May 2020
FACT SHEET
Kissimmee River, FL
Construction (C)
Congressional Districts: 7, 9, 10, 11, 15, 17
1. DESCRIPTION
Congress authorized the Kissimmee River, Florida project in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1992. The Kissimmee Basin includes 3,000 square miles stretching from Orlando to Lake Okeechobee in central Florida. The project involves the ecosystem restoration of the historic floodplain to re-establish wetland conditions by implementing the following: modifications to the operation of the upper chain of lakes; modification of various structures; enlargement of canals 36 and 37; backfilling 22 miles of C-38; excavation of about nine miles of new river channel; removal of two water control structures and locks, flood proofing of developments around the lakes and land acquisition of over 100,000 acres.
2. FUNDING
| Estimated Total Cost |
$840,100,000 |
| Estimated Federal Cost |
$392,600,000 |
| Allocation thru FY19 |
$327,953,000 |
| Allocation for FY20 |
$1,000,000 |
| President’s Budget FY21 |
$3,000,000 |
3. SPONSOR
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406
4. STATUS
As of April 2020, over 15 of 22 miles of canal backfill has been completed; restoring continuous water flow to much of the 44 miles of historic Kissimmee River. As a result, more 15,000 acres of floodplain habitat has been restored. The response of the natural system has greatly exceeded expectations. Many species of ducks and wading birds—including the ring-necked duck, American avocet, and black-necked stiltare now present. Ongoing construction in the Reach 2 backfill area has resulted in completion of removal of the S-65C and tieback levee and backfilling of approximately 7 mi of C-38 canal. Continuing construction is focused on repair of backfilled sections damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2018, preparation of hardened plugs to prevent future erosion of backfill, and re-grading the back filled areas to the full cross sectional flow of the historic Kissimmee River. Completion of Reach 2 is scheduled for March 2021.
Ongoing construction in the downstream Reach 3 area is focused on completion of the S-69 Weir and Reach 3 backfill repairs required due to Hurricane Irma. The northern section of Reach 3 backfill repair and the S-69 Weir are scheduled for completion in spring 2020. The completion of the southern section of Reach 3 backfill repair is scheduled for early 2021.
Additional efforts are focused on completing the require NEPA coordination and documentation to implement the Headwaters Revitalization Schedule for Lake Kissimmee once construction is complete. Five years of ecosystem monitoring to measure progress towards ecosystem restoration will also commence upon construction completion.
