What Are the Details of Governor DeSantis’s Florida Everglades Restoration Project?
Gov. DeSantis has sights set on water quality improvements and an immigrant detention center.
Published June 30 2025, 2:06 p.m. ET
The residents of Florida will be happy to know that Governor Ron DeSantis has his sights set on a comprehensive Everglades restoration project. With parts of Florida devastated by climate change, as well as the impacts of wicked weather during hurricane season, many areas throughout Florida are in dire need of attention by the state government.
What, exactly, does the Florida governor have planned for the Florida Everglades, and what are the details of his plan?
Below, we explore Governor DeSantis's Florida Everglades restoration project plans and what the impetus was for him to set his sights on improving the area. If you live somewhere in Florida, plan to visit the majestic Florida Everglades, or simply care about the well-being of important spaces like the Everglades, keep reading so you can better understand the governor's plans.
Gov. DeSantis announces Florida Everglades restoration project.
On Jan. 9, Governor DeSantis officially announced a series of updates to restore the Everglades during Fiscal Year 2025-2026.
“I’m proud to keep advancing these efforts in Everglades restoration and water quality, which will have lasting benefits to our state for years to come,” Governor DeSantis said in the press release. “I promised to leave Florida better than we found it, and we’re keeping that promise for future generations.”
So, what exactly has Governor DeSantis done, and what else does he plan to do in the year to come? According to the press release, the DeSantis Administration has tripled water storage capacity in the Everglades since 2019 (from roughly 57 billion gallons to about 176 billion gallons).
Furthermore, the administration has its sights set on increasing that number to more than 330 billion gallons of storage capacity.
What is the goal of the Everglades restoration project?
Bipartisan efforts to improve the Everglades are noble, to be sure, but what exactly are the goals of the project? According to the January 2025 press release, "These efforts reduce harmful discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries and cut nutrient pollution in South Florida’s waterways, protecting drinking water and the Everglades."
Additionally, among the impacts of the project: "Florida continues to lead with state projects that improve water quality, protect communities from flooding, and restore the natural flow of water to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay, which recently met its salinity goals for the first time in decades," according to the press release.
In the year ahead, Governor DeSantis seeks to spend $805 million to continue restoration efforts to improve water quality.
Funding disputes for Florida Everglades projects:
Since Governor DeSantis took office, his administration has obtained $6.5 billion for Everglades restoration and water quality improvements. This has been accomplished despite what the governor says were "setbacks under the Biden Administration," as well as "federal delays," though the exact nature of those obstacles are unclear.
It is imperative to note that on June 27, FOX News reporter Danamarie McNicholl wrote in the Tweet above that "Environmental non-profit Friends of the Everglades filed a lawsuit against ICE, DHS and Florida."
As one X user writes, the so-called "Alligator Alcatraz is the nickname for a new immigration detention center being constructed in the Florida Everglades, initiated by Governor Ron DeSantis. The facility aims to hold up to 3,000 undocumented immigrants."
As Reuters reported on June 29, President Donald Trump is set to attend the July 1 grand opening of "Alligator Alcatraz."
"Trump will be accompanied by Kristi Noem, the secretary of Homeland Security, who asked him to visit," according to Reuters.