(L-R) SCCF Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis, South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Drew Bartlett, Sanibel City Council Member Holly Smith, and Sanibel Natural Resources Director Holly Milbrandt. 

On Dec. 19, SCCF attended a ribbon cutting for the Caloosahatchee River (C-43) West Basin Storage Reservoir pump station, which will be able to push 1,500 cubic feet per second of water into the reservoir once it’s complete.

The C-43 Reservoir will reduce harmful water flows to the Caloosahatchee by providing extra water storage — capturing both local basin runoff and Lake Okeechobee regulatory releases to improve the health of the estuary. It is big enough to hold 55 billion gallons of water, or as much as 73 University of Florida football stadiums!

“This reservoir is the release valve we need to lessen the impact of damaging discharges and a source of flow to protect our estuaries in the dry season.” said SCCF Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis. “This project will give us some breathing room as we work to find solutions to store and treat the remaining gaps in the Caloosahatchee’s water budget.”