Florida Puts $1.4 Billion Toward Everglades and Water Quality in New Budget

Record Environmental Spending Amid Controversy

Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s $117. 4 billion budget for fiscal year 2025-2026 on June 30, 2025, and buried inside is one of the largest environmental commitments in state history.

Over $1.4 billion will go toward Everglades restoration, water cleanup, springs protection, and coastal resilience. But the numbers tell two stories.

Some programs hit record highs while others got slashed to their legal minimums, and the governor’s veto pen cut millions more from local water projects across the state.

Everglades Restoration Gets $830 Million

The Everglades received the biggest share of environmental funding in the new budget.

About $550 million goes to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, the decades-long federal and state effort to fix South Florida’s broken water system.

Another $64 million will continue work on the EAA Reservoir, a massive water storage project designed to reduce harmful discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.

The budget also includes $81 million for the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program. Since DeSantis took office in 2019, the state has now invested $4.6 billion in Everglades and water quality projects.

$460 Million Targets Nutrient Pollution

Water quality improvements across Florida will receive $460 million.

The largest portion, $382 million, funds septic-to-sewer conversions and wastewater facility upgrades in communities where aging infrastructure leaks nutrients into lakes, rivers, and springs.

Another $50 million goes toward reducing harmful discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries near Lake Okeechobee.

The budget also includes $30 million to combat harmful algal blooms, including red tide along the Gulf Coast and blue-green algae in freshwater systems.

These blooms have devastated tourism and killed marine life in recent years.

Springs Get Only the Legal Minimum

Florida’s world-famous springs received $50 million, the lowest amount the state can legally allocate under existing law.

Compared to the $830 million going to the Everglades, springs advocates say North Florida continues to get shortchanged.

The money will fund land acquisition near spring recharge zones and capital projects to protect water flow.

Florida has more than 1,000 springs, and many have seen declining water levels and clarity as development and agriculture draw down the aquifer.

Environmental groups had pushed for significantly higher funding.

$260 Million for Coastal Resilience

Coastal communities will get $260 million to prepare for hurricanes, flooding, and rising seas.

The Resilient Florida program receives $209 million for projects like stormwater upgrades, seawall improvements, and flood mitigation.

Another $53 million funds beach nourishment along critically eroded shorelines. Since its creation, Resilient Florida has provided more than $1.8 billion in grants.

The program has become essential as Florida faces stronger storms and higher tides, with South Florida experiencing regular sunny-day flooding in low-lying neighborhoods.

Florida Forever Funding Crashes to $18 Million

The state’s flagship land conservation program took a major hit. Florida Forever received just $18 million, down from $229 million the previous year.

That 2024 figure was the highest in 16 years, boosted by federal pandemic relief funds that have now dried up.

The program, which acquires ecologically sensitive land for preservation, once received $300 million annually before the 2008 recession gutted its budget.

Environmental advocates called the cut a serious setback for protecting Florida’s remaining wild lands from development.

Farmers Get $250 Million to Not Develop

While Florida Forever shrank, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program grew to $250 million, up from $100 million last year.

The program pays farmers and ranchers to place conservation easements on their property, preventing future development while allowing agricultural use to continue.

Much of this money targets land within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, an 18-million-acre network connecting conservation areas from the Everglades to the Georgia border.

The shift reflects a strategy of preserving working lands rather than buying property outright.

DeSantis Blocks $200 Million Raid on Conservation

The legislature tried to sweep $200 million from land acquisition accounts into general revenue, but DeSantis vetoed the move.

The veto effectively restored the money to Florida Forever, keeping it available for future land purchases. Conservation groups praised the decision as critical for maintaining momentum on Wildlife Corridor protection.

The corridor, established by a bipartisan 2021 law, aims to connect fragmented habitats so species like the Florida panther and black bear can safely travel across the state.

Ocklawaha River Restoration Dies Again

Not everything survived the governor’s veto pen. DeSantis cut $6.25 million that would have funded the first phase of restoring the Ocklawaha River in North Florida.

The river was dammed nearly 60 years ago for a failed barge canal project, and removing the Rodman Dam would revive 20 lost springs and 7,500 acres of wetlands.

Environmental advocates have fought for decades to restore the river. State Senator Tom Leek publicly thanked DeSantis for the veto, saying the dam should remain for recreation.

Governor Vetoes $567 Million Statewide

DeSantis cut $567 million from the budget through line-item vetoes, with local water projects, parks, and transportation taking the biggest hits.

About $175 million in vetoes targeted water quality improvements, community park upgrades, and local infrastructure.

In Orange County alone, $7.5 million for the Wedgefield water system was cut. The vetoes continued a pattern from previous years, though the list was shorter than 2024.

Critics Say Budget Misses the Mark

Environmental groups had mixed reactions to the final spending plan.

The Florida Springs Council called it a step backward, noting the disparity between Everglades funding and springs protection.

Surfrider Foundation criticized cuts to the water quality grant program and the continued extension of a controversial program that reimburses private property owners for seawalls.

The Florida Policy Institute pointed out that overall Department of Environmental Protection funding was cut 19 percent from the previous year.

Supporters say the budget reflects fiscal responsibility while still investing heavily in conservation.

$4.6 Billion and Counting Under DeSantis

Despite the criticism, the numbers add up to a significant environmental commitment.

Since his second term began, DeSantis has now directed $4.6 billion toward Everglades restoration and water quality, putting the state on pace to exceed his $3.5 billion goal.

The question is whether the money is going to the right places. South Florida’s plumbing gets fixed while North Florida’s springs continue to decline.

Beaches get nourished while rivers stay dammed. The budget makes clear where the priorities are, and where they are not.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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