SFWMD completes water quality improvement project north of Lake O

Brighton Valley public private partnership dispersed water management project will help reduce nutrient loads, improve water quality north of the lake

HIGHLANDS COUNTY – The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and Lykes Bros. Inc. today celebrated the completion of another of Gov. Ron DeSantis' priority Everglades projects: the Brighton Valley Dispersed Water Management Project in Highlands County.

The Brighton Valley Dispersed Water Management Project, a priority of Governor Ron DeSantis, is a public-private partnership with Lykes Bros. Inc. to provide important water storage and treatment north of Lake Okeechobee. The 8,000-acre project pumps excess water from the C-41A Canal and can capture 40,000 acre-feet of water per year. It is anticipated to remove approximately 3 metric tons of phosphorus and 27 metric tons of nitrogen annually before it enters Lake Okeechobee.

Project funding was provided by the Florida Legislature and is one of six regionally significant water quality improvement projects under the Northern Everglades Public Private Partnership Program.