BACKGROUNDER

A Florida RiddleWhat singular policy issue has lingered in Florida,

despite having been discussed for decades, hotly debated in multiple legislative sessions, and subject to expensive lobbying efforts? What issue has induced emotional pleas, received billions of dollars to spend on planning and projects, and continues to be a costly and complex effort?

If you answered, “Restoring the Everglades” you win the prize. For decades, one of Florida’s top environmental challenges has been the restoration of the Everglades. Scientists have studied it, legislators have debated it, state,

federal, and local governments have wrangled over funding it, and environmental activists have leveraged it.

In 2014, voters approved Amendment 1 dedicating one-third of doc stamp revenue for the next 20 years for statewide environmental preservation purposes including “to acquire, restore, improve and manage conservation lands…including the Everglades.” This action brought new visibility to statewide environmental needs as well as further debate to the issue of Everglades restoration. In order to more fully understand and appreciate the complexities of restoring the Everglades today, it is imperative to take a brief look back in time for a helpful perspective.

Solving the Everglades Riddle: Addressing Water Quality and Quantity to Restore a Florida Legacy

By Dan PetersonDirector, Center for Property Rights at The James Madison Institute

www.jamesmadison.org | 1

A Brief History of the Florida Everglades

The effort to subdue the Everglades area began as early as 1850 with the Swamplands Act, which transferred 20 million acres from the federal government to the state for the purpose of drainage and reclamation. In 1881, the state sold 4 million acres of land to developer Hamilton Disston for $1 million – which according to an article in the New York Times during that period

was reportedly the most land ever purchased by a single person in world history. He sought to drain part of the Everglades in the Kissimmee River region by constructing a canal connecting Lake Okeechobee to Lake Hicpochee at the headwaters of the Caloosahatchee River. So successful was he in freeing land for agriculture that the value of his land soon doubled, bringing an influx of people migrating to the area.

A much broader initiative began in 1905. Florida Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward began a policy of draining the Everglades to “create” land for agriculture and development. This opened the door for population growth in Southeast Florida – from roughly 23,000 in 1900 to nearly 230,000 by 1930 – as well as helped the early population growth in cities such as Miami and Fort Lauderdale. It was

also during this time period that another significant transformation of the Everglades took place with the construction of the Tamiami Trail connecting Miami to Naples (1915-1928).

As more people moved to Florida to make a life, numerous small towns were established in the

northern Everglades and many along the banks of Lake Okeechobee. While dairy farming and cattle ranching spread north of the lake, tomatoes, sugar cane, beans, peas, peppers and potatoes became the dominant crops to the south. To protect these communities and agriculture interests, small muck levies were constructed.

In the 1920s, devastation hit when two hurricanes led to massive flooding and thousands of deaths. One of those storms flooded hundreds of acres of farmlands and killed approximately 2,000 people.

In response to this catastrophe, President Herbert Hoover ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to assist the communities affected. The result was a massive government plan to construct a dike around Lake Okeechobee to control future flooding.

In the effort to prevent too much water from accumulating in the lake, additional plans were laid for canals to be constructed from the lake west to the Caloosahatchee River and east to the St. Lucie River as vents to relieve excess water. Congress authorized construction of the dike and canals. The result: the population in the surrounding towns tripled and agricultural production soared.

In the 1930s, the USACE began the task. The result of its work became known as the Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD), a 143-mile earthen dam that surrounds the lake.

In 1947, another major hurricane hit South Florida causing widespread flooding and property loss. As a result, in 1948, Congress authorized the creation of the Central and Southern Florida Project to provide better flood control by constructing a series of canals, levees, and other water control structures. The canals connecting Lake Okeechobee to the Atlantic Ocean were widened and deepened.

With greater flood control and conveyance of water came population growth along the east coast of Florida. As demand for development to the west grew, water from the eastern Everglades was drained and communities, such as Plantation, Hialeah, Wellington, Weston, Boca Raton, Parkland and Coral Springs, flourished.

As a result of many factors including population increases, development growth, ranching and agricultural industries, as well as the construction of the Central and Southern Florida Project, today the Everglades area is approximately one-half its original size .1

U.S. Geological Survey reconstructed Landsat image of the Florida Everglades circa 1850 (left) and actual Landsat image from 2000 (right)

More Than 100 Years of Change As a result of many factors including population increases, development growth, ranching and agricultural industries, as well as the construction of the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control District, today the Everglades area is approximately one-half its original size.

BACKGROUNDER | Solving the Everglades Riddle

Today, Florida is home to more than 20 million residents. The increasing development needs of people and the accompanying economic growth have made Florida the third most populous state, and one of the most influential and economically viable in the country.

For example, statistics from 2014 show the financial impact of agricultural commodities has grown to more than $13 billion annually. Florida agricultural exports alone were valued at more than $4 billion2 for the third year in a row. Such production, along with the millions of jobs supported by agriculture, makes Florida a desirable place to work and live for economic mobility.

While the water management efforts of the last century helped to support population and industry growth, there were unintended consequences. It is no longer possible to restore the Everglades to its original size and watershed extent. However, numerous plans, including a multitude of federal and state projects, have been, and are, at work to address environmental concerns. Billions of dollars have been spent to secure a balance of maintaining quality of life for residents while restoring the remainder of the Everglades.

Restoring the Everglades, and dealing with its related issues, is certainly not Florida’s only environmental problem, but it is one of the most complex and important. This Backgrounder from The James Madison Institute outlines many of the reasons.

The Everglades Problem Defined

American inventor and businessman Charles Kettering once said, “a problem well-stated is a problem half-solved.” When it comes to restoring the Everglades, two major challenges stand out.

Challenge 1: Controlling Water Quantity

It is a perplexing task to find the balance between meeting environmental, agricultural and human needs for water, all while preventing flooding in areas of concern. Several methods have been or are being examined to store and convey water.

It is important to be aware of the diverse goals for storing water. They include preparing for future water supply, flood control, aquifer recharge, water cleansing, and land restoration. Several methods are used, or can be used, including:

• Storage Reservoirs: artificially created man-made “lakes” on government owned property. They can cover thousands of acres of land and be quite deep (10-12 feet). As much as 200,000 acre-feet of excess water can be diverted into these reservoirs. These are costly and usually constructed by the government.

• Flow Equalization Basins: shallow versions of reservoirs with maximum depths of 3 to 4 feet. They are used to capture and temporarily store peak stormwater flows. They often flow into Stormwater Treatment Areas or STAs. These are more simple to construct and more economical.

• Water Farms: privately owned properties where government pays the owner to allow excess water to be “stored.” Sizes vary and the water is generally 2 to 4 feet in depth. Despite the lack

A map showing the immensity of the Everglades ecosystem and the areas which it affects. The ecosystem of the Everglades covers and affects more territory than most people think. Thus, its restoration will have widespread impact.

www.jamesmadison.org | 3

of depth, tens of thousands of acre-feet of water can be stored in a single water farm.

• Aquifer Storage & Recovery: wells are drilled deep into the aquifer in places where the geology is appropriate for storage. During wet seasons, water is treated and pumped into these wells creating a “bubble” of fresh water in the aquifer. Water can be “stored” here until the dry season returns and water is needed. It can then be pumped back out for whatever purposes are needed.

• Deep Injection Wells: wells drilled deep into the “boulder zone” approximately 3,000-4,000 feet below the surface. The use of deep injection wells can reduce discharges to the estuaries by instantaneously disposing of water below the surface during high lake stage events and could reduce or eliminate Lake Okeechobee releases to the estuaries.

Challenge 2: Improving Water Quality

As important as controlling the quantity of water is the need to clean water in order to reduce the concentration of nutrients, such as phosphorous and to a lesser degree, nitrogen. Methods for this include:

• Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs): large man-made wetlands designed to maximize nutrient removal from agricultural runoff. They are built on large tracts of land rivaling, in some cases, the size of cities such as Ft. Lauderdale (more than 20,000 acres). Large pumps pull tens of thousands of gallons per minute of storm water from canals and force it to flow through these wetland areas, where the nutrients are absorbed by the soils and aquatic vegetation. The cleansed water is then pumped into the Everglades.

• Best Management Practices (BMPs): practices adopted by the agricultural community to minimize or prevent nutrients such as pesticides, fertilizers, animal waste, and other pollutants from leaving the farm. They protect and improve water quality as an integral component of farm management.

Aerial view of Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) in the Northern Everglades.

Water is pulled from canals by huge pump stations costing tens of millions of dollars. The water then flows through wetland areas that are designed to remove nutrients from the water. After flowing across thousands of acres, the water is pumped into the Everglades.

JMI’s Dan Peterson stands in front of the Caulkin Water Farm in Martin County. Caulkin is a good example of how privately run projects can be done for less money and more quickly than government run programs. This public-private partnership, 413-acre project designed to store 6,780 acre-feet of water per year, has already proven its value by storing 12,000 acre-feet of water per year, almost twice the amount of water expected.

BACKGROUNDER | Solving the Everglades Riddle

• Water Conservation Areas (WCAs): These natural wetland areas are part of what is left of the historic Everglades. While technically these areas are not for water treatment, they receive waters downstream, which need protection.

An Interconnected Ecosystem – The Process of Planning

Solving such challenges requires planning and a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of the situation.

Several state and federal planning processes such as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program (NEEPP), and the “Central Everglades Planning Process” (CEPP) have provided guidance for a number of restoration projects3.

To appreciate the complexity and interconnectedness of South Florida, there are five geographic areas that must be understood. Each area has its own unique issues that are also interrelated. Today, around the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Area, the South Florida Water Management District monitors and tracks the status of more than 60 construction projects. Each project must be studied, planned, authorized and funded before implementation. Some projects are successfully at work, while a number remain unplanned, unauthorized and/or unfunded.

Five Interconnected Areas

Area One - Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee (which means “big water” in

Seminole Indian language) is a 730 square mile body of water at the epicenter of concerns. The major source of its water, however, is the Lake Okeechobee Watershed and basin to the north, an area covering 5,600 square miles. The large, well-drained watershed causes rapid rises in the level of the lake during periods of heavy rain, and requires quick release of the water from the lake to bring the water to a safe level. The Herbert Hoover Dike, built 75 years ago, has deteriorated to such an extent that the communities around the south shore of the lake could face the potential of catastrophic flooding during prolonged high lake levels.

Projects are underway in an effort to reinforce the

dike and eliminate the weaknesses that now exist by improving its culverts and lock systems. But, only so much can be done to allow Lake Okeechobee to hold more water safely. The USACE has invested more than $500M since 2007 on projects focused on preventing catastrophic failure4, but much more needs to be done. Even when dike improvements are completed, it will not completely solve the problem.

The need to control the lake level was recognized more than one hundred years ago and is why two canals were constructed to divert excess water out of the Lake

CERP is made up of many projects in various stages of development or planning. Understanding the multitude of projects gives one an appreciation for the complexity of Everglades restoration.

www.jamesmadison.org | 5

and the local watersheds; one to the east feeding into the St. Lucie River and estuary, and one to the west feeding into the Caloosahatchee River and estuary. When depths in Lake Okeechobee reach such a level as to threaten the integrity of the dike, the USACE has a federal regulatory safety mandate to discharge water into these canals.

While this mandate serves the need to protect the dike, coastal communities downstream now complain that the large releases are devastating to local environments due to the large amounts of fresh water and phosphorus entering the saltwater environment.

In 2013, USACE discharges from Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie watershed into the St. Lucie River estuary were blamed for creating algae blooms, discoloring the water, killing marine life, and negatively impacting the local tourist economy.

The primary impact of the water release is the enormous amounts of fresh water suddenly invading

brackish and saltwater. Those in the fishing and tourism industry in the Sanibel and Captiva area report they must now fish farther north in the Pine Island Sound instead of the San Carlos Bay due to large amounts of fresh water released into the Caloosahatchee River. This problem continues today.

Areas Two and Three – The St. Lucie River Watershed and the Caloosahatchee River Watershed

An urgent need exists to protect the Caloosahatchee (five sub-basins) and St. Lucie (seven sub-basins) estuaries from the devastating effects of excessive nutrient rich water within the respective river basins themselves, as well as large periodic water discharges from Lake Okeechobee. This water needs to both be stored and treated for high levels of polluting nutrients. Approximately 70 to 80 percent of the freshwater flow and 65 to 80 percent of the nutrient load to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Estuaries originates in the local basins with the remaining balance coming from Lake Okeechobee5.

A truly comprehensive plan to protect these estuaries will therefore focus on reducing regulatory releases from Lake Okeechobee through a combination of storage reservoirs on existing public lands and water farming (storage) on private lands with landowners who have proven to be effective partners in water management.

Beyond that, studies using scientific data are needed to consider other potential contributors of nutrient pollution such as residential fertilizers, septic systems, and stormwater runoff. A close look at the impact of raw sewage releases into the environment during municipal wastewater treatment facility failures is also warranted.

The Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) system, passed by the Florida Legislature in 2015, should and will play a prominent role in such determinations. A BMAP brings together local leaders to identify local sources of nutrient pollution, evaluate potential local solutions, and prioritize projects to improve water quality.

Already, billions of taxpayer dollars, funding multiple projects at various stages of completion, have been and are being spent to address water quantity and water quality issues. As stated, many important projects, which have been approved, remain unfunded, because

The territory defined in red shows the 5,000 plus square miles of the Kissimmee River watershed which begins just south of Orlando. It feeds into the 730 square mile Lake Okeechobee. During heavy rain events, the lake must retain its own rain water plus those flowing from the north.

BACKGROUNDER | Solving the Everglades Riddle

of the slow federal process to approve and fund large-scale water projects.

Area Four – The Lake Okeechobee Watershed

From a long-range, strategic perspective, nothing could be more beneficial than relieving the pressure on Lake Okeechobee by controlling and cleaning water flowing into it from the north. Even with the efforts to strengthen the Herbert Hoover Dike, the amount of water that can be stored there will be limited. In times of heavy rain, more water will still flow into the lake than can be drained, and the USACE will still have its regulatory safety mandate requiring it to release water into the canals and funneling excessive fresh water to the east and west, and into the estuaries of concern.

The Lake Okeechobee Basin Management Action Plan (LO BMAP) was approved in 2014, and once projects are proposed through the BMAP process, state funding through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will be needed to implement the highest priority projects. One key strategy of the LO BMAP is the development of the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Project (LOW). The LOW project, a component of CERP, has the objectives of providing better management of lake water levels, reducing damaging discharges to downstream estuaries, restoring isolated wetlands, and resolving water resource problems in Lake Okeechobee6. Reservoirs, STAs, wetland restoration, and a modified Lake Istokpoga regulation schedule were anticipated components.

Expediting the planning and implementation of the LOW effort is the single most important endeavor that needs to be funded and conducted so that effective action can take place. Such projects qualify to be funded through the Legacy Florida (Amendment 1) funding, which is now a part of Florida’s budget7 and if they are developed under the federal CERP umbrella, they will qualify for 50 percent federal funding.

Area Five – The Everglades Agricultural Area

Located south of Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades Agricultural Area is a 700,000-acre center of agricultural production including sugar cane, rice, vegetables and sod. The conveyance, treatment, and storage of water from this region and from Lake Okeechobee into the Everglades are a key component of Everglades restoration. Recognizing this, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and South Florida Water Management developed a long-term solution for moving water south, away from the northern coastal estuaries and into the heart of the Everglades and Everglades National Park in 2013. This project is now known as the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP), and is now awaiting congressional authorization. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, this plan will be accomplished using existing state-owned land and is estimated to cost $2.1 billion.

While demands by some to purchase additional land for water storage in the EAA have been persistent, they usually overlook the benefits to be derived from the CEPP. If additional water storage for the next increment of projects beyond CEPP is needed, potential water storage projects will have to be based on criteria such as location, scientifically-based suitability,

Nearly half of the land in South Florida is owned by the government. This costs you money.

Watch the video now to learn more:www.jamesmadison.org

www.jamesmadison.org | 7

best land use principles, the impact on local economies, other project sequencing, other project dependencies and affordability. If decades into the future additional storage is needed south of Lake Okeechobee, there are already tens of thousands of acres of land now in public ownership for water storage and restoration efforts, and the use of these lands for water treatment and storage has not been maximized by the government. Furthermore, the purchase of additional lands in the EAA has not proven to be needed at this time nor included in any vetted government approved restoration plan.

For now, limited state and federal funds would be better used implementing the multibillion dollar backlog of restoration projects on land that has already been acquired for that purpose. With more than 29 percent of Florida land already in government ownership for conservation purposes, there is no shortage of conservation land8. Should other land be needed after the existing restoration projects are completed, the free-market principle of a willing buyer purchasing from a willing seller should be employed, provided the land proposed for acquisition meets legally required criteria. The government power of eminent domain would only be available for projects that have been fully designed, approved through a collaborative process of State and Federal agencies and affected interests, and for which funding has been approved and is available. Eminent Domain should not be an option for the government to take land for a project that has not been through the full project development and approval process.

Complexities of Everglades Restoration

What many do not recognize is that every plan and project must find its way through a bureaucratic “Rubik’s Cube” of regulations and considerations. This process adds years to projects and often billions of dollars to their cost. Projects must first negotiate a minefield of regulatory consideration (both federal and state) to obtain “authorization.” Then, each project must obtain funding, or “appropriation.”

Obtaining AuthorizationFederal laws going as far back as the 1930s require

each project to have a defined “authorized purpose.” Such purposes include: flood damage mitigation, navigation, agricultural, municipal and industrial water supply, preservation of fish and wildlife, drainage and water control, water management specific to the Everglades National Park, recreation, protection of water quality, prevention of saltwater intrusion, and aquifer recharge9. Beyond the purposes of each project there are also a host of other Federal constraints to the planning and execution of projects brought on by the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Protect Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, etc.

Beyond these federally requirements, state law adds its purposes including mandates to “consider all applicable water resource issues, including water supply, water quality, flood protection, threatened and endangered species, and other natural systems and habitat needs.” Other state purposes require that permits issued for component projects comply with water quality standards; that discharges from project components not pose a serious danger to public health, safety or welfare; and that any impacts to wetlands, or threatened or endangered species, be avoided, minimized and mitigated.

Obtaining FundingIn light of the amount of planning and time to

complete enormous projects, stable and consistent funding has always been a challenge. Most projects are to be funded in a cost-sharing partnership between the State of Florida and the Federal government. Funding is to be a 50-50 split but the Federal funding process is specific project based and Everglades projects are lumped into the many civil works projects around the country that are in urgent need of funding. While the state can set up a recurring funding stream that adds predictability to the planning and funding process, the Federal government cannot. For this reason, the

$1.8 billion

spent by the State of Florida on restoration11

$938 million

spent by the federal

government on restoration12

$880 million

approved by Florida Legislature for new plan

called Everglades Restoration Strategies in 201313

Amendment 1 approved

by voters: More than $200 million per year in

additional dedicated state funding for the Everglades

Everglades Restoration at a Glance

BACKGROUNDER | Solving the Everglades Riddle

federal funding to date has been significantly less than the state’s contributions towards CERP restoration projects10.

Over the decades, despite the billions of dollars that have been poured into efforts to restore the Everglades, the widespread perception is that federal, state and/or local funding has been slow, erratic, and rarely if ever, enough.

In 2014, Florida voters approved Amendment 1, setting aside one-third of doc stamp revenue to “acquire, restore, improve, and manage conservation lands…including the Everglades…” In the 2015 Special Legislative Session, lawmakers allocated $81.8 million for Everglades restoration17.

The Legislature also budgeted $55 million to purchase land, of which $20 million was designated toward improvements to the Kissimmee River (within the Lake Okeechobee Watershed), which ultimately drains into Lake Okeechobee18. Additional allocations included:

• $17.4 million for the state's Florida Forever land acquisition program;

• $15 million on protection easements and agreements on private land;

• $47.5 million in funding for restoration of the state's natural springs.

Some vocal environmental activists opposed these allocations and wanted the focus of spending to be on acquiring more state-owned lands. However, the 2015 legislature’s decisions were in line with the requirements of Amendment 1. Its principled public policy stand was focused on making Florida a good and responsible steward of its lands. But, that’s not the end of the story.

The focus on allocations for restoration and government lands maintenance continued into the 2016 Florida Legislative Session. One of the highlights was a bill titled “Legacy Florida,” which the legislature passed and Gov. Rick Scott signed. This legislation will provide on-going stability toward Everglades restoration by designating $200 million per year of Amendment 1 money to the restoration of the Everglades19. Its main

focus will be to mitigate the ongoing releases of water from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie Estuary.

Everglades restoration efforts will remain a priority and because of the amount and long term commitment of funding needed for these projects, this application of Amendment 1 funds is a wise choice for the protection of Florida’s environmental future.

Progress and Priorities:

BMPs used by agricultural corporations are high-tech and highly efficient. In order to retain water and minimize fertilizer run-off, the first step in crop preparation is to level the land using computerized Wi-Fi lasers. These tractors pull laser devices to ensure the land is as level as possible. Computer driven tractors then till and fertilize the fields in preparation for planting. Byproducts from harvesting are recycled and used to replenish nutrients to the muck soil in which they were grown or made into fuel to run the sugar mills.

More than 90 percent

of Everglades water quality restored south of Lake Okeechobee

Stormwater Treatment Areas

(STAs): 57,000 acres of water treatment south of Lake

Okeechobee; removed 80 percent of phosphorus in 201514

Best Management Practices

(BMPs): Partnership with farmers; 56% average annual reduction in phosphorus over

the past 20 years15

STAs and BMPs have removed more

than 4,800 tons of

phosphorus from water going to the Everglades16

www.jamesmadison.org | 9

Everglades Improvement Here is a fact of which many are unaware: Significant

progress has been made already in restoring the Everglades. Several factors contribute to this little reported story of success.

Factor One: Water quality is vastly improved due to the employment of Best Management Practices (BMPs) by the agricultural community in the EAA and in the Kissimmee River Watershed.

In 1994, the Florida Legislature passed the “Everglades Forever Act.” It mandated a 25 percent reduction in phosphorus contained in waters flowing off of agricultural lands20. This mandate was especially aimed at the sugar cane industry. Often ignored is this impressive fact: for the twenty years since that mandate, the industry has greatly exceeded that requirement21.

The Act also imposed a regulatory framework that imposes a $25 per-acre per year tax, along with comprehensive water quality monitoring and reporting requirements. Every year since, farmers have paid that tax, contributing over $200 million toward protection of the Everglades.

Finally, every year since 1996, through the implementation

BUILDING STRONG®U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS® | JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT

INTEGRATED DELIVERY SCHEDULE (IDS) 2015 UPDATE A formal re-evaluation of the Integrated Delivery

Schedule (IDS) was completed in 2015. The IDS provides the sequencing strategy for planning,

designing and constructing federal projects cost-shared with local sponsors as part of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Program, based on ecosystem needs, benefits, costs and available funding.

The IDS does not require an agency action or a decision document, it is a tool that provides guidance to decision-makers for scheduling ,staffing and budgeting.

It is a living document that is updated as needed to reflect progress and/or program changes.

The IDS synchronizes program and project priorities with the State of Florida and is needed to request required funding to plan and build South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Program projects.

The Draft 2015 IDS Update will: Maximize holistic benefits to the

regional system as early as possible. Ensure additional projects will be ready in order to

continue progress on Everglades restoration. Remain consistent with project dependencies and

constraints.

SYNCHRONIZING RESTORATION EFFORTS ACHIEVING RESTORATION BENEFITS

The IDS is required as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) Programmatic Regulations.

Regular updates to the IDS are required. The process involves consultation with the South Florida

Ecosystem Restoration Task Force. Public workshops sponsored by South Florida

Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Working Group engaged stakeholders during the development of the IDS.

PROCESS

The 2015 Integrated Delivery Schedule will be used to guide planning, design and construction sequencing and budgeting as Everglades restoration efforts move forward.

PASTFLOW

CURRENTFLOW

FUTUREFLOW

WCA 1

Florida Bay

Flamingo

Big CypressNatural Preserve

WCA 2

WCA 3

EvergladesNational

Park(ENP)

Homestead

Okeechobee

EvergladesAgricultural

Area

BiscayneBay

LakeOkeechobee

Ft. Myers

Key Largo

Restores critical floodplain habitat and timing of flows to

Lake Okeechobee

KISSIMMMEE RIVER RESTORATION

LAKE OKEECHOBEE WATERSHED AND ASR

Provide water storage and treatment to regulate extreme lake levels; reduce phosphorus

loading to lake; and reduce freshwater discharges to the

east and west coast estuaries

Helps to restore the natural flow of water to the

Caloosahatchee River

CALOOSAHATCHEEC-43 RESERVOIR

The next increment of storage and treatment to reduce

freshwater discharges to east and west coast estuaries; and

increase water availabilityfor irrigation, the Everglades,

and Florida Bay

EAA STORAGE, ASR ANDDECOMPARTMENTALIZATION 2

WESTERN EVERGLADESRESTORATION

Alleviate over-drainage; improve water storage and distribution to natural areas;

and improve quality of water entering the central Everglades

PICAYUNE STRAND55,000-acre habitat restoration

in the Western Everglades

Bridging and roadway modifications to improve water flow to Everglades National Park

TAMIAMI TRAIL BRIDGING

The next phase of restoration to increase

water flows to Biscayne Bay, and restore natural pattern of freshwater flow to wetlands

C-111 SPREADER CANALEASTERN AND BISCAYNE BAY COASTAL WETLANDS PHASE 2

LOXAHATCHEE RIVER WATERSHED RESTORATION

Reduces seepage from Loxahatchee Refuge

SITE 1

BROWARD WATERPRESERVE AREAS

Improves water quality; reduces seepage loss from

central Everglades; increases water supply; and reduces

saltwater intrusion

BISCAYNE BAY COASTAL WETLANDS PROJECT PHASE 1

Restores the natural pattern of freshwater inflows to

Biscayne Bay

CENTRAL EVERGLADESPLANNING PROJECT

Reduces freshwater flow to the east and west coast estuaries, and restores habitat and water

flow to the Everglades and Florida Bay

C-111 SOUTH DADE

Reduces water losses from ENP and improves freshwater flow

to Taylor Slough and Florida Bay

Re-connect and restore natural areas in the headwaters and

improve water flow to the river

HERBERT HOOVER DIKEREHABILITATION

Rehabilitation of the dike to reduce the risk of failure

of aging structure

Rehydrate wetlands, improve water quality, and provide

stormwater attenuation on the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Big

Cypress Basin Reservation

SEMINOLE BIG CYPRESSCRITICAL PROJECT

BiscayneBay

FloridaBay

LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGULATION SCHEDULE REVISION

Revision to the lake schedule once sufficient rehabilitation of the dike has been completed to support moving water south

INDIAN RIVER LAGOON (IRL)-SOUTH

Reduces and cleans freshwater discharges from the watershed

to the St. Lucie Estuary

WCA 1

Flamingo

Big CypressNatural Preserve

WCA 2

WCA 3

Homestead

Okeechobee

EvergladesAgricultural

Area

LakeOkeechobee

Non-CERP & Foundation ProjectsCERP Generation 1 (Authorized, PPA Executed)CERP Generation 2 (Authorized, PPA Needed)CERP Generation 3 (Requires Authorization)

LEGEND

Planning Phase

Ft. Myers

Tampa

N

NOT TO SCALE

STATUS A formal re-evaluation of the Integrated Delivery

Schedule (IDS) was completed in 2015.

C-111 SPREADER CANAL WESTERN PROJECT

Reduces water loss from Taylor Slough and increases

freshwater flow to Florida Bay

MODIFIED WATER DELIVERIES TOEVERGLADES NATIONAL PARKRestores water deliveries to

Northeast Shark River Slough in Everglades National Park

EvergladesNational

Park(ENP)

FEBRUARY 2016

PATH FORWARD

Everglades Restoration: Four Factors of Progress

Factor 1Best Management Practices have vastly improved

water quality

Factor 2Stormwater Treatment Areas have vastly improved

water quality

Factor 3Florida DEP has mapped out a working plan to restore

the Everglades

Factor 4Florida lawmakers dedicated $200 million per year

in Amendment 1 funds toward projects in the

Everglades ecosystem

BACKGROUNDER | Solving the Everglades Riddle

of Best Management Practices (BMPs), farmers in the EAA make a net contribution of 173 billion gallons of clean water to the Everglades ecosystem22. According to the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), implementation of BMPs have resulted in an overall average annual phosphorus reduction of 56 percent – more than twice the 25 percent required by law.23

In August 2015, the SFWMD announced that more than 90 percent of the Everglades met the stringent 10 parts per billion Water Quality Standard. Great success has come in part from the active role of the region’s farmers in protecting the environment and improving water quality.

Factor Two: Water quality has also been improved by the construction and use of Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs). Some of these projects have been in operation for more than 15 years and include as many acres as cities the size of Ft. Lauderdale -- and they are working. DEP closely monitors water quality data from the STAs. The agency reports that, since 1994, STAs have reduced phosphorous pollution by an additional 75 percent24. Such strategies have led to a consistent downward trend of phosphorous further south in the Everglades Protection Area (EPA).

Factor Three: Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection has mapped out a 20-year plan to accomplish the task of restoring the Everglades to a place where it will be a self-sustaining and healthy ecosystem. While adjustments are sure to be made, the schedule for projects and the need for funding provides direction for the completion of future projects.

Factor Four: During the 2016 Florida Legislative Session, lawmakers dedicated $200 million per year of Amendment 1 revenue toward projects in the Everglades ecosystem. Policymakers recognize the opportunity of this dedicated, reliable stream of funding to provide the type of stability needed to initiate and complete projects of enormous magnitude. These funds qualify to be used to continue water

quality projects throughout the Everglades ecosystem.

Moreover, lawmakers are addressing the need to better control the quantity of water through water storage projects. Projects aimed at reducing discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers are receiving special attention.

Through Amendment 1, Florida now has a dedicated source of investment for the next 20 years, estimated to provide in total as much as $20-22 billion. With such funding in place, restoration projects can be evaluated, prioritized, and implemented based on their ability to accomplish the desired result.

The restoration of damaged ecosystems in the Everglades deserves to be a priority. While some extreme environmental activists call for using Amendment 1 money solely to buy more land, such a diversion would be poor stewardship and an opportunity wasted. More land acquisition requires taxpayer dollars for both the purchase and ongoing maintenance – and the government already owns nearly 29 percent of all land in Florida for conservation purposes25.

Recommendations for the Future

In light of the enormity of Everglades restoration and the matrix of multiple projects at various stages of completion, it is easy to get “lost in the weeds” of detail and miss the big picture. Here are a few priorities, which, if kept in mind, can cut through the web of complexity and help keep focus where it should be.

Priority 1: Amendment 1 funding should continue to be used for Everglades restoration efforts. Predictable, stable, recurring funds make long-range, expensive, complicated projects more realistic. The wording of Amendment 1 is unambiguous and authorizes funding to be directed toward Everglades restoration. The proper allocation of these funds will help restore precious state resources and retain Florida’s beauty.

Funding Priorities for Everglades Restoration Projects

Priority 1: Amendment 1 funding

should continue to be used for

Everglades restoration efforts.

Priority 2: The public should

be kept informed of taxpayer-

funded projects for environmental

efforts such as restoring the

Everglades, through an easily

accessible, monthly report posted

on the Florida Department of

Environmental Protections website.

Priority 3: Finish projects

and plan new projects north of

Lake Okeechobee under the

Basin Management Acton Plans

(BMAPs) approved by the Florida

Legislature.

Priority 4: Water quality

improvement projects must be

based on scientific data and

should should use a common

standard of comparison to

accurately measure current levels

of pollution and the degree of

improvement projected for each

proposed project.

Priority 5: A study should be

conducted to determine the impact

of the regulatory releases of fresh

water from Lake Okeechobee on

the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee

River estuaries, as well as the

impact from local runoff.

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Priority 2: The public should be kept informed of taxpayer-funded projects for environmental efforts such as restoring the Everglades. Florida DEP should produce and post on its website an easy-to-find, easy-to-understand report called, “This Month in the Everglades.” It would provide a regular status report as to how taxpayer money is being spent and with what impact.

Priority 3: Finish projects and plan new projects north of Lake Okeechobee under the Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) approved by the Florida Legislature. Over the next 20 years, the focus should be on completing projects and restoring the water quality and managing water quantity in Lake Okeechobee. The BMAP committees should play a critical role in each locality because problem solving should be pushed to the most local level. This is especially important in the regions north, east and west of Lake Okeechobee where current projects should be finished and new projects planned.

Water Management District leadership should be

a participant in BMAPs and should not initiate separate water quality improvement projects apart from the BMAP system. The BMAP local committee should be the single voice for water quality improvement projects in order to create the most effective plan of action.

Additionally, the current “Everglades Restoration Strategies” plan needs to be fully built and implemented to achieve the final 10 ppb standard in all Southern Everglades locations. The CEPP and Modified Water Delivery Projects must be built and implemented to

restore the desired timing and distribution of water to the Southern Everglades.

For the Lake Okeechobee 5,000 square mile-contributing basin, the St Lucie Estuary and the Caloosahatchee Estuary, the Governor’s Plan, the Legislature’s Plan and the SFWMD Plan must be implemented in order to begin significant restoration of the Northern Everglades and Estuary Ecosystems.

Funding needs to be appropriated by the legislature and the implementation of the planned and approved projects should be aggressively pursued.

Priority 4: Water quality improvement projects must be based on scientific data and should use a common standard of comparison to accurately measure current levels of pollution and the degree of improvement projected for each proposed project. Too often computer modeling and estimations are used to form assumptions with little to no scientific data. Reliance on scientific data will prevent wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on theoretical projects that might make little or no contribution toward solving the problems at hand.

Using a standard measure, such as cost per pound of pollution to be removed, would greatly assist BMAP committees in comparing the potential of project success or failure, not to mention measuring a project’s “bang-for-the-buck.”

Only then can projects be properly considered to reduce pollution levels, realistically compare the potential effect of any proposed project, and more accurately estimate the cost to remove pollution or mitigate its effects.

Priority 5: A study should be conducted to determine the impact of the regulatory releases of fresh water from Lake Okeechobee on the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee River estuaries, as well as the impact from local runoff. The impact on marine life and aquatic plants due to the changes in salinity deserves attention. It would also be of benefit to study potential catalysts, which might accelerate the recovery of these areas after a release.

Even as of this writing, there are widespread algae blooms in the St. Lucie estuary and along the coast. Gov. Rick Scott has issued a state of emergency for Martin and St. Lucie counties. Tourism and small business is sure to be hurt by this latest event. Once again, this highlights need for action.

Restoration of the Everglades has been and continues to be a huge undertaking with many moving parts. It is a challenge to which Florida will continue to respond. The efforts of many are having measurable positive impacts. With a reasonable time frame and adequate funding, we can accomplish even more.

BACKGROUNDER | Solving the Everglades Riddle

1. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. (2009, February 11). History of the Everglades. Retrieved from http://www.dep.state.fl.us/ev-ergladesforever/about/default.htm

2. Perny, T. (n.d.). Florida Agriculture Overview and Statistics (Florida De-partment of Agriculture and Consumer Services). Retrieved from http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Marketing-and-De-velopment/Education/For-Researchers/Florida-Agriculture-Over-view-and-Statistics

3. South Florida Water Management District. (n.d.). Restoration Progress - Key Projects. Retrieved from www.sfwmd.gov/restorationprogress

4. United States Army Corps of Engineers. (n.d.). About Herbert Hoover Dike. Retrieved from http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/LakeOkeechobee/HerbertHooverDike.aspx

5. Florida Department of Environmental Protection: Division of Environ-mental Assessment and Restoration. (2013, May). Basin Management Action Plan. Retrieved from http://dep.state.fl.us/water/watersheds/docs/bmap/stlucie-estuary-nutr-bmap.pdf

6. United States Geological Survey. (n.d.). Lake Okeechobee Watershed Project. Retrieved from http://sofia.usgs.gov/projects/index.php?proj-ect_url=lakeokee

7. H. 989, Florida. (2016) (enacted). 8. Florida Natural Areas Inventory. (2016, February). Summary of

Florida Conservation Lands. Retrieved from http://fnai.org/PDF/Maacres_201602_FCL_plus_LTF.pdf

9. University of Florida Water Institute. (2015, March). Options to Reduce High Volume Freshwater Flows to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Es-tuaries and Move More Water from Lake Okeechobee to the Southern Everglades. Retrieved from https://www.flsenate.gov/UserContent/Top-ics/WLC/UF-WaterInstituteFinalReportMarch2015.pdf

10. Stern, C. Congressional Research Service. (2014, November 18). Ever-glades Restoration: Federal Funding and Implementation Progress. Re-trieved from http://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/crs/R42007.pdf

11. South Florida Water Management District. (2016, January). Everglades Restoration Progress. Retrieved from http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/spl_everglades_prog-ress.pdf

12. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Department of the Interior. (2015). Report to Congress: Comprehensive Everglades Restoration. Retrieved from http://www.evergladesrestoration.gov/content/cerpre-ports/cerp_2015_rpt_to_congress.pdf

13. Ibid.14. South Florida Water Management District. (2016, January). Everglades

Restoration Progress. Retrieved from http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/spl_everglades_prog-ress.pdf

15. South Florida Water Management District. (2015, December 23). Pre-sentation: Past & Present Water Quality Conditions in the South Florida Water Management District. Retrieved from http://my.sfwmd.gov/we-bapps/publicMeetings/viewFile/7580

16. South Florida Water Management District. (2016, January). Everglades Restoration Progress. Retrieved from http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/spl_everglades_prog-ress.pdf

17. S. 2500A, Florida. (2015) (enacted).18. Ibid.19. H. 989, Florida. (2016) (enacted).20. S. 626, Florida. (2003) (enacted).21. South Florida Water Management District. (2015, August). BMP Pro-

gram Celebrates 20 Years of Success. Retrieved from http://www.sfw-md.gov/portal/page/portal/xweb%20protecting%20and%20restoring/best%20mangement%20practices

22. Ibid.23. Ibid.24. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. (n.d.). Everglades

Restoration. Retrieved from http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/ever-glades/

25. Florida Natural Areas Inventory. (2016, February). Summary of Florida Conservation Lands. Retrieved from http://fnai.org/PDF/Maacres_201602_FCL_plus_LTF.pdf

References

A Legacy Worth Protecting Policy direction involves a realistic examination of

both the status quo and our end goal. We cannot rewind history and undo man’s impact on the Everglades over the past 100 plus years. The important policy question before us now is simply, what shall we do to restore the ecosystem of the Everglades so that it becomes sustainable to the benefit of all?

The 2016 Florida Legislative Session took some important steps toward that goal. Nevertheless, it will take continued, objective, scientific examination of projects already underway and prudent planning

for future projects to see the Everglades restored and sustained.

Restoration of the Everglades has been and continues to be a huge undertaking with many moving parts. It is a challenge to which Florida will continue to respond. The efforts of many are having measurable positive impacts. With a reasonable time frame and adequate funding, we can accomplish even more.

If scientists, legislators, policymakers, and private sector stakeholders use funds available through Amendment 1 and continue to unite around the plans already in place, it just might be said years from now, “They solved the riddle of Everglades restoration.”

www.jamesmadison.org | 13

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BACKGROUNDER | Solving the Everglades Riddle