Sugarcane fields bulldozed as SFWMD announces preliminary construction of EAA reservoir

South Florida Water Management District staff (from left), Federico Fernandez, board chairman; Ernie Marks, executive director; John Mitnik, chief engineer; and Eva Valez, director of Everglades policy and restoration, announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

South Florida Water Management District board Chairman Federico Fernandez was part of a team of district staff who announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

Sugarcane fields were bulldozed as South Florida Water Management District staff announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Board Chairman Federico Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

South Florida Water Management District staff (from left), Randy Smith, spokesperson; Federico Fernandez, board chairman; Ernie Marks, executive director; John Mitnik, chief engineer; and Eva Valez, director of Everglades policy and restoration, announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

Heavy machinery bulldozes sugarcane fields on a 560-acre tract of land set to become the EAA reservoir, seen Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Congress and President Donald Trump authorized the reservoir project in October by including it in America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, a list of all the water projects for the Army Corps of Engineers to do throughout the country.

Rows of sugarcane sprout up at the Palm Beach County location that will become the EAA reservoir, seen Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. The reservoir, designed to curb Lake Okeechobee discharges from reaching the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers, will take about eight years, according to Eva Valez, South Florida Water Management Disrict director for Everglades policy and restoration.

An imprint from heavy machinery is left in the ground on a piece of land that will become the 10,100-acre EAA reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water, seen Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County.

South Florida Water Management District staff (center, from left), Federico Fernandez, board chairman; Ernie Marks, executive director; John Mitnik, chief engineer; and Eva Valez, director of Everglades policy and restoration, announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

South Florida Water Management District staff (from left), Federico Fernandez, board chairman; Ernie Marks, executive director; John Mitnik, chief engineer; and Eva Valez, director of Everglades policy and restoration, announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

Sugarcane fields were bulldozed as South Florida Water Management District staff announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Board Chairman Federico Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

South Florida Water Management District staff, Federico Fernandez (left), board chairman and Ernie Marks, executive director, along with others, announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

Sugarcane fields were bulldozed as South Florida Water Management District staff announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Board Chairman Federico Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

South Florida Water Management District staff, John Mitnik (left), chief engineer and Eva Valez, director of Everglades policy and restoration, along with others, announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Board Chairman Federico Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

South Florida Water Management District staff, Federico Fernandez (left), board chairman and Ernie Marks, executive director, along with others, announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Ernie Marks was part of a team of district staff who announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Board Chairman Federico Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

Sugarcane fields were bulldozed as South Florida Water Management District staff announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Board Chairman Federico Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.

Sugarcane fields were bulldozed as South Florida Water Management District staff announced preliminary construction of the EAA reservoir on a 560-acre tract of land at a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in western Palm Beach County. Board Chairman Federico Fernandez said the water management district is "expediting this" project because it's "absolutely necessary" to move forward with constructing the 23-foot deep, 10,100-acre reservoir that will be able to store up to 78.2 billion gallons of excess Lake Okeechobee water. "Delaying is not an option," Fernandez said.