Most people would not be living in South Florida if it were not for the Central & Southern Florida Project (C&SF Project). Prior to the turn of the last century, the small number of people who lived in southern Florida were restricted to building on high ground near the coastal and central Florida ridges. It simply was too wet in the interior much of the time to live there.
Devastating hurricanes in the late 1920s and again in the late 1940s resulted in a cry for help from the citizens and elected officials of Florida. They petitioned the United States Congress to control the flood waters which frequented South Florida. At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do
The C&SF Project was authorized by Congress in 1948. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District constructed the most elaborate and effective water management system in the world. But the project has negatively affected the Everglades and the south Florida ecosystem.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District were called upon again. This time, to restore the Everglades ecosystem. They are not doing it alone. Between 1996-1999, scores of agencies and organizations were involved in a very deliberate planning process to formulate a plan to restore the ecosystem and meet south Florida's water needs for the next 50 years.
This plan is called the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The purpose of the Plan is to restore and preserve south Florida's natural ecosystems while enhancing water supplies and maintaining flood control. This plan is of such significance and magnitude that people of all ages need to be aware and knowledgeable of it. Implementation is expected to take more than 30 years to implement.
FAQs: What you should know about the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
CERP Introduction
- What is CERP?
- How was CERP developed?
- CERP Principles
- CERP is based on sound science
- How does the Corps of Engineers' regulatory program affect development in South Florida?
CERP Information
- What is the relationship between the State of Florida's Lakebelt Master Plan and CERP?
- What have the Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park (MWD) and C-111 projects accomplished to date to enable water to be delivered to Everglades National Park?
- How much will the Plan cost?
- Why we need a Plan to restore the Everglades
- How long will it take to restore the Everglades?
- Ongoing technical improvements of the Plan
- How is CERP prepared to address new information and unexpected situations?
- Where and how you start restoring the Everglades
- Why CERP is a long-term plan
CERP Improvements
- How CERP will improve the environment by 2010
- How increasing water supply restores the Everglades
- How the lessons learned from the Kissimmee River Restoration Project serve as a model for CERP
- Why CERP doesn't mirror the original flow through the Everglades
- How CERP benefits Everglades National Park
- How CERP will make South Florida sustainable
- Why we need to restore the Everglades
1. What is the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan?
The primary and overarching purpose of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan [Comprehensive Plan or CERP] is to restore the south Florida ecosystem, which includes the Everglades. This purpose has guided all aspects of the Plan's development and proposed implementation. It is a framework and guide to restore, protect and preserve the water resources of the greater Everglades ecosystem. The Plan has been described as the world's largest ecosystem restoration effort, and includes restoring natural flows of water, water quality, and more natural hydro-periods within the remaining natural areas. The Plan is intended to result in a sustainable south Florida by restoring the ecosystem, ensuring clean and reliable water supplies and providing flood protection. Read more about The Plan and Benefits of the Plan.
2. What are the principles or tenets for the Comprehensive Plan?
The guiding principles for the Comprehensive Plan are:
- The overarching objective of the Comprehensive Plan is the restoration, preservation and protection of the south Florida ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region.
- The Comprehensive Plan is based on the best available science, and independent scientific review is an integral part of its development and implementation.
- The Comprehensive Plan was developed through an inclusive and open process that engaged all stakeholders and interest groups.
- Numerous federal, tribal, state and local agencies were full partners and their views were considered fully.
- The Comprehensive Plan is a flexible plan that is based on the concept of adaptive assessment - recognizing that modifications will be made in the future based on new information.
3. What was the process for developing the Comprehensive Plan?
The process for developing the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was an open and inclusive. Interested members of the public worked alongside the more than 100 scientists and resource specialists developed the physical and biological performance and measures used to evaluate and design the Plan. Through a workshop process, a set of conceptual ecological models for each of the major landscape features in south Florida was developed. Each model linked the major effects of humans to changes in nature. Each model showed the critical linkages between the hydrology and the natural indicators, such as alligators, pink shrimp and wading birds, and suggested the most appropriate indicators and measures for each landscape. Ultimately, a final recommended Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was developed and was approved in the Water Resources Development Act of 2000. The Comprehensive Plan will be continually updated as more detailed and refined information becomes available.
For more information on Plan development and study goals.
4. Is the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan based on sound science?
Sound science has always been, and continues to be, the basis for the Comprehensive Plan. The Plan was developed by a team that included biologists, ecologists, economists, engineers, geographic information systems specialists, hydrologists and planners from a number of federal, state, tribal and local government agencies. Throughout the plan development process, the team used the best available data and state-of-the-art scientific and engineering models.
Peer review is an integral part of the Plan, and will be used to validate the scientific underpinnings of the Plan and point out needed adjustments. State-of-the-art scientific and engineering models were used. To develop the restoration plan, the Natural System Model and the South Florida Water Management Model, both of which have undergone technical peer review, represent the best understanding of the hydrology of both the pre-drainage and the current C&SF system. The Across Trophic Level System Simulation model was developed to predict animal species responses to hydrologic changes. Read more.
5. This restoration has been a long time in coming, hasn't it? Are things really as bad in the Everglades as they say?
The Comprehensive Plan got its start nearly 50 years after the Everglades was forever changed with levees and drainage canals that made way for growth. In 1948, Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to undertake a project which essentially drained much of the marsh to prevent flooding, irrigate farm lands and provide drinking water to facilitate new development. Since then, the altered water flow has eaten away half of the Everglades and water quality has been compromised. Virtually all of the features of the Plan will benefit the environment. Together, these features improve the quality, quantity, timing and distribution of water flows to the ecosystem. The storage features of the Plan serve multiple objectives because of the interconnection between water in the natural, agricultural, and urban areas.
6. How does increasing water supply restore the Everglades?
Approximately 1.7 billion gallons of water drains from the Everglades to coastal waters each day. The plan captures most of this water and stores it in surface and underground storage areas until it is needed to supply the natural system as well as urban and agricultural needs.
The timing and distribution of water to the ecosystem will be modified to more closely approximate pre-drainage patterns. In order to improve the quality of water discharged into the natural system, wetlands-based storm water treatment areas will be built. To improve the connectivity of natural areas, approximately 240 miles of internal levees and canals will be removed, which will result in the recovery of a healthy, sustainable ecosystem in south Florida. Analyses show that approximately 80 percent of the new water obtained under the Plan will be used to benefit the environment. The remaining 20 percent will benefit urban and agricultural users.
7. How does the Plan benefit Everglades National Park?
The Plan will directly benefit Everglades National Park in several ways. Most importantly, the Plan greatly improves the quality, quantity, timing, and distribution of flows into the Park. In addition, more than 240 miles of canals and levees within the Everglades will be removed to reestablish the natural sheetflow of water through the Park. That change will support the return of the large nesting rookeries of wading birds to the Park and the recovery of several endangered species such as the wood stork, snail kite and Cape Sable seaside sparrow.
8. Why doesn't the Plan include flows that mirror original flow through the Everglades?
The team of scientists and engineers who developed the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan worked diligently to restore the water flows that were characteristic of the historic Everglades ecosystem. The team found, however, that replicating the exact flow patterns throughout the entire Everglades ecosystem would not be possible. The Everglades historic flow patterns were molded by, not only the geographic features of the Everglades, but also its spatial extent. only about 50% of the historic Everglades now remain - the other 50% has been lost forever to agriculture and urban development. Further, it has been found that recreating the exact flows in some areas of the Everglades may result in damaging flows and levels to other places today.
The restoration team remains committed, however, to continuing its efforts to restore to the greatest extent possible, the historic flows to the Everglades ecosystem.
9. Why do we need a Plan to restore the Everglades?
The greater Everglades ecosystem is nationally significant and a unique natural resource treasure of the world. If we do not act now, irretrievable loss of this extraordinary resource will occur. The remaining Everglades no longer exhibit the functions and richness that defined the pre-drainage ecosystem. There has been a substantial reduction in the size of the Everglades. Total water storage, timing, flow patterns, and water quality within the Greater Everglades ecosystem have been substantially altered. The Comprehensive Plan is intended to reverse the course of the declining health of the ecosystem. It is important to understand that the "restored" Everglades of the future will be different from any version of the Everglades than has existed in the past. Due to the irreversible physical changes that have occurred in the ecosystem, the restored Everglades will be smaller and somewhat differently arranged than the historic ecosystem. With the restoration of the hydrological and biological patterns which defined the original Everglades and which made it unique among the world's wetland systems, this successfully restored ecosystem will once again exhibit the richness of biological diversity of the former Everglades.
10. So where do you start? How do you start?
The landmark Everglades Restoration Act, which President Clinton signed on December 11, 2000, authorizes $1.4 billion in federal spending to begin work on a handful of initial projects. State and federal sponsors must return to Congress every two years to get new projects authorized as the restoration moves forward.
The comprehensive plan will begin with ten construction elements and four pilot projects. Workers will tear down levees, fill canals and construct new water storage areas on land formerly preserved for agriculture or new development. We will address lessons learned as we continue each step in the process and apply new science and technology as we progress.
11. Are there any technical uncertainties?
While most issues have been resolved, some remain. Some of the technologies proposed - such as aquifer storage and recovery and seepage control - are already in use, but have not been implemented on the scale proposed in the Plan. A series of pilot projects will address these uncertainties and help to direct future design and implementation. In addition, scientific and engineering models were used to develop the Plan. Although these models have undergone rigorous peer review, models are only approximations of very complex systems. As we draw conclusions and work towards implementing the Plan, we will recognize the limitations of these models. Additional interagency and independent peer review during the more detailed design of each feature will allow us to make any needed adjustments. Some differences of professional opinion have characterized each step in the evolution of the Plan and indicate a healthy diversity in backgrounds, interest and agency missions. The flexibility and openness of the implementation process will provide for this continual dialogue and improvements to the Plan.
12. Will the lessons learned from the Kissimmee River Restoration Project serve as a model for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan?
The successes achieved with the initial phases of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project are proving invaluable to the planning and implementation of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The CERP team, made up of scientists and engineers from federal, state and local agencies is convinced that both science and engineering technology, proven in the restoration of the Kissimmee River, are coming together in CERP. The Kissimmee project is currently on schedule and has a target completion date of September 2013.
13. Will this Plan make south Florida sustainable?
With no change the region soon will experience frequent water shortages. There will be continued degradation of the Everglades, coastal estuaries, fisheries and other natural resources. Flooding will become more frequent.
Implementation of the Plan will result in the recovery of healthy, sustainable ecosystems in south Florida. The Plan will lead to a stronger economy and a much-improved environment for people, animals and plants that depend on the natural system for their survival. The Plan will redirect how water is stored in south Florida so that excess water is not lost to the ocean, and instead can be used to support the ecosystem as well as urban and agricultural needs. Projections of future water demands without the Plan indicate serious levels of water supply cutbacks and significant impacts to natural areas. Under the Plan, new storage facilities will be built throughout the region to ensure a more reliable water source for the natural, urban and agricultural areas. The ability to sustain the region's natural resources, economy, and quality of life depends, to a great extent, on the success of the efforts to enhance, protect and better manage the region's water resources.
The Comprehensive Plan contains essential components to achieve the goal of making south Florida sustainable. No other plan, especially one on a smaller scale or one lacking appropriate balance between ecosystem restoration and future urban and agricultural water supply objectives, will achieve a similar level of success.
14. How long will it take to restore the Everglades?
We expect to see improvements in a regional ecosystem within the first years of a project's completion. In fact, coupled with the projects currently underway in the Kissimmee River basin and other areas, gradual, but very important, improvements in ecosystem function, water flows and returning species have aleady been documented. However, it will take a few decades, and the composite impact of many projects to obtain all of the benefits that the Plan envisioned.
15. Does the plan produce environmental improvements by the year 2010?
Yes, some environmental improvements can be made by the year 2010. This was clearly demonstrated through model runs that were conducted in June 1999. However, the process to identify the best approach by completing all the required modelling, gaining stakeholder consensus, achieving federal and sponsorship authorization as well as funding has at times lagged early estimates. New model runs included modifications to the construction sequencing of the plan components and improved operational rules. These changes showed vast improvements in ecosystem function. The model runs represent the foundation upon which the USACE and the South Florida Water Management District are basing further refinements (structural and operational) of the individual CERP components. These types of refinements are an important part of plan implementation. An interagency team was formed to monitor and assess the progress of achieving ecosystem benefits as we proceed.
16. Why can't we restore the ecosystem faster?
Perhaps first and foremost, ecosystems do not always respond immediately after a specific hydrologic change is implemented. Just as it took the ecosystem many years to respond to the negative changes made 50 years ago, ecological responses to our improvements will also take time. Second, time is needed to plan and design the specific features in more detail before they can be built. Pilot projects must be implemented and monitored in order to reduce the uncertainty associated with some of the elements of the Plan. Finally, an incremental approach to implementation provides opportunities to assess performance and refine plans to more effectively meet overall restoration objectives.
17. What have the Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park (MWD) and C-111 projects accomplished to date to enable water to be delivered to Everglades National Park?
Implementation of the Modified Water Deliveries and C-111 projects has been particularly difficult. Despite these difficulties, some progress on each of the projects has been made.
The Modified Deliveries Project has increased flows to Everglades National Park. This was begun in 1999, with the raising of the Tigertail Camp. Completion of this mitigation feature allowed for higher water levels in the L29 canal. The L29 canal water flows through the culverts into Northeast Shark River Slough and is delivered to Everglades National Park (ENP).
In the summer of 2002, construction of the S356 pump station will be completed which will provide seepage control to the lands east of L31N and enable higher water levels in Northeast Shark River Slough.
On the C-111 project, in 1999, the S332D pump station was completed which has provided additional flows into Taylor Slough.
In 2001, the Taylor Slough Bridge raising and lengthening was completed. This opening has removed the constriction previously in place and has enabled the water to flow into Taylor Slough in a more natural fashion.
In the summer of 2002, S332B pump station, S332C pump station and detention areas will be completed. This will allow the hydrologic ridge to be created between Everglades National Park and the areas to the east of L31N. This hydrologic ridge will lessen the amount of seepage water from ENP to the lands to the east of L31N.
18. Is the Plan flexible enough to take into account new information or to address unexpected situations?
Unequivocally, yes! A major strength of the Plan is that it flexibility allows for opportunities to make further improvements as individual projects are refined and we obtain new information. The Plan does not provide all the answers - no plan could. It does, however, contain an aggressive adaptive assessment strategy that includes independent scientific peer review and a process for identifying and resolving uncertainties. This approach provides an efficient way to allow restoration to move forward now and for the agencies to make necessary mid-course corrections later.
19. I'm concerned about the development of south Florida. What do I need to know about the Corps' regulatory program? What are the Corps of Engineers' authorities to regulate development?
The Corps does not regulate development. For more information on the Corps' regulatory program and its relationship to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, click here.
20. What is the relationship between the State of Florida's Lakebelt Master Plan and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project?
The Corps as a permitting agency is neither a proponent nor an opponent of the Lakebelt mining plan which was an agreement reached between the miners and the state. The miners filed applications for Clean Water Act permits, and the Corps evaluated those applications according to the standards and procedures established by Corps regulations and policies. Each of the applications was examined according on its own merits.
Corps planners and engineers studying the future of the Everglades were aware of the pending applications, the details of the plan and state permitting and have taken those factors into account in planning the Everglades restoration.
The CERP includes two reservoirs in the footprint of the Lake Belt. These reservoirs, known as the Central and Northern Lake Belt Storage Areas, are designed to store water for restoration of ecologically significant natural areas in south Florida. The engineering designs of these features include a subterranean barrier to reduce the movement of water into and out of these storage areas and adjacent groundwater.
The Central Lake Belt reservoir is designed to capture excess water, water that the scientists determine to be ecologically damaging, from Water Conservation Areas 2 and 3. This clean water would then be delivered to Everglades and Biscayne Bay National Parks when these natural areas need additional water flow. The effect of this feature is a reduction of damaging high water levels in Water Conservation Areas 2 and 3 and restoration of more natural timing of water flows into Everglades and Biscayne Bay National Parks.
The Northern Lake Belt reservoir is designed to capture excess urban runoff, water that would be discharged to tide, from the urban canal system. This water is would be delivered back to the urban canal system to maintain the ground water table in the urban areas. The effect of this feature is a significant reduction in water deliveries from Lake Okeechobee and the Water Conservation Areas to help maintain the groundwater table and thwart saltwater intrusion into freshwater wells. This reduction in water deliveries from natural areas means clean water is available to achieve ecological objectives within these sensitive areas. Read more about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Belt Permits.
21. How much will it cost to implement the Plan?
The original estimate (1998) indicated that implementation of the Plan will cost $7.8 billion; and that an additional $182 million will be needed annually to operate, maintain and monitor the plan. In general, the Federal government will pay half the cost. The State of Florida will pay the other half. More specific arrangements concerning which agencies will pay the state costs, and when payments will be made, have yet to be determined.
Publications & Reports
This page contains links to CERP related documents including the Comprehensive Plan, newsletters, reports and other publications of interest.
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CERP Program Documents
View a list of CERP programmatic related documents including program and project management plans, project status reports and CERP guidance memoranda. -
Newsletters
Everglades Report (e-newsletter)
Receive the Everglades Report in your inbox bi-monthly. The Everglades Report gives readers the latest news and information on the noteworthy initiatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with many partners, to restore central and south Florida's natural environment. - Community Outreach in Action (COIA)
COIA brings information about the Everglades and news about its restoration to the minority audiences of south Florida. The newsletter highlights outreach events and business opportunities to the minority community, as well as other information pertaining to the Comprehensive Plan (CERP). -
Get a Copy of the Comprehensive Plan
You may request copies of the "Central and Southern Florida Project, Comprehensive Review Study, Final Integrated Feasibility Report and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement," by filling out the form.
Reports & Studies
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Annual Reports:
2004 CERP Annual Report - 2003 CERP Annual Report (2 mb PDF)
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Reports to Congress
2005 Report to Congress -
Biennial Reports by CISRERP
Committee on Independent Scientific Review of Everglades Restoration Progress (CISRERP), National Research Council
Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The Second Biennial Review, 2008 - Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The First Biennial Review, 2006
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By Publication Date
2009 South Florida Environmental Report (SFER) - 2006 Report to Public on Programs
- CROGEE/NRC: Re-Engineering Water Storage in the Everglades:Risks and Opportunities (2005)
The seventh and final report of the Committee on Restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, which provides consensus advice to the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force on various scientific and technical topics. - River of Interests: Water Management in South Florida and the Everglades, 1948-2000
by Matthew C. Godfrey, Historian, Historical Research Associates, Inc. with contributions by Theodore Catton - Everglades Consolidated Report 2003
Updated annually, the Everglades Reports summarize available data and findings from research and monitoring of the Everglades Protection Area, and will be used by the SFWMD and Florida Department of Environmental Protection for making decisions affecting implementation of the Everglades Construction Project and related activities. - CERP Progress Report 2002
Presented by Joe Schweigart, 10 April 2002, Governing Board Meeting (13.6* mb, PDF)
* Please note this is a very large file to download! - Base Line Report 1999, 2001
A report Card which describes how the natural and human systems are responding to the influences of the Comprehensive Plan, and explains why the observed responses are occurring. Prepared by Agnes McLean and John Ogden of the SFWMD (500 kb PDF) - Annual Report 2000
Pursuant to Section 373.470(7), Florida Statutes, prepared by SFWMD and the Florida Deptartment of Environmental Protection 28 Nov 2000, for the period 30 June 2000, through 30 Sep 2000 (725 kb PDF) - Central and Southern Florida (C&SF) Comprehensive Review Study 1999
Final Integrated Feasibility Report and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, April 1999 (The "Restudy" report) - SFERTF -South Florida EcosystemRestoration Task Force Documents
Science, Maps & Data
Maps & Data
CERP GIS Project Locator
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has created an easy-to-use interactive map application to view CERP project information.
CERP Survey Monuments
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has created an easy-to-use application to identify & retrieve information about the monuments as well as create ande-mail custom maps.
CERP Components Map
View or download a map showing the Comprehensive Everglades restoration Plan (CERP) components.
The Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) (external link)
Eden is an integrated network of real-time water-level monitoring, ground-elevation modeling, and water-surface modeling that provides scientists and managers with current (1999-present), on-line water-depth information for the entire freshwater portion of the Greater Everglades. The target users are biologists and ecologists examining trophic level responses to hydrodynamic changes in the Everglades.
EEE Maps
Environmental and Economic Equity (EEE) Baseline Data Acquisition and Analysis Maps. These maps are designed to be a tool to help begin to disseminate demographic, economic, water use, conservation and land use data.
South Florida Information Access (SOFIA)
SOFIA provides scientific information access in support of research, decision-making and resource management for the South Florida ecosystem restoration effort.
System Wide Modeling
System-wide model results will be used by the RECOVER teams to evaluate the system-wide performance of particular CERP projects. Project Development Teams can also review system-wide model results of their plan alternatives.
Water Flow Maps of the Everglades :
Past, Present & Future*Click on the map to the left to view and compare the Historic Flow, Current Flow and The Plan (CERP) Flow.
Download the Water flow maps from our Requested Downloads page. Available in JPG and SWF (animated) formats
Science
Given the complexities associated with environmental restoration, the keys to success are sound scientific practices.
ATLSS (external link)
Across Trophic Level System Simulation (ATLSS) is a scientific modeling tool that assists with predicting the complex biological responses to changes made to the water regime.
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Crogee
The Committee on Restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem (CROGEE) was developed by the National Academy of Sciences and is designed to provide scientific guidance to multiple agencies to assist with the restoration of the greater Everglades.
Recent Publications by CROGEE/NRC:
Re-Engineering Water Storage in the Everglades:Risks and Opportunities (2005)
Adaptive Monitoring and Assessment for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (2003)
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Everglades/Florida Bay Watershed Management Website
Provides decision makers and water managers with objective, high quality advice on scientific and engineering issues pertaining to understanding, preserving and restoring the fauna and flora of the Everglades/Florida Bay ecosystem. -
RECOVER
RECOVER (REstoration COordination & VERification) is an arm of the Comprehensive Plan (CERP) responsible for linking science and the tools of science to a set of system-wide planning, evaluation and assessment tasks -
South Florida Information Access (SOFIA)
South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) is an interdisciplinary service that provides coherent information access in support of research, decision making, and resource management for the South Florida ecosystem restoration effort. SOFIA offers a suite of information systems and tools enabling the selection, organization, documentation, dissemination and storage of data and other information products.SOFIA Metadata
On this page you will find links to metadata and the project each metadata is associated with. -
SFWMD Simulation Modeling
Models help scientists and planners measure the possible effects of a variety of impacts on various complex systems.
So you Want to Know More About...
This page links you to informational pages on various topics pertaining to CERP. Please note that some of the links are on other sites and will open in a new window.
- Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)
ASR refers to the process of recharge and storage of water in an aquifer system during times when water is plentiful. - Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow
Cape Sable seaside sparrows are small birds about 13 centimeters or 5 inches long. Dorsally, they are dark olive-gray with olive-brown on the tail and wings. - Corps Regulatory Program
The US Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program - Frequently asked questions. - Lake Belt Permits, Frequently Asked Questions
The Lake Belt is an approximately 57,515-acre area that was established by the Florida Legislature in 1997 for the purpose of implementing the Miami-Dade County Lake Belt Plan. The area lies west of Miami and east of Everglades National Park. - Plants and Animals of the Everglades
The Everglades is home to a vast array of plants and animals that have adapted to a wet, subtropical environment. Some creatures such as the Florida panther, wood stork and West Indian manatee have become symbols of a struggling ecosystem. - Water Preserve Areas
The concept of Water Preserve Areas was first defined by The Everglades Coalition in 1993, and was recommended in the Report on Water Supply Preserves, by the National Audubon Society, Everglades Restoration Campaign, January 12, 1994.
So you Want to Know More About...
Plants and Animals of the Everglades
The Everglades is home to a vast array of plants and animals that have adapted to a wet, subtropical environment. Some creatures such as the Florida panther, wood stork and West Indian manatee have become symbols of a struggling ecosystem. Other parts of this vast mosaic - most notably the sawgrass marshes, and cypress and mangrove forests - are recognized around the world as images of the region.
While some of its flora and fauna are widely recognized, theEverglades also is comprised of many hundreds, if notthousands, of lesser-known plants, animals and fishthat are part of a living, dynamic ecosystem.The River of Grass includes wetlands plants, trees and marsh vegetation; invertebrates, fresh and saltwater fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds. Some 68 species are on the federal threatened or endangered lists. Many more are rare, species of special concern, or included on state lists. A brief overview of selected Everglades' plant and animal species follows:
Plants
Marsh Species
The Everglades is comprised of more than 100 marsh species that live in water all or much of the year. Its most well-known wetland plant is sawgrass, a normally hearty grass-like species that has formed thousands of acres of marshes. Floating aquatic plants that dominate the waterscape include bladderwort, white water lily, spatterdock and maidencane. Living among these is one of the tiniest members of the Everglades plant community, periphyton algae. The base of food webs, algae floats in mats on or just below the water's surface, and is found throughout the Everglades.
Tree Island and Hammock Species
In addition to aquatic ones, other plants in the Everglades live in wetland tree islands and upland hardwood hammocks that dot the landscape.
Tree islands are small forests of trees and shrubs that have adapted to a wet environment. They provide an important home to the many mammals that live in the Everglades and are a site for wading and migratory bird rookeries. Tree islands generally are named after the trees that dominate them, with the most common the bay, willow and cypress.
Cypress is probably the most recognized tree in the Everglades, and includes the dwarf and bald species. Cypresses require water to develop, and then can live on either dry land or in water as mature trees. They have unusual root systems producing "knees" that grow out of the earth which scientists think are used for breathing. Cypress trees shed their leaves in the fall - somewhat unusual in a subtropical environment. Another interesting tree found in the islands is the pond apple, which produces large, bitter, yellow-green fruit. Pond apples are a food source for some animals.
Trees also exist in the Everglades in hammocks, which are localized, mature hardwood forests. Unlike the tree islands that are dominated by wetland species, hammocks can have trees that traditionally live in drier conditions such as oak and pine. Royal palm, cabbage palm, live oak, gumbo limbo and West Indian mahogany are some trees that live in these tropical hardwood hammocks.
Orchids, Bromeliads and Ferns
Within the tree islands and hammocks, visitors can find breathtaking orchids, Bromeliads and ferns. The warm, humid environment is ideal for air plants, with some of the world's most unusual and beautiful orchids found in the Everglades. Many species of tropical ferns also thrive in this environment, often found under shade trees and covering the forest floor.
Mangroves
A keystone plant community of the Everglades, the mangrove is a coastal plant that is known for its vast root system. Mangroves provide an interface between more saline coastal waters and the freshwater marshes; help reduce soil erosion and buffer the land from wind and waves; and build the soil through their growth and decomposition. Mangroves do not tolerate cold weather and are protected by law.
Animals
Birds
Birds are a special symbol of the Everglades, captured beautifully in the paintings of John James Audubon. It is reported that in the 1800s there were so many migratory and wading birds that their numbers darkened the skies. Unfortunately, the wading and migratory bird population has been greatly reduced, first by hunters and more recently by the loss of habitat. Despite this, today some 350 bird species have been identified in Everglades National Park alone. Some are year-round residents; other just visit for 
the winter; and still others stop by on their journey to more southern destinations.
The most notable of the wading birds includes the Wood Stork; White and Glossy Ibises; Roseate Spoonbill; Great Blue, Great White and Tricolored Herons; and Snowy and Great Egrets. The endangered Snail Kite is an unusual bird in that it survives exclusively on the apple snail. The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow also is in the news today, as scientists and government regulators strive to preserve its quickly dwindling habitat.
Land Mammals
Many animals live in the Everglades including the raccoon, skunk, opossum, bobcat, and white-tail deer. But the poster-child of the Everglades and the symbol of this wild, vast ecosystem is the Florida panther. It is the most endangered species in the Everglades, with only about 100 remaining in the wild. Panthers feed on deer and other mammals, live in uplands Everglades areas, and require large ranges. Great lengths are under way to save the panther including radio-tracking collared individuals and introducing other panther strains to increase the gene pool.
Other Animals
Another keystone species of the ecosystem and an indicator of its health is the American alligator. This ancient reptile builds "alligator holes" that provide an important food and water source for many other animals in times of drought. Two other well-known animals in the ecosystem include the friendly West Indian manatee and bottlenose dolphin, both of which live in saltwater bays and coastal areas.
In 1999, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service approved a Multi-Species Recovery Plan for the Threatened and Endangered Species of South Florida. This plan outlines a detailed program to protect the endangered and threatened plants and animals of the South Florida ecosystem that includes the Everglades. It provides a detailed list of rare, threatened, endangered and special concern species. To learn more, log on to: http://www.fws.gov/verobeach/
More information on the wildlife of the Everglades can be found in The Everglades Handbook: Understanding the Ecosystem by Thomas E. Lodge, published by the St. Lucie Press in 1998.
Contact for this page:
- Erica Robbins, erica.a.robbins@usace.army.mil
So you Want to Know More About...
Aquifer Storage and Recovery Program
For information on aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) download the PDF entitled, CERP Aquifer Storage and Recovery Program (120 kb, PDF).
The PDF provides an overview of the proposed strategy for implementing ASR projects under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). It also includes a summary of the concerns that have been identified by informed individuals and other interested stakeholders, an overview of the ASR technology, and a review of the associated uncertainties and a possible strategy for addressing them.
Links to Active CERP ASR Projects:
- Aquifer Storage & Recovery Regional Study
- Caloosahatchee River (C-43) Basin Aquifer Storage & Recovery Pilot
- Lake Okeechobee Aquifer Storage & Recovery Pilot
- Hillsboro Aquifer Storage & Recovery Pilot
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