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Dueling Studies: Environmentalists Push For Southern Reservoir

Chauncey Davis via wikimedia commons
Credit Chauncey Davis via wikimedia commons

The Everglades Foundation is touting the economic benefits of water storage south of Lake Okeechobee.

The Everglades Foundation claims a southern reservoir would make a bigger impact on water quality than water storage north of the lake.  CEO Eric Eikenberg argues property values in the everglades agricultural area, or EAA, could rise significantly.

“The EAA southern reservoir will add more than $19 billion in real estate values in Lee County and Martin Counties alone,” Eikenberg says.

The study stands at odds with reports from the James Madison Institute—a free-market oriented think tank advocating water storage north of Lake Okeechobee instead.  JMI argues Florida’s economy could lose seven hundred million dollars by taking agricultural land out of production, but Eikenberg argues benefits far outweigh the costs.  Southern water storage is priority for Senate President Joe Negron.

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Nick Evans came to Tallahassee to pursue a masters in communications at Florida State University. He graduated in 2014, but not before picking up an internship at WFSU. While he worked on his degree Nick moved from intern, to part-timer, to full-time reporter. Before moving to Tallahassee, Nick lived in and around the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years. He listens to far too many podcasts and is a die-hard 49ers football fan. When Nick’s not at work he likes to cook, play music and read.