SFWMD advances Kissimmee River hydrologic restoration with new 10-year management plan

SFWMD advances Kissimmee River hydrologic restoration with new 10-year management planFollowing the completion of a two-decade physical reconstruction phase, the South Florida Water Management District has approved the 2025-2035 Kissimmee River Management Area plan, setting the stage for the Headwaters Revitalization Schedule to reestablish historic floodplain inundation.

The Governing Board unanimously approved the 2025-2035 General Management Plan for the 42,750-acre Kissimmee River Management Area.

With physical canal backfilling completed in 2021, the project now shifts to hydrologic restoration to mimic natural historic flows.

The strategy relies on the USACE-led Headwaters Revitalization Schedule, targeted for 2027, to add 100,000 acre-feet of storage in upstream lakes.

Executive Director Drew Bartlett confirmed the passage of the state's FY26-27 budget, which includes $525 million for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board unanimously approved the 2025-2035 Kissimmee River Management Area General Management Plan during its June 11, 2026, meeting, marking a critical transition from physical construction to hydrologic restoration for the river system. The approved plan governs 42,750 acres across five counties, encompassing the restored footprint of the Kissimmee River. According to staff presentations, the physical restoration phase of the project—which involved backfilling 22 miles of the C-38 Canal and reconnecting 44 miles of historic river channel—concluded in 2021 after more than two decades of construction. District staff noted that while the physical reconstruction has already yielded rapid ecological improvements within the river channel, including increased dissolved oxygen and the return of natural sandbars, the surrounding floodplain requires further hydrologic adjustment. To achieve this, the district is collaborating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on the Headwaters Revitalization Schedule (HRS), which is targeted for implementation in 2027. The HRS will add 100,000 acre-feet of water storage in the upstream headwater lakes, including Lakes Kissimmee, Cypress, and Hatchineha. "Success is trying to maximize the amount of time we get what we call moderate flows," a district staff member told the board. The additional upstream storage will allow SFWMD to prolong moderate flows and extend floodplain inundation well into the dry season. The district is targeting approximately 210 days of inundation per year to support the transition of short-hydroperiod communities into historic broadleaf marshes. The 10-year management plan also outlines ongoing operational requirements for the restored area, including invasive species control and prescribed burns to manage vegetation and reduce biological oxygen demand during initial wet season flooding. In parallel with the Kissimmee River advancements, SFWMD Executive Director Drew Bartlett updated the board on the state's newly passed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget. Bartlett confirmed the budget allocates $525 million for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). This funding fully covers the state's portion of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) reservoir pump station. The budget also provides approximately $95 million for the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) North phase, Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) well development, and the Blue Shanty Flowway, alongside $80 million for Northern Everglades and Estuaries protection.