Picayune Strand restoration project in the Florida Everglades transforms Collier County wetlands

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. —

The Picayune Strand restoration project in Collier County has been completed, marking a milestone in restoring the Everglades and revitalizing 55,000 acres of habitat.

Charlotte Roman from the South Florida Water Management District said, "People are amazing. The people struggling, the Picayune Strand restoration Project was the first partnership agreement signed with the Corps of Engineers in the South Florida Water Management District in 2009, and 17 years later. We're done."

Officials and scientists gathered at the Picayune Strand State Forest to celebrate the project's completion, which marks a milestone in restoring the Everglades and bringing more plants and wildlife to the wetlands in Collier County.

Colonel Brandon Bowman of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District highlighted the project's scale, stating, "Well, this is a generation one Everglades restoration project. The first one to go to construction, just the sheer size of 55,000 acres, three pump stations backfilling nearly 50 miles of canals, removing 260 miles of derelict roads. Just the sheer scale of it just took time and effort. When I people, it's hard to imagine 55,000 acres. That's a lot."

The land was originally drained in the early 1960s for a planned residential subdivision, which never materialized, leaving the Everglades habitat dry and disrupted.

The restoration project has filled in canals that diverted water away from the Everglades, restoring the natural flow and is expected to bring back native plants and animals, reduce freshwater releases from Lake O, and restore panther habitats.

Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army, emphasized the cooperation involved in the project, saying, "Well, the key to success here was cooperation at every level. Everyone rowing in the same direction here in the state of Florida, putting their political differences aside, moving ahead together, on what's best for Florida and what's good for the United States of America."

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