PALM CITY, Fla. — A ribbon-cutting in western Palm City marked the completion of the C-23 Canal Estuary Discharge Diversion Project Wednesday afternoon.
Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by the Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Executive Director of the South Florida Water Management District to celebrate a major step in restoring water quality in the region.
Watch report from Cassandra Garcia
The project features a nearly 7-mile canal and pump station designed to divert excess water from the C-23 Canal away from the St. Lucie Estuary and into the C-44 Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area, where it will be treated before entering the estuary.
"The nearly seven miles of new canal and the pump station will provide critical infrastructure for improving water quality and helping bring the flow of the St. Lucie Estuary closer to its natural pattern," DeSantis said.
The project, which cost roughly $57 million, took about three and a half years to complete.
Local residents are celebrating the milestone. Newton Cook, who is an avid fisherman, said the project will make a meaningful difference.
"I fish near Jensen Beach in the intracoastal, and it gets all the spoil, so it's very important to all of us who enjoy the wonders," Cook said.
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