DeSantis' Everglades Money Leaves Unfinished Work for Next Governor

Nearly $9.5 billion went to water quality and Everglades restoration, while Florida acquired more than half a million acres for conservation. That's the headline record Gov. Ron DeSantis leaves behind after nearly eight years, and advocates say it's real. They also say it isn't the whole story.

The two candidates seeking to replace him, Democrat David Jolly and Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, both promise to continue parts of his conservation agenda. But development pressure, data-center demand and nutrient pollution are crowding the debate in Florida.

A Record Born of a Crisis

The political backdrop matters. In 2018, toxic blue-green algae covered Lake Okeechobee, while red tide washed dead fish, sea turtles and dolphins onto beaches. Eric Eikenberg, CEO of the nonprofit Everglades Foundation, said water and algae were prominent concerns in that year's governor's race. DeSantis called himself a "Teddy Roosevelt Republican" and promised to protect the environment. Pat Rose, executive director of Save the Manatee Club, said DeSantis "did not ignore it" and "certainly didn't shirk from it."

The centerpiece is the EAA Reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee, a multibillion-dollar project designed to improve the quantity and quality of water flowing to the Everglades and Florida Bay, while reducing harmful discharges to south Florida estuaries. State and federal governments agreed to speed up its completion by five years. The project is scheduled for completion by 2029. DeSantis called it the "crown jewel" of restoration. He also signed a law creating a program to make coastlines and inland waterways more resilient to sea-level rise, even as he opposed what he called "radical climate agendas."

The Risk of Declaring Victory

At a Cabinet meeting in late September, DeSantis said, "I don't think we're going to need to spend what I've spent on the Everglades, because we've gotten so much done." Advocates heard a warning.

Gil Smart, executive director of VoteWater, said the reservoir's completion could prompt DeSantis' successor to declare restoration finished. "If you take the view that that is the final piece of the puzzle, then once it's done, you can stand atop it, wave the flag, and say we did it," he said. "But you have to look at what the system is doing at that point too."

Advocates said the reservoir and related projects won't fix all of Florida's water problems. The next governor, they said, would need to tackle nutrient pollution and consider buying more land for water storage and treatment.

Environmental advocates also described "Alligator Alcatraz," an immigration detention center built in a national preserve and later shuttered, as a major stumble. In response to questions, DeSantis press secretary Molly Best cited Everglades restoration, water quality, Florida Forever, coastal resilience projects and the removal of fluoride from public drinking water. "As Governor, Ron DeSantis has prioritized conserving Florida's natural resources since his first day in office, recognizing the direct link between Florida's environment, our economic competitiveness, and quality of life," Best said.

Growth, Data Centers and Who Profits

Development now sits at the center of the governor's race. Haley Busch, outreach director with 1000 Friends of Florida, said residents are talking about growth, congestion and "seeing their Old Florida disappear." She said data-center proposals in rural areas have mobilized residents concerned about long-term planning.

Jolly pledged to pause hyperscale data-center construction and reverse some development laws passed under DeSantis, including a 2025 law that bars local governments from imposing development regulations after a hurricane. He criticized the Live Local Act. "Live Local and other acts were designed to deliver more affordable housing, it hasn't," Jolly said. "What we have seen is it's a giveaway to developers that have built the million-dollar condos and disrupted communities. It hasn't impacted workforce and affordable housing." He would continue Everglades restoration and expand Florida Forever, but would consider "nearly wholesale replacing" the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, whose members he called "developers and trophy hunters." The state Senate would have to approve any new commissioners.

Donalds said he would protect natural resources from data centers and overdevelopment. Critics have faulted him for accepting millions of dollars from real estate and data-center interests. At an event where the Everglades Trust endorsed him earlier that month, he said he would continue state funding for Everglades restoration and that "our goal is to be done over the next four years," followed by a management phase. "It's not just about finishing the work, it's about maintaining it, managing it, so it can continue to be beautiful," he said. His campaign spokesperson didn't respond to questions before publication.

Nick Wiley, a former executive director of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission under Govs. Charlie Crist and Rick Scott, now leads the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida. He said DeSantis showed "a lot of good leadership" and that balancing growth and environmental management has "never been more front and center than it is right now." Future governors, Wiley said, will have to embrace environmental leadership because it's a "core Florida" value.

Why This Matters: Restoration money doesn't clean water by itself. Nor is the political temptation to declare a project finished any less real. DeSantis' own words about not needing to keep spending at this pace, alongside advocates' warnings about nutrient pollution and the need for more land, show how quickly public commitment can fade once officials cut a ribbon. The next governor will also decide who writes the rules for growth. Disputes over post-hurricane development limits, the Live Local Act and data-center demand ask whether communities or developers get the final say over the places people live. Voters, especially those in rural areas watching proposals arrive, will live with the answers.