After a long career in law and wealth management, I have learned that the most consequential investments are often those whose value compounds over generations.Everglades restoration is such an investment, and Palm Beach County is among its most direct beneficiaries.
Consider real estate, one of the clearest measures of South Florida’s dependence on clean water. Palm Beach County property values, among the most durable in the country, rest in part on the health of the waterways that distinguish this region. When Lake Okeechobee discharges send nutrient-laden water into the Lake Worth Lagoon, the consequences can include algae blooms, fish kills, canceled reservations, and disrupted property transactions. Clean water is therefore more than a scenic
amenity. It supports real estate values as well as the tourism, hospitality, and service industries that help drive Florida’s economy. Economists have valued the Everglades as a $1 trillion asset. This ecosystem also supports fishing, boating, recreation, and many other businesses vital to Florida’s continued success.
But it would be a mistake to make this only about economics. Millions of Floridians, including many in the southern part of our own county, draw their drinking water from the Biscayne Aquifer, which depends on the natural flow of water through the Everglades system. Restoring that flow means something to people who may never set foot in Palm Beach but whose daily lives depend on the same water system we do. That's worth remembering, and worth supporting on its own terms.
Recent progress warrants celebration, even as substantial work remains.
This year brought real news: the full execution of federally funded contracts for the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, south of Lake Okeechobee, the single most consequential piece of the restoration puzzle. Once built, it will capture and clean billions of gallons of our water and send it south toward the Everglades and the Florida Keys, instead of into the estuaries, like Lake Worth Lagoon, where it does so much damage. Officials now expect the reservoir complete as early as 2029, five years ahead of schedule, following a 2025 agreement that gave Florida a bigger hand in building out these federally backed Everglades restoration projects. Pump stations are going up. Contracts are signed. This isn't a plan anymore. It's happening now!
Experience has taught me that long-term investments require the greatest discipline as they approach completion. That is often when patience weakens and the temptation to settle for an incomplete result becomes strongest. Everglades restoration is no exception: an effort that is mostly complete cannot deliver the full benefits of a finished system. The prudent course for Florida’s next governor is to protect the progress already made, maintain funding and accountability, and complete the work.
The engineers, scientists, and advocates, including those at The Everglades Foundation, who have pushed this effort forward for decades have earned our support. What's left is for the rest of us to make sure the funding out of Washington and Tallahassee holds, the timelines get honored, and the momentum doesn't quietly fade now that the hardest groundwork is behind us.
This is not a matter of sentiment. It is an exercise in stewardship: protecting property values, sustaining a shared economy, and preserving the water supply on which millions of Floridians depend. Completing Everglades restoration would be a sound investment for this generation and an enduring inheritance for the next.
Garrison duP. Lickle serves on the board of directors of The Everglades Foundation. He brings more than 40 years of experience in wealth management and has a longstanding presence in the Palm Beach community.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Everglades restoration remains one smart investment | Opinion
