Florida sugar firms lose lawsuit; Everglades restoration moves forward

WINK News, March 27, 2025

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Army Corps, marking a significant victory for Everglades restoration efforts. The decision came after U.S. Sugar Corp., Okeelanta Corp., and the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative challenged the Army Corps over the allocation of Lake Okeechobee water for crop irrigation.

The sugarcane companies sought 500,000 acre-feet of water, equivalent to about 1 million Olympic swimming pools, claiming a “savings clause” in the 2000 Water Resources Development Act promised them this water. However, the court sided with the Army Corps, which used a 2008 management plan that limited water retention.

The court agreed with the district court that the Army Corps did not violate the savings clause. The ruling clarified that the savings clause applies only to water lost directly from Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects, not from unrelated operational changes like those made for public safety.

[Cont'd] Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation, emphasized the importance of this ruling. “A long awaited day yesterday for this opinion coming out of Atlanta about the reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee,” said Eikenberg. “It’s a great win for the Everglades, and quite frankly, it’s a huge step forward as we continue to work to reduce harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee.”

Eikenberg went on to say, “The greatest threat to Southwest Florida, to its real estate and its tourism industries, is toxic water from Lake Okeechobee.”.

Read WINK News' full story and watch the interview here: https://winknews.com/2025/03/27/florida-sugar-firms-lose-lawsuit-everglades-restoration-moves-forward/