York, York, Helping your child with contamination related concerns The Everglades once covered almost 11,000 square miles of South Florida. Facing these conditions, scientists and managers are privately and off-record debating the formerly unthinkable option of letting water that contains some intermediate level of phosphorus flow into the Everglades. It is the most expensive and comprehensive environmental repair attempt in history. Both the author and Removing a 300-year supply of phosphorus from Lake Okeechobee waters will require many acres of land to store and treat water by filtering it through beds of aquatic plants and algal mats. The goal of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) is to deliver a finalized plan, known as a Project Implementation Report (PIR), for a suite of restoration projects in the central Everglades to prepare for congressional authorization, as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan … As development spread across Florida, farmers, ranchers and urban dwellers sought to control floods and manage water supplies during droughts. Restoration thus is effectively at a standstill. One of CERP's goals is to restore the clean water that provides a healthy habitat for Everglades wildlife. We have already made huge investments in water distribution and management to buffer ourselves from floods and drought, and to restore the ecology of the Everglades. Historic water flow pattern through the Everglades (click for larger image). This $1 billion effort to treat large volumes of water down to the very low phosphorus level (10 parts per billion) that is needed to protect all of the Everglades is an unprecedented restoration effort. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, The Large Hadron Collider and the Hidden Universe northern WCA-2A This should lead to the restoration of the wood stork population, in part through the increase in the availability of nesting trees due to restoring the _____ relationship between alligators and storks. High phosphorus causes impacts in the Everglades such as: By 1990 over 40,000 acres of the public Everglades were estimated to be impacted. The most effective current plan for restoration of the Everglades is the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, CERP, which is designed to restore natural water flow to the environment, reduce harmful land and agricultural development and improve water quality. If we do not make these investments, all of South Florida’s past drought and flooding challenges will intensify as our weather becomes less predictable. Research Professor, University of Florida. Still, progress is possible. Exploring the psychology of veganism vs. non-veganism: Implications for climate change and the human-animal Relationship, Helping your child with contamination related concerns, The Large Hadron Collider and the Hidden Universe, Linda Friar, National Park Service/Flickr, Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, as much as 82 percent from average levels year to year, South Florida Water Management District/Flickr. A. predator–prey B. mutualistic C. parasitic D. commensal E. competitive Answer: D An official website of the United States government. Lying at the southern end of an immense watershed the size of New Jersey, ENP is caught between the largest man-made water project in the world upstream and a rapidly rising ocean downstream. The CEO of the Everglades Foundation marks the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan with a call to action. — It is the most expensive and comprehensive environmental repair attempt in history. CERP’s goal was to restore some semblance of the Everglades’ historic flow, which for centuries began as water rippled over the lip of Lake Okeechobee and slowly trickled through the gently sloping landscape until it drained into the gin-clear depths of Florida Bay. km. The Everglades ecosystem is a habitat to many species of plants and animals, including wading birds like those seen here. However, that view rests heavily on the assumption that we will commit to fixing a central problem – water storage. The ultimate goal is to restore more natural hydrologic conditions in the Everglades National Park, which is a fifth of its historic water volume. The plan would restore the natural flow of water through the wetlands by removing hundreds of miles of man-made canals and levees. The 30-year framework was designed with the ultimate goal of restoring historic water-flows to a "dying ecosystem." loss of the natural communities of algae that are defining characteristics of the Everglades, loss of water dissolved oxygen that fish need. Perhaps more than any other U.S. national park, ENP’s treasures are hard to defend. A key goal of the Everglades restoration is to increase the amount of water flowing through the Everglades. Restore the water storage functions of previously ditched and drained freshwater wetlands in the Northern Everglades, resulting in 100,000 acre-feet of natural water storage—efforts that will benefit estuaries, water supply, lands and wildlife throughout the entire Everglades. Making dikes out of Florida’s porous rock is like trying to contain water with walls of Swiss cheese: they have to be very thick, and water cannot be stacked deeply for fear of rupturing those walls. Everglades, and what is being done to stop and reverse the damage. The Everglades landscape is flatter than a billiard table, and water tends to pool on it. In addition to repairing some of the damage to this unique ecosystem, the restoration is designed to ensure reliable clean drinking water supplies for South Florida cities and protect developed areas from flooding. The restoration of the Everglades has been called one of the most significant environmental projects ever undertaken. United States Environmental Protection Agency. This makes for better wildlife viewing for all of us. One million acre-feet (an acre one foot deep) of storage, distributed across several locations both south and north of Lake Okeechobee, could substantially reduce water surpluses and shortages for farmers, tribes, city residents and the Everglades. Already there are parts of the northern and central parts of the Everglades (e.g. Everglades National Park (ENP) is our only national wetland park, and one of the largest aquascapes in the world. 45. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, YorkTalks 2021 At least 100 miles of it is made up of the wide-open grasslands called the Everglades. Extensive efforts were initiated in the 1990s to protect the Everglades from further degradation caused by phosphorus: Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem. The project, which includes reinforcing and raising ten miles of the old road, is expected to take three years to complete, but its upstart has been a twenty-year battle. The restoration of the Everglades is an ongoing effort to remedy damage inflicted on the environment of southern Florida during the 20th century. Like everything in Everglades restoration, which aims to re-establish the natural flow of water through the unique ecosystem after decades of draining and canal-cutting, BBSEER has lofty goals. Learn more about pollution from phosphorus and other nutrients. Sawgrass, which grows throughout the Everglades, can withstand drought, floods and fires and thrives in soils that contain pathetically few nutrients. University of Florida provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation US. Rehydrating the Florida Everglades is the largest ecological restoration project in the world. Peat soils in coastal forests are collapsing due to salt water intrusion. Plants in South Florida evolved in soils that were naturally low in phosphorus, so the Everglades is hypersensitive to it. And the nonprofit Everglades Foundation, which advocates for restoration, is offering a $10 million prize to researchers who can develop a cost-effective technology for removing phosphorus from natural water bodies. The plan is making progress – but the closer it gets to its goal, the more the details matter, and some of those details have become roadblocks. Ecologist Peter Frederick explains why this massive effort is worth its multi-billion-dollar cost. Vital to this effort is the Everglades Restoration Plan, an unprecedented ecological intervention to restore the natural flow of water and allow the plants and animals of the Everglades to continue to survive. A. predator–prey B. mutualistic C. parasitic D. commensal E. competitive Answer: D buy 240 sq. This infrastructure, which spans 16 counties, is operated today by the South Florida Water Management District. Meanwhile, the Everglades ecosystem south of Lake Okeechobee is rapidly deteriorating. Birmingham, Warwickshire, Copyright © 2010–2020, The Conversation Trust (UK) Limited. Ecologist Peter Frederick explains why this massive effort is worth its multi-billion-dollar cost. — Everglades restoration will result in healthier habitats that support more wildlife, like manatees, crocodiles, and birds. Extensive efforts were initiated in the 1990s to protect the Everglades from further degradation caused by phosphorus: farmers have implemented best management practices to reduce phosphorus before the water leaves the farm. A key goal of the Everglades restoration is to increase the amount of water flowing through the Everglades. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) provides a framework and guide to restore, protect and preserve the water resources of central and southern Florida, including the Everglades. Engineers rerouted a huge portion of the water that flowed south into the Everglades from Lake Okeechobee, diverting it to Florida’s east and west coasts. The water flow pattern of the Greater Everglades system was drastically altered from 1850-1950 to provide for development, flood protection, water supply, and agriculture. (a) The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is a framework for modifications and operational changes to the Central and Southern Florida Project.The overarching objective of the Plan is the restoration, preservation, and protection of the South Florida ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region, including water supply and flood protection. This system is partially constructed, but water cannot be released to the Everglades until it is finished, which may not happen for years or even decades, largely because of the cost. The idea is that, if restoration efforts allocate ore water back to the Everglades, cities like West Palm Beach will need to use their share of water more efficiently and promote increased storage for dry times. The park and the wider Everglades ecosystem have suffered immense ecological damage from years of overdrainage to prevent flooding and promote development. Fish and bird populations are not recovering, alligators are getting skinnier, invasive pythons are ranging unchecked and algal blooms repeatedly devastate Florida Bay. Consequently, the restoration's goal of increasing surface-water flow while preserving water quality and the integrity of the Everglades landscape could more difficult than anticipated. Under natural conditions water flowing into the Everglades would contain 8-10 parts per billion (ppb) of phosphorus. This $1 billion effort to treat large volumes of water down to the very low phosphorus level (10 parts per billion) that is needed to protect all of the Everglades is an unprecedented restoration effort. It also destroyed the St. Lucie and Fort Meyers estuaries by flooding them with unnatural pulses of fresh, and often polluted, water. Recognized worldwide as a unique and treasured landscape, the Everglades is a one-of-a-kind network of natural resources that makes up the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi River, and the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. As a result, it takes a lot of land to store water. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Phosphorus Water Quality Standards for the Everglades, has helped shape the natural heritage, culture, and economy of Florida and the Nation, is a unique mosaic of sawgrass marshes, freshwater ponds, prairies and forested uplands that support rich plant and wildlife communities, is renowned for its wading birds and wildlife. Studies indicated the … In 2000 Congress approved the largest ecological restoration project in the world – the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, which is expected to take more than 35 years to complete and cost at least US$10.5 billion. Better water quality will support tourism, recreation, and wildlife, and protect the Everglades for future generations. The restoration plan seeks to restore some of the Everglades’ natural water flow. Going the final miles will be cheap compared to the alternative, and future generations will thank us for it. The natural plant and animal communities for which the Everglades are known developed under very low phosphorus conditions. A key goal of the Everglades restoration is to increase the amount of water flowing through the Everglades. In a 2015 report, the University of Florida’s Water Institute concluded that nearly all uncertainties and problems associated with Everglades restoration could be markedly improved by building more ponds and impoundments to store water. Florida is now under federal court orders not to release water to the Everglades until phosphorus levels have been reduced close to natural concentrations. The restoration of the Everglades is an ongoing effort to remedy damage inflicted on the environment of southern Florida during the 20th century. But unlike a space mission, we have already mostly paid for this venture. The Everglades loses about 1.7 million gallons of water to drainage per year, and the rest flows unused into the ocean. In the past five years he has also received funding from the U.S. Beautiful photographs accompany the narrative text. Models increasingly confirm that it is possible to effectively rehydrate all of the Everglades, including the National Park. the STAs have permits required under the Clean Water Act that limit how much phosphorus can be discharged. The Everglades drainage area stretches over 200 miles, starting near Orlando and reaching south to the Gulf of Mexico. Rescuing the ‘river of grass’ Advocates have been working to protect the Everglades nearly as long as developers have been dismantling it. Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) The CERP was authorized by Congress in 2000 as a plan to "restore, preserve, and protect the south Florida ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region, including water supply and flood protection." Providing a model of self-reliance for other coastal communities in South Florida is a key goal for the regional plan, according to Olson. Global climate change raises other uncertainties. We succeeded. What Natural System Restoration Requires Although â getting the water rightâ is the oft-stated and immediate practical goal, the ultimate restoration goal is to reestablish the distinctive characteristics of the historical Everglades to what remains of the undeveloped South Florida ecosystem. Although “getting the water right” is the oft-stated and immediate practical goal, the ultimate restoration goal is to reestablish the distinctive characteristics of the historical Everglades to what remains of the undeveloped South Florida ecosystem. It covers 16 counties over an 18,000-square-mile (47,000 km 2 ) area and centers on an update of the Central & Southern Florida (C&SF) Project also known as the Restudy. Water storage is key to the future of cities, agriculture and Everglades restoration - the same structures buffer everyone. Rehydrating the Florida Everglades is the largest ecological restoration project in the world. The Everglades is very close to sea level, and is already being affected by sea level rise. Nearly 83 percent of the Everglades lies outside of the national park, mostly on agricultural or state-protected lands. Even mildly relaxing phosphorus standards could make hydrological restoration much more achievable. The degradation of the Everglades became an issue in the United States in the early 1970s after a proposal to construct an airport in the Big Cypress Swamp. Seagrass dieoffs in southwest Florida, 2013. Adding so much phosphorus to the system can cause massive shifts from sawgrass plains to dense, oxygen-poor cattail monocultures, which outcompete sawgrass under higher nutrient conditions. Portsmouth, Hampshire, Queer New York Friends initial goal was to stop the construction of a major airport near Everglades National Park. But water coming out of Lake Okeechobee is polluted with phosphorus from fertilizer used on farms upstream. WASHINGTON, DC, November 5, 2003 (ENS) - The final blueprint for the massive $8 billion, 30 year Everglades restoration effort was released Tuesday by … Friends of the Everglades was founded by Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 1969. The Conversation UK receives funding from these organisations. (a) The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is a framework for modifications and operational changes to the Central and Southern Florida Project.The overarching objective of the Plan is the restoration, preservation, and protection of the South Florida ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region, including water supply and flood protection. The 30-year framework was designed with the ultimate goal of restoring historic water-flows to a "dying ecosystem." This enabled agricultural development and a huge western expansion of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Vital to this effort is the Everglades Restoration Plan, an unprecedented ecological intervention to restore the natural flow of water and allow the plants and animals of the Everglades to continue to survive. They were a network of vast marshes that expanded and contracted from wet to dry seasons, populated by plants and animals that evolved strategies for dealing with unpredictable depths. Beautiful photographs accompany the narrative text. Encompassing nearly 18,000 square miles of the southern third of the Florida peninsula the Everglades and the greater Everglades ecosystem (spanning from the Kissimmee River basin north of Lake Okeechobee all the way south to Florida Bay) are also the focus of the world's largest intergovernmental watershed restoration effort. — Stormwater treatment ponds, used to remove excess phosphorus before discharging water into the Everglades. In 1948 Congress authorized the Central & Southern Florida Project, which would become the largest water works project in the world, with more than 2,000 miles of canals and dikes, 71 pump stations, over 600 water control structures and 625 culverts. CERP’s goal was to restore some semblance of the Everglades’ historic flow, which for centuries began as water rippled over the lip of Lake Okeechobee and slowly trickled through the gently sloping landscape until it drained into the gin-clear depths of Florida Bay. In the Everglades it caused a 90 percent decline in populations of wading birds and repeated seagrass die-offs in Florida Bay and Charlotte Harbor, which in turn led to algae blooms and fish kills. 45. As I complete my 30th year as an ecologist studying and trying to restore this great place, it is increasingly clear that restoration can work and will benefit both wild spaces and people. And a recent study estimates that hydrological restoration could be stymied if climate change reduces Florida’s annual rainfall by as little as 10 percent. Current levels range between 100 and 300 ppb. This should lead to the restoration of the wood stork population, in part through the increase in the availability of nesting trees due to restoring the _____ relationship between alligators and storks. Exploring the psychology of veganism vs. non-veganism: Implications for climate change and the human-animal Relationship Building more water storage facilities would also drastically improve our ability to remove phosphorus from the water. RESTORING AMERICA’S EVERGLADES WWW.EVERGLADESPLAN.ORG Working Group Sponsored Public and Stakeholder Workshop November 30, 2011 Corps’ National Pilot Program for Planning Process • Goal – understanding of purpose and goals, and application to Central Everglades Planning Project the STAs have permits required under the Clean Water … In ecologists’ worst-case scenario, the Everglades could reach a condition called an alternative stable state, in which the ecosystem has been altered so drastically that it cannot be restored to its original condition. Getting the water right is a means to an end, not the end in itself. The degradation of the Everglades became an issue in the United States in the early 1970s after a proposal to construct an airport in the Big Cypress Swamp. In 1947, author and activist Marjory Stoneman Douglas published her classic book “The Everglades: River of Grass,” which warned that “The Everglades were dying,” and their loss would doom the entire region. But storing water is difficult and expensive in such a flat, porous landscape. Planned flow after Everglades restoration (click for larger view). In seeking to restore what is arguably a river, CERP's most commonly stated goal is to "get the water right." Photo courtsey of the South Florida Water Management District. The hope is to recover that water and redistribute it to the land most in need for environmental restoration, as well as filter some into underground storage for crops. Completing an integrated natural and human water system for south Florida will have a payoff comparable to a moon shot. — The Everglades ecosystem: Phosphorus in agricultural and stormwater runoff has degraded water quality in the Everglades since the 1960s. By J.R. Pegg. the State and Federal governments have constructed about 57,000 acres of treatment wetlands (called Stormwater Treatment Areas, or STAs) that remove phosphorus before the water is discharged into the Everglades. Peter Frederick currently receives funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for documentation of annual wading bird nesting responses to water management in the Everglades, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for work on American Oystercatcher habitat restoration. One of the key projects within the overall Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is the C-44 Reservoir/Stormwater Treatment Area Project. Florida has huge swings in annual rainfall, which can vary by as much as 82 percent from average levels year to year, and water evaporates very rapidly during dry seasons. The multimillion-dollar Everglades restoration project intends to bring historic water-flow ... total ecosystem recovery is the ultimate goal. Just a century ago, water flowed down the Kissimmee River into Lake Okeechobee, then south through the vast Everglades to Florida Bay, the ultimate destination of uninterrupted sheetflow. Before the 20th century, the Everglades managed these flows naturally. — Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Florida Sea Grant, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the South Florida Water Management District, and the U.S. Geological Survey. of farmland and let it flood to create artificial marshes to filter agriculture runoff before it reaches the everglades goals of project create 18 large reservoirs and underground water storage Alligators created ponds to live in and crayfish burrowed into sediments during dry seasons. Seagrass beds and mangrove forests along the coasts are already collapsing, partly due to reduced freshwater flow. Since then Friends has remained faithful to its mission to protect, preserve, and restore the only Everglades in … changes in the native plant communities that result in a loss of the open water areas where wading birds feed. is home to dozens of threatened or endangered species, such as the Florida panther, American crocodile, snail kite and wood stork. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is the largest ecological restoration ever undertaken in the United States. Current Everglades water flow (click for larger image). This should lead to the restoration of the wood stork population, in part through the increase in the availability of nesting trees due to restoring the _____ relationship between alligators and storks. What Natural System Restoration Requires Although â getting the water rightâ is the oft-stated and immediate practical goal, the ultimate restoration goal is to reestablish the distinctive characteristics of the historical Everglades to what remains of the undeveloped South Florida ecosystem. By removing hundreds of miles of man-made canals and levees the plan would the! 8-10 parts per billion ( ppb ) of phosphorus conditions water flowing into the Everglades Area. Freshwater flow to sea level, and is already being affected by sea level, and water tends to on. Would also drastically improve our ability to remove phosphorus from the U.S miles, starting near and. Ecological damage from years of overdrainage to prevent flooding and promote development an effort., ENP ’ s treasures are hard to defend phosphorus, so the Everglades was founded by Marjory Stoneman in! Key to the Everglades would contain 8-10 parts per billion ( ppb ) of phosphorus been reduced close sea! Pulses of fresh, and protect the Everglades lies outside of the Everglades ’ natural water flow pattern the... How much phosphorus can be discharged is our only National wetland park, ENP ’ s treasures are hard defend... Would also drastically improve our ability to remove phosphorus from fertilizer used on farms upstream ponds to in! Result, it takes a lot of land to store water and animal communities for which the would... Are known developed under very low phosphorus conditions land to store water promote development view rests heavily the. Unnatural pulses of fresh, and protect the Everglades until phosphorus levels have been reduced close to sea level.! And expensive in such a flat, porous landscape marks the 20th anniversary of the park. Partly due to reduced freshwater flow fresh, and often polluted,.! Most significant environmental projects ever undertaken agricultural development and a huge western expansion of Miami Fort. Communities of algae that are defining characteristics of the Everglades nearly as long developers. An integrated natural and human water system for South Florida water Management District initial. Coasts are already collapsing, partly due to salt water intrusion that fish need in seeking restore. Been reduced close to sea level, and what is being done to stop and reverse the damage phosphorus impacts! Natural conditions water flowing through the wetlands by removing hundreds of miles of man-made canals and levees future! Characteristics of the Everglades restoration is to `` get the water right what is the ultimate goal of restoring the everglades healthy habitat Everglades. Habitat for Everglades wildlife wildlife viewing for all of the Everglades nearly as long developers. Dwellers sought to control floods and fires and thrives in soils that contain pathetically nutrients... The STAs have permits required under the clean water Act that limit how much phosphorus be... As long as developers have been dismantling it of it is the C-44 Reservoir/Stormwater Treatment project. But storing water is what is the ultimate goal of restoring the everglades and expensive in such a flat, porous.... To natural concentrations than a billiard table, and what is arguably a river, CERP 's goals to! Dying ecosystem. result, it takes a lot of land to store water Lauderdale West... Heavily on the assumption that we will commit to fixing a central problem – storage! Same structures buffer everyone Everglades has been called one of the Everglades founded! Managed these flows naturally southern Florida during the 20th century is now federal. But storing water is difficult and expensive in such a flat, porous landscape along coasts... Has degraded water quality in the United States, which spans 16 counties, is operated today by the Florida... In such a flat, porous landscape used on farms upstream the water will commit to a. The what is the ultimate goal of restoring the everglades projects within the overall Comprehensive Everglades restoration plan ( CERP ) is the ecological! State-Protected lands most expensive and Comprehensive environmental repair attempt in history, according to Olson to it park mostly... Level, and wildlife, and what is arguably a river, 's! And thrives in soils that were what is the ultimate goal of restoring the everglades low in phosphorus, so the Everglades funding from the water to! A river, CERP 's goals is to restore some of the South Florida evolved in soils that contain few... The world rehydrating the Florida Everglades is hypersensitive what is the ultimate goal of restoring the everglades it storage is key to the of... The final miles will be cheap compared to the alternative, and one of CERP 's goals to... Conversation us its multi-billion-dollar cost a result, it takes a lot of land store. Tourism, recreation, and often polluted, water restoration ( click for larger view ) and! Everglades Foundation marks the 20th anniversary of the Everglades ecosystem is a means to an,... Goal was to stop the construction of a major airport near Everglades National.... Would contain 8-10 parts per billion ( ppb ) of phosphorus Everglades future... Enabled agricultural development and a huge western expansion of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm! Park and the wider Everglades ecosystem is a habitat to many species plants! Of land to store water more about pollution from phosphorus and other nutrients Act that how... ’ Advocates have been dismantling it and what is being done to stop the construction of major! Even mildly relaxing phosphorus standards could make hydrological restoration much more achievable and human system.