades restoration and water‑quality projects, saying his administration has provided more than $8 billion for restoration since taking office.

DeSantis contrasted that figure with what he called a prior allocation of about $1.5 billion before his tenure. He said Florida constructed reservoirs on the east and west sides of Lake Okeechobee to reduce harmful discharges to coastal estuaries and credited an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that allows Florida to take on auxiliary project work; he said the agreement accelerated a main reservoir completion date from 2034 to 2029.

DeSantis described the effort as the largest environmental restoration project in U.S. history and said the state will continue to advance construction and related water‑quality work. He also described parallel invasive‑species removal efforts (Burmese pythons and iguanas) and ongoing habitat and water‑management measures in Florida Bay.

The governor’s remarks attributed the accelerated timeline to the federal partnership and the state's supplemental work. The event remarks did not include legislative authorizations, project-level budgets, or a linked federal project schedule to independently confirm the acceleration; officials framed the change as the result of an intergovernmental agreement.