SFWMD approves $10m aquatic plant procurement to optimize stormwater treatment

SFWMD approves $10m aquatic plant procurement to optimize stormwater treatmentFour vendors will supply emergent wetland vegetation over the next three years to help stabilize sediments and improve nutrient sequestration across the district's 64,000 acres of treatment areas.

The board authorized up to $10 million over three years for the supply and delivery of bare root aquatic plants.

Contracts were awarded to CrossCreek Environmental, EarthBalance Corporation, Ground Level, and Sand Hill Native Growers.

Purchasing external plants is expected to double the district's planting rate by allowing contractors to focus solely on installation.

The district also announced a tentative $1.6 billion budget for FY2026-2027, driven by federal funds for major Everglades restoration projects.

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board unanimously approved a $10 million procurement on August 13 to supply and deliver aquatic plants for its Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs). The district authorized one-year agreements, with two one-year renewal options, for four firms: CrossCreek Environmental, Inc., EarthBalance Corporation, Ground Level, Inc., and Sand Hill Native Growers, Inc. The procurement marks a strategic shift for the district's vegetation management program. Previously, the district relied heavily on establishing on-site nurseries and harvesting existing plants to populate new or struggling STA cells. LeRoy Rodgers, the district's Vegetation Management Section Administrator, told the board that purchasing plants from external vendors will allow ground services contractors to focus entirely on installation. "It allows our ground services contractors to spend their time planting rather than harvesting, effectively doubling the planting rate," Rodgers said. He added that the shift minimizes operational disturbances from airboats and harvesting crews, and can be accomplished with "essentially no increase in cost per planted unit." The emergent vegetation, which includes species like giant bulrush and alligator flag, is critical to the infrastructure's performance. The plants uptake nutrients, distribute water evenly to increase residence time, and protect submerged aquatic vegetation beds from wind and wave erosion. The district currently operates 64,000 acres of STAs to treat agricultural runoff before it reaches the Everglades. During the meeting, the board also received an update on broader Everglades restoration finances and performance. Executive Director Drew Bartlett announced the submission of a $1.6 billion tentative budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Bartlett noted the budget is higher than usual due to incoming federal funds for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir and the Blue Shanty Flowway. Additionally, Bartlett reported that farmers in the EAA achieved a 65% phosphorus reduction in their runoff for the 2026 water year, significantly exceeding the 25% statutory requirement and easing the treatment burden on the district's STAs.