South Florida Water Management District details Loxahatchee watershed plan, estimates $1 billion cost and construction into 2033

Michael Tomkins, lead project manager with the South Florida Water Management District, told the Village of Tequesta Environmental Advisory Committee on Sept. 10 that the Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project is intended to restore freshwater flows, wetlands and estuarine habitats across a roughly 480,000‑acre study area.

"The primary purpose is to improve the freshwater flows to the northwest fork of the Loxahatchee River," Tomkins said, describing five project objectives that include restoring seasonal flows, expanding wetlands, improving watershed connectivity and restoring native plant and animal communities. He said the project is part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and was authorized by Congress; the SFWMD is the non‑federal sponsor in a 50/50 cost‑share with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Tomkins described three principal flowways. Flowway 1 focuses on capturing excess water routed through canals and routing it through the Grassy Waters area using a pump station (S100) and regrading, Flowway 2 centers on the C‑18 West impoundment with about 9,500 acre‑feet of above‑ground storage plus aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells, and Flowway 3 consists of multiple restoration features in Martin County including Gulfstream East, Kitchen Creek and Cypress Creek work.

On project performance, Tomkins said that "once it's complete the project will be able to deliver 91% of the dry‑season flows (a 68 cfs target) and 98% of the wet‑season flows (110 cfs target)." He observed that current minimum flows near the dam are about 35 cfs and that the plan aims to raise both the timing and quantity of flows to meet ecological targets.

Tomkins said the project is being advanced through phased design work. He reported the design contract was executed in fiscal year 2023, that most survey and geotechnical work is complete, and that preliminary design activities are underway for Gulfstream East and Kitchen Creek. He said Flowway 1 had been delayed earlier by litigation that is now resolved and that the team expects to begin preliminary design for some elements by December (moving into FY26). He estimated Kitchen Creek construction could begin in mid‑2027, while the large Flowway 2 impoundment likely would not reach construction until around 2029.

On cost and funding, Tomkins said the project was originally authorized at about $770 million but that inflation and supply‑chain pressures have pushed estimates above $1 billion. "A good chunk of it is real estate that we've already acquired; probably about $300 million of the real estate is already in our hands," he said. He described annual state and federal allocations that fund the SFWMD's and the Corps' shares and said SFWMD does not currently anticipate a funding shortfall, while noting allocations are annual and could change.

In response to committee questions, Tomkins said the Lockahhatchee (Loxahatchee) River Coordination Council provides advice and review but does not direct the project. He emphasized that, while the watershed project is not framed primarily as a water‑quality project, the flow‑through marshes and restored wetlands are modeled to provide water‑quality benefits (settling solids and reducing nutrient loads) in addition to hydrologic restoration.

Tomkins estimated overall construction completion for the program around 2033 and suggested the program may be roughly 20–30% through the planning and design timeline when measured by time spent and acquired property, with the bulk of measurable progress tied to entering construction on major features.

The SFWMD presentation closed with Tomkins inviting questions and noting next steps include completing preliminary and final design phases and moving selected projects into construction over the coming years.