April 2022
FACT SHEET
COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN
Indian River Lagoon-South
Construction (C)
Congressional Districts: 18, 20, 21, 22
1. DESCRIPTION
Congress authorized the Indian River Lagoon-South (IRL-S) project in the Water Resource Development Act of 2007. The project consists of features throughout St. Lucie County and Martin County, FL. The Indian River Lagoon is identified as one of the most biologically diverse estuarine systems in all the continental United States. The project will reduce the damaging effects of watershed runoff; reduce high-peak discharges; reduce nutrient loads; provide water-quality benefits to control salinity, pesticides, and other pollutants presently discharged to the estuary; and provide water supply for agriculture to offset reliance on the Floridan Aquifer. The project includes about 170,000 acre-feet (ac-ft) of new water storage in reservoirs (C-44 Reservoir, C-23/24 North/South Reservoirs and C-25 Reservoir) and stormwater treatment areas (STA) (STAs C-44, C-23/C-24, and C-25); additional water storage on about 92,000 acres of natural storage areas (Allapattah, Palmar, and Cypress Creek); removal of 7,900,000 cubic yards of muck from the St. Lucie River and Estuary; and construction of an artificial oyster habitat in the Southern Indian River Lagoon.
2. FUNDING
| Estimated Total Cost |
$4,030,800,000 |
| Estimated Federal Cost |
$2,866,300,000 |
a. Regular Civil Works funds:
| Allocation thru FY21 |
$543,236,000 |
| Allocation for FY22 |
$17,675,000 |
| President’s Budget FY23 |
$0 |
b. P.L. 117-58: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Supplemental:
| Total Work Plan |
$632,104,000 |
| Allocation for FY22 |
$0 |
3. SPONSOR
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406
4. STATUS
The Corps awarded a $198 million dollar construction contract for the 50,600 acre-ft C-44 Reservoir, located in Martin County, FL, in September 2015. Construction was completed in December 2021. The non-federal sponsor, SFWMD, awarded a $101 million dollar construction contract for the C-44 STA in October 2014. Construction of the STA was completed in March 2021. In April 2015, the SFWMD awarded a $40 million dollar construction contract for the 1,100 cfs C-44 Pump Station; it was completed in November 2018. Completion of the entire C-44 Reservoir and STA components was completed in 2021. It is undergoing up to two years of operational, testing, and maintenance before transfer to SFWMD for operation and maintenance.
The Corps awarded a $137 million dollar construction contract for the C-23/C-24 STA, located in St. Lucie County in September 2021. Design of the C-23/C-24 North Reservoir, located in St Lucie County, FL, is scheduled for completion in FY 23, with construction contract award scheduled for summer of 2023. The Corps awarded a design contract in September 2021 for the C-23/C-24 South Reservoir with construction award scheduled for FY 24. The completed C-23/C-24 project features will provide an estimated 91,900 acre-ft of additional storage.
Land acquisition for the C-25 Reservoir and STA, located in St Lucie County was completed by the SFWMD in December 2021. The SFWMD plans to award a design contract for the C-25 Reservoir and STA in May 2022 with a construction award scheduled for FY 26. Land acquisition for the four large natural storage and water quality areas, located in Martin, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee counties; the St Lucie River North-fork floodplain, located in St Lucie County, and muck disposal site, located in St Lucie County) is ongoing by the SFWMD.
A Validation Post Authorization Change Report for the IRL-S Project is scheduled for completion in April 2022.
