The Water Resources Reform and Development Act passed out of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure today with bi-partisan support. Congressman Trey Radel, R-Ft. Myers, sits on the committee. He says it’s a boon for Southwest Florida, with funding to build a reservoir which would act as a holding area for freshwater releases coming down the Caloosahatchee River from Lake Okeechobee.
“You all have seen the filthy, dirty, coffee brown disgusting water that is absolutely killing our economy,” Radel said.
The bill also contains funding for beach re-nourishment in Collier County and for restoration projects in the Fakahatchee Strand. The bill goes to the House floor next month. If it passes it will be the first water bill to come out of Congress since 2007. Radel said construction of the C43 Reservoir could take 3 to 4 years.
