The Florida Everglades –

America’s Rhine? I. Historical water flow and

landscape featuresII. A century of engineering

modifications: 1880 - 1980III. Changes in flow and

associated environmental problems

IV. Overview of the current “Restoration Plan” (CERP)

V. CERP constraints and uncertainties

Web site for additional info:www.evergladesplan.org

Sawgrass plains

Ridge and slough/tree islands

KissimmeeRiver

The Historical Everglades

Marl prairie

Hardwoodhammocks

The Historical Everglades

Pine forest

The Historical Everglades

Florida Bay

Mangrove swamps

1845 Florida admitted into the Union as the 27th state.

1847-48 Engineer Buckingham Smith hired to examine and survey the South Florida wilderness, reporting on its value and feasibility for reclamation to Congress.

1850 U.S. Congress grants swamp lands to Florida for the purpose of drainage and reclamation.

Events during early statehood

1855-58 Third Seminole War

1861-65 Civil War

1860's-1870's Railroad and canal companies face financial ruin with devaluation of confederate currency.

1881 Philadelphia millionaire Hamilton Disston negotiates to drain lands overflowed by Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River in exchange for one-half the reclaimed land.

http://everglades.fiu.edu/reclaim/timeline/index.htm

New York Times, February 18, 1881:

“The reclamation of 12,000,000 acres of land, or one-third of the States of the Union, has been undertaken by a company of Philadelphia gentleman with every prospect of success...The project of reclaiming this wonderfully rich country has been talked of for years, and it has long been considered feasible by many noted engineers...The leading man in this enterprise is Hamilton Disston, a young gentleman of great business energy and ample fortune, and present head of the great saw-manufacturing firm of Henry Disston & Sons.”

Drainage History

FIRST LARGE SCALEFIRST LARGE SCALEDRAINAGE EFFORTDRAINAGE EFFORTIN SOUTH FLORIDAIN SOUTH FLORIDA

HAMILTON DISSTONHAMILTON DISSTONCONSTRUCTIONCONSTRUCTION

1881-18941881-1894

CHANNEL DREDGINGAND STRAIGHTENING

NEW CHANNEL CONSTRUCTION

EVERGLADES DRAINAGE EVERGLADES DRAINAGE DISTRICT WORKSDISTRICT WORKS

1905-19281905-1928

CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER DREDGED

ST. LUCIE CANAL CONSTRUCTED1916 TO 1928

AGRICULTURAL CANALS DREDGED

Drainage History (continued)

“River of grass” replaced (now) by sugar cane fields* and

“water conservation areas”

* Sugar cane is profitable to grow in Florida primarily due to the US trade embargo on Cuba

Fort Lauderdale, 1926 Belle Glade, 1928

Deadly hurricanes in 1926 and 1928 caused flooding of Lake Okeechobee

HERBERT HOOVER HERBERT HOOVER DIKEDIKE

1932-19381932-1938

Drainage History (continued)

AREAS FLOODEDAREAS FLOODED IN 1947IN 1947

Drainage History (continued)

CENTRAL & SOUTHERNCENTRAL & SOUTHERNFLORIDA (C&SF) FLORIDA (C&SF)

PROJECTPROJECT1,000 miles of canals 720 miles of levees

~200 water control structures

The 1950s – 1980s

Continued Channelization of the Lower Kissimmee River in the 1960s

Straightened channel with remnant meander that is now cut off from main flow

Lock and dam structure

Continued Expansion of Agriculture and Urban Areas

Dramatic Change in Flows

Too dry in EvergladesNational Park

Too wet in the waterconservation areas

Loss of tree islands

Loss of wading and water birds

Environmental Consequences

Land subsidence and loss of peat soilhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1182/pdf/12Everglades.pdf

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Brazilian pepper is an aggressive non-native plant. It grows as a shrub or small tree, is related to poison ivy and can grow between 10 and 40 feet tall. Its growth is dense so it prevents the growth of other vegetation.

Other Indicators of Ecosystem Problems• 68 plant and animal species are threatened

or endangered • Over 1.5 million acres infested with

invasive, exotic plants

Approved in theWater Resources Development Act

of 2000Includes more than 60 elementsWill take more than 30 years to

construct

Will cost an estimated $7.8 billion

The 1990s: Planning for the “CERP”

Constraints

Urban Water Supply and Flood Control

Lake OkeechobeeAgriculture

Invasive Species Water Quality

• Surface Water Storage Reservoirs• Aquifer Storage Recovery• Stormwater Treatment Areas• Reuse Wastewater• Seepage Management• Removing Barriers to Sheetflow• Operational Changes to Structures

Principal Features and Uncertainties

Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR)Idealized System

ASRWater

ASRWater

SurficialAquifer

ConfiningUnit

ASR Storage

Zone(saline)

LowerConfining Unit

Injection Recovery

ASRWater

ASRWater

Existing ASR Wells in Florida(from USGS WRI Report 02-4036)

CERP ASRs will include over 300 wells each with a capacity of 5 million gallons per day

Major Questions• Effects on regional groundwater flow and pressures below confining unit• Efficiency of recovery after long storage periods

SurficialAquifer

ConfiningUnit

ASR Storage

Zone(saline)

LowerConfining Unit

Injection Storage

AmbientGW flow

ASRW ater

ASRW ater

ASRW ater

Variationsin Permeability

Aquifer Flow

Additional Questions

• Fate of potential contaminants (e.g. microbes, mercury, nutrients) that are present in source water• Geochemical and biogeochemical reactions due to mixing and water rock interactions

SurficialAquifer

ConfiningUnit

ASR Storage

Zone(saline)

LowerConfining Unit

Injection Storage

GW flowASR

W ater

ASRW ater

Most Important Question

• Will recovered water be of suitable quality for the ecosystem?

“Pilot” projects to address these questions

But

• Well designed pilot projects will require 5-10 years to yield results

• Hydrogeologic conditions may limit storage options

• Need for contingency planning now

If there is not enough water (or water storage) to satisfy all needs, what are the options?

A. Accept increased flood risk in urban areasB. Condemn sugar holdings in the Everglades

Agricultural Area to provide more land for surface reservoirs

C. Restrictions on public water supplyD. Allow increased fluctuations in Lake

Okeechobee water levels (affecting fishing, boating and waterfowl hunting, as well as water supply for surrounding communities)

E. Provide less water to Everglades National Park than that required for habitat improvement