Kissimmee River Restoration Project

The Kissimmee River Restoration project aimed to restore over 40 square miles of river/floodplain ecosystem in Central and South Florida after two major hurricanes in the late 1940s caused mass flooding and property damage throughout the upper basin. The project encompassed two primary components: backfilling the C-38 canal (the channelized river's main drainage) and changing water level management practices in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes to maintain natural flow. Jointly managed by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the restoration of natural flow brought water quality improvement, habitat for wildlife, and native plants recolonization.