NACD 2010 Orlando Everglades Restoration: Plans, Progress, and Partnerships3

“The Everglades are an American treasure, and saving them must be a national priority.” -Vice President Al Gore July 1, 1999

Topics Background l The Everglades Restoration Plan l Collaboration and Partnerships l Kissimmee River Restoration

South Florida Ecosystem ü Area - 18,000 square miles ü Population today - ~7 million

Why is the South Florida Ecosystem Important? l 80% of the nation’s citrus production and almost 25% of sugar production l Major tourist and recreation activities, Florida’s largest industry l Home to 67 threatened or endangered plant and animal species l The Everglades have been designated a World Heritage Site and a Wetland of International Significance

l Large spatial scale l Highly diverse mosaic of plant communities l Dynamic storage and sheetflow l Wet and dry hydrologic cycles l Ecosystem adapted to low amounts of nutrients (oligotrophic) The Historic Everglades Ecosystem “River of Grass”

Extensive agricultural development of muck lands mid 1800s Settlement continues… 1926 & 1928 Catastrophic hurricanes… 1930s Muck fires 1947 Extensive floods Everglades National Park designated 1947 Changes early 1900s

Purposes: Flood control, water conservation and control, salt water intrusion, fish and wildlife, water supply to Everglades National Park, and environmental restoration l Features: 46 bridges, 10 locks, 1,000 miles of canals, 720 miles of levees, over 150 water control structures, and 16 pump stations Central and Southern Florida (C&SF) Project

The C&SF Project One of the world’s largest and most complex water management systems

South Florida Flourished

The landscape was altered

Large freshwater discharges freshen estuaries

Soil Subsidence in the Everglades Agricultural Area

The addition of phosphorus causes cattail problems in Everglades marshes

Exotic and invasive species have altered the ecosystem

Ever expanding population with demands for land, flood control, and water supply

Historical Flows Significantly Altered

An Ecosystem in Trouble…. l Greatly altered landscape l Flow interrupted by canals and levees l Timing and distribution of flow changed l Degradation of water quality l Repetitive water shortages and salt water intrusion l On average, 1.7 billion gallons a day of excess water sent to tide

On December 11, 2000, the President signed the Water Resources Development Act of 2000, approving: Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) Rescuing an Endangered Ecosystem: The Plan to Restore America’s Everglades The Central and Southern Florida Project Comprehensive Review Study (The Restudy) July 1999 A program providing for the restoration, preservation and protection of the south Florida ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region.

The principal goal of CERP is to deliver the right amount of water, of the right quality, to the right places, and at the right time. Get the water right... QualityQuantity TimingDistribution

180,000 acres will be used to store more water Surface Water Storage Reservoir

Fresh water will be stored in 330 underground wells Aquifer Storage and Recovery Surface Water Storage Reservoir

36,000 acres of constructed wetlands clean the water Aquifer Storage and Recovery Surface Water Storage Reservoir Stormwater Treatment Areas

Barriers will slow water loss to the east coast Aquifer Storage and Recovery Surface Water Storage Reservoir Seepage Management Stormwater Treatment Areas

240 miles of canals and levees will be removed to reconnect the Everglades Aquifer Storage and Recovery Surface Water Storage Reservoir Removing Barriers to Sheetflow Seepage Management Stormwater Treatment Areas

Two wastewater reuse plants are proposed Aquifer Storage and Recovery Surface Water Storage Reservoir Removing Barriers to Sheetflow Wastewater Reuse Seepage Management Stormwater Treatment Areas

Operational changes will be made to water delivery Aquifer Storage and Recovery Surface Water Storage Reservoir Removing Barriers to Sheetflow Operational Changes Seepage Management Stormwater Treatment Areas Wastewater Reuse

The Goal

Developing the Plan: Challenges Competing interests Need for holistic approach Complexity of problems Conflicting agency responsibilities Intense stakeholder interest

Whiskey’s for drinking, water’s for fighting over” “Whiskey’s for drinking, water’s for fighting over” - Attributed to Mark Twain

Environment Agriculture Urban Competing Interests

Strategic Goals for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration l Get the Water Right l Restore, preserve, and protect natural habitats and species l Foster compatibility of the built and natural systems

Developing An Implementable Plan Technical Feasibility Public Acceptability The Plan

Army Corps of Engineers South Florida Water Management District Federal Agencies State Agencies Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes Local Governments Interagency Team

Relationships – The Three Cs l Collaboration l Communication l Cooperation

Community and Stakeholder Outreach Key to successful implementation Key to successful implementation Program success is dependent upon public perception and support Program success is dependent upon public perception and support

l Effort to better involve African- American, Hispanic, Caribbean, and other minority populations l Engage key community leaders, activists and opinion leaders l Identify and address existing and new issues l Hold meetings l Prepare appropriate information products Outreach to Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Communities

Building Consensus “Realtime” Data Sharing Governor’s Commission Working Group and Task Force Active Public Involvement Public Workshops Interagency Team

Restoration of the Kissimmee River

Kissimmee River Channelization (1962 to 1971) Transformed the 103 mile natural, meandering river and floodplain To a 56 mile straight, narrow and deep canal

Kissimmee River Channelization Unintended Consequences l More than 30,000 acres of wetland habitat lost l More than 90% reduction in migratory waterfowl l Dramatic reduction in wading birds l Significant impact on sport fisheries – replaced by species that can tolerate low oxygen

ORLANDO KISSIMMEE RIVER C-38 S-83 S-84 C-41A Lake Okeechobee LOCATION MAP N Lake Istokpoga Kissimmee Lake S-65C S-65B S-65D S-65A S-65 Kissimmee River Restoration Project C-35 C-36 C-37 S-65E Project Features Acquire over 100,000 acres of land Backfill 22 miles of C-38 Create 9 miles of new river channel Remove two water control structures Tributary Improvements Revise headwaters lakes regulation schedules Monitoring and evaluation program

Canal Backfilling

S-65B Demolition June 2000

After Kissimmee River Restoration Before

Kissimmee River Restoration Response: River Channel Vegetation Pre-restorationPost-restoration

Kissimmee River Restoration Response: Floodplain Vegetation Pre-restorationPost-restoration

Kissimmee River Restoration Response: Wading Birds

Take Away Messages l Coordination alone is not good enough anymore l You can never be too inclusive l Process is important l It’s better to do it right the first time, than to have to do it over again

“…restoring the Everglades is not rocket science or brain surgery. It’s much more complicated than that.” - Don Boesch University of Maryland

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