A Dam for the Decade: Combating Pollution One Gallon at a Time C-43 Reservoir Launches After 15 Years of Planning

I had the pleasure of attending the Caloosahatchee C-43 Reservoir ribbon cutting and inauguration this Monday in Fort Denaud.

The “Caloosahatchee” is a river that originates from Lake Okeechobee in south-central Florida and flows down the Florida peninsula southwest to the Gulf of Mexico through the Caloosahatchee Estuary, which includes Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel Island and Estero Island. Lake Okeechobee itself serves as a natural source of water and a large agricultural hub, specifically for Florida’s sugar industry along the southern embankment of the lake. The runoff high in fertilizer from Big Ag has caused significant spikes in rich nutrient loads in the past, leading to the infamous harmful algal blooms typical of the Southwest Florida region—namely, blue-green algae blooms and toxic red tide. 

The C-43 Reservoir, while not designed to actively treat the water, would reduce up to twenty percent of the phosphorus present in the water that enters the reservoir and significantly remove pesticides and heavy metals from the water through the settling of suspended solids (at around a 200-day residence time). The reservoir would also double as a habitat for different aquatic plants, animals, and birds—especially during the frequent droughts and dry season the region is known for—where it would also serve as an alleviating factor in the drought for farmers and residents.

It's hard to overstate just how large and impactful the project is, not just in the role it’ll play in significantly improving the local environment, tourism, quality of life, and recreation for local residents, but also in its sheer physical size. 

The final product is about eighteen square miles in area, over ten thousand acres, and can fit the ten largest Florida public universities within its embankments, and then some. It’s not out of turn to say it’s something similar to our very own Three Gorges Dam (maybe they’ll call it the “Big Beautiful Dam” in the future, who knows) in terms of its size, scope, and long-term planning. It’s the largest above-ground reservoir in the U.S. and contains the second largest dam in the U.S., only second to the Hoover Dam of course, and triples Southwest Florida’s water storage capacity—capable of storing 55 billion gallons.

 C-43 is a project that’s been in discussion since the early 2000’s. When the final impact statement for the project was published. Fifteen years of planning and construction has taken place since then, and it is finally here after some of the worst algal blooms in the history of the region. It could not have come at a better time.

In attendance was Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Senate President Ben Albritton, who spoke about the continued efforts and massive resources (totaling about 8 billion dollars) the State of Florida has put forth in environmental management and restoration, particularly Everglades restoration. The same Everglades which has notably been thrust into the national spotlight due to the controversial creation of makeshift ICE detention camps at the abandoned Jetway in the middle of the swamp. The irony is not lost upon us. The Governor also has a large and very dedicated base in Southwest Florida, particularly on Sanibel Island—some will remember how quickly he expedited the reconstruction of a temporary roadway to Sanibel after the causeway bridges collapsed in Hurricane Ian. Sanibel is especially impacted by this reservoir.

Florida Governor Ronald Dion DeSantis speaking at the C-43 reservoir start-up.

In attendance was Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Senate President Ben Albritton, who spoke about the continued efforts and massive resources (totaling about 8 billion dollars) the State of Florida has put forth in environmental management and restoration, particularly Everglades restoration. The same Everglades which has notably been thrust into the national spotlight due to the controversial creation of makeshift ICE detention camps at the abandoned Jetway in the middle of the swamp. The irony is not lost upon us. The Governor also has a large and very dedicated base in Southwest Florida, particularly on Sanibel Island—some will remember how quickly he expedited the reconstruction of a temporary roadway to Sanibel after the causeway bridges collapsed in Hurricane Ian. Sanibel is especially impacted by this reservoir.