HENDRY COUNTY – Today, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) joined federal, state and local officials to celebrate the completion of a new pump station for the Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir Project in Hendry County. The massive pump station will move water from the Caloosahatchee River (C-43 Canal) into an 18-square-mile reservoir and reduce harmful flows of water from reaching the downstream Caloosahatchee Estuary. The reservoir is expected to begin initial operations in 2025.

The Caloosahatchee (C-43) Reservoir is an 18-square-mile water storage project that provides water storage and supports healthy salinity levels in the Caloosahatchee Estuary. It will reduce harmful flows of water to the Caloosahatchee Estuary from Lake Okeechobee and the local watershed during the wet season and provide beneficial freshwater flows to the estuary during the dry season. It will hold approximately 170,000 acre-feet of water, which is around 55 billion gallons.

The new pump station, one of the largest pump stations in the state, is the main inflow structure for the Caloosahatchee Reservoir. It has the capability to move more than 650,000 gallons of water per minute from the Caloosahatchee River into the reservoir using four large pumps.

The reservoir also includes 19 miles of dam embankments, 15 miles of perimeter canals, 14 major water control structures and more. The remaining portions of the reservoir project are expected to be substantially complete by 2025.

Once online, the Caloosahatchee Reservoir will:

• Store excess freshwater from the local watershed and Lake Okeechobee before it can reach the downstream estuary.
• Help sustain a healthy nursery for fish in the estuary.
• Enhance the resiliency of our water resources.