May 2025
FACT SHEET
COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN
Indian River Lagoon-South
Construction (C)
Congressional Districts: 20, 21, 22, 23
1. DESCRIPTION
Congress authorized the Indian River Lagoon-South (IRL-S) project in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 and authorized a total project cost increase in the Water Resources Development Act of 2022. 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 and water quality 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 |
$5,533,288,000 |
| Estimated Federal Cost |
$2,766,644,000 |
a. Regular Civil Works funds:
| Allocation thru FY24 |
$794,413,900 |
| Allocation for FY25 |
$0 |
| President’s Budget FY26 |
TBD |
b. P.L. 117-58: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Supplemental:
| Total Work Plan |
$182,740,000 |
| Allocation thru FY24 |
$182,740,000 |
| Allocation for FY25 |
$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 occurred in 2021. It is undergoing operational, testing, and monitoring before transfer to SFWMD for operation and maintenance The Corps is implementing a series of seepage management relief wells through 2029.
The Corps awarded a $137 million dollar construction contract for the C-23/C-24 STA, located in St. Lucie County in September 2021. The Corps awarded the $193 million dollar first construction contract for the C-23/C-24 North Reservoir using Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding in September 2024. The Corps continues ongoing design for the remaining four contracts to complete the C-23/24 North Reservoir. The SFWMD awarded the $59 million dollar first construction contract for the C-23/C-24 South Reservoir in May 2024 and are scheduled to award the second contract in November 2025. The completed C-23/C-24 project features will provide an estimated 91,900 acre-ft of additional storage.
The SFWMD awarded the $16 million dollar first construction contract for the C-25 Reservoir and STA in September 2024 and are scheduled to award the second contract in November 2025.
Land acquisition for the three 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 was completed in June 2022 and the project’s revised total project cost was authorized in WRDA 2022. A Project Partnership Agreement for Phase 2 of the project including the natural storage and water quality areas, muck removal, floodplain restoration, and artificial oyster habitat is underway with execution scheduled for 2026. A Validation Post Authorization Change Report the IRL-S Project is underway to include recreation features into the project and scheduled for completion in 2026.
