Picayune Strand Restoration Project
Client: United States Army Corps of Engineers (2022-2025), South Florida Water Management District (2026 onward)
Date Start/End Date: 2022-2025, 2026-Ongoing
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) planned to restore the hydrology and habitat within the Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PSRP), located in Collier County, Florida, in collaboration with South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and many other stakeholders. The PSRP is a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The PSRP will restore over 55,000 acres of native Florida wetlands and is expected to result in improved flows of water into Collier Seminole State Park (CSSP), Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge and the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, thereby restoring natural sheet flow of water and improving habitat for fish and wildlife resources, including threatened and endangered species such as the Florida Panther. This restoration will help with the connectivity of the ecosystem and assist with aquifer recharge to help prevent saltwater intrusion.
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Earthology was awarded the contract for the environmental monitoring and assessment of the Southwest Protection Features (SWPF) component of the PSRP. This monitoring included surface water and sediment quality, flow, stage, fish tissue, groundwater level, vegetation transects, and periphyton to support adaptive management and monitoring while the SWPF are being constructed. This monitoring will take place in and around CSSP, where we expect a return to historical freshwater water levels which will, in turn, assist with fire and natural resource management. The period of monitoring services started in 2022 and lasted until 2025, before the project changed hands and is now overseen by SFWMD with the completion of the construction. Earthology will continue to monitor the efforts of the post-construction phase of the project.
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As of January 28th, 2026, the Picayune Strand Restoration Project turned on the final pump station, commemorating this historical achievement with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, which can be found summarized in this press release by South Florida Water Management District.
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SFWMD's PSRP map
SFWMD's PSRP map