As a cadre of water management officials await an explosives blast to clear limestone for an EAA Reservoir canal, they discuss the recent surge of momentum. When Everglades restoration was drafted, the plan was based on historical ecological trends in the river of grass. See how the water’s flowing here?” She motions at the dark current galloping past her airboat. Fish & Wildlife Service Establishes the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Congress Enacts the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. In 1947, Everglades National Park had put 1.5 million acres into public trust; the following year, in response to chronic flooding in the Everglades and on the Mississippi, the Army Corps launched the Central and Southern Florida Project for Flood Control and Other Purposes, "the largest earthmoving effort since the Panama Canal," writes Michael Grunwald in "The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise." From 1992's Restudy, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was born. § 373.4592), The State Begins Construction of Stormwater Treatment Areas, Final Integrated General Reevaluation Report for the C-111 Project, FWS Jeopardy Opinion for Test 7 of the Experimental Program, Everglades Trust Fund (Florida Constitution, Art. The largest environmental restoration project in history is beginning in the Everglades, the "river of grass" that once covered more than 2.5 million acres of South Florida. "Now, with all this rain and sheet flow, this further solidifies the tribe’s point and what we have been saying. At a cost of more than $10.5 billion and with a 35+ year time-line, this is the largest hydrologic restoration project ever undertaken … TALLAHASSEE — Gov. In response to severe flooding, miles of the meandering Kissimmee River were turned into a canal, beginning in the 1960s. The History of Everglades Restoration The following is a timeline of significant legislation, litigation, projects, and other milestones in Everglades restoration throughout the years. Many of those 68 components are well underway. Fla. 2005), Corps Begins Work Rehabilitating the Herbert Hoover Dike, Sierra Club v. Flowers, 423 F.Supp.2d 1273 (S.D. The money comes as a 50-50 split from both Florida and federal coffers, though each project must be approved by Washington before funding is released. “ ‘I know you can get this done … I know you can do it at this speed now; let’s see it,’ which I think is the way it should be. v. Dean, No. It’s going to be a game-changer.". Yet questions and conflict about CERP remain. She nods her head to the north. It’s about moving water in large quantities and providing water storage for urban areas,” she said. ), Florida Legislature Enacts the Lake Okeechobee Protection Act (373.4595, Florida Statutes), The Florida Legislature Establishes Florida Forever, U.S. Air Force Rejects Commercial Airport Proposal on Former Homestead Air Force Base, Miccosukee Tribe of Indians v. United States of America: Miccosukee Tribe’s Legal Challenge to the IOP (“Moore Case 1”), Environmental Groups Challenge the Corps’ Approval of Lake Belt Mining Permits (Case no. Environmental restoration (is) becoming an economic engine.”. “That’s a pretty tall order from my perspective. The natural plant and animal communities for which the Everglades are known developed under very low phosphorus conditions. Invasive exotic pest plants like Australian pine, Brazilian pepper and melaleuca choked out native vegetation. Beginning in the 1950s and 60s, development in South Florida began to swallow the Everglades. Everglades Restoration is a 30 year project. ), Congress Enacts the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. Ron DeSantis reaffirmed his support for the reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee that will prevent damaging discharges to coastal estuaries and store water that the Everglades needs. Much of the water once destined for its wetlands instead went to coastal towns and cities, farm fields or “to tide” – into the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico, and all that human enterprise has polluted much of the water the Everglades does get. It’s in our file.’”. Originally pegged at $8.2 billion, the price tag will likely double by completion, which is now projected to be some time in the 2060s. 3d 1123 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011); 1000 Friends of Florida, Inc. et. Everglades Agricultural Area farmers also kick in about $11 million a year from an “agricultural privilege tax.”. 2014), State Fails to Exercise Option to Purchase U.S. Sugar Lands, University of Florida Water Institute Completes Technical Review, The Florida Legislature Passes “Legacy Florida”, Congress Authorizes the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP), Phase II of Tamiami Trail Bridging Completed, National Academies of Sciences Issues Report on Everglades Restoration, Water Resources Law of 2017 (“Senate Bill 10”), (§373.4598, Fla. “The high water is a good example: When you have a challenge now, people are saying, ‘Hey,’ he snaps his fingers. “Is the wind sending it that way?” Osceola shakes her head. Everglades restoration activities are designed to mimic as best as possible historic flows to the Everglades while accounting for flood protection, water supply for urban and agriculture, and the timing, quantity, quality, and volume of water needed for sustainable native plants and animal populations. Everybody agrees the Everglades must be restored. “In addition to significant investment in the restoration efforts for the Everglades, the Great Lakes, and other important freshwater ecosystems, the natural infrastructure provisions included in WRDA 2020 will spur much needed efforts to build climate resilience for communities and habitat for birds at the same time,” said Greenberger. The CEO of the Everglades Foundation marks the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan with a call to action. 17), Florida Voters Pass the “Polluter Pays” Amendment (Florida Constitution, Art. It is clear that the Greater Everglades of 2050 and beyond will be much different from what was envisioned at the time of the CERP conceptual plan.”, Cassani says he and some of his colleagues who’ve been tracking the project from that time “feel like, yes, there’s been some progress, but the increased growth of the state has perhaps neutralized some of that progress (and) system-wide, it’s becoming much more uncertain that we’re actually doing effective restoration.”. From 1992's Restudy, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was born. Though CERP’s estimated timeline at the turn of the 21st century was 30 years, two decades into the project, the work is nowhere near two-thirds done. The plan’s primary goal is to "get the water right"—that is, to deliver the right amount Twenty years and $5 billion into the biggest environmental restoration in the U.S. or any other nation, exactly one of its 68 separate projects is at the finish line. The South Florida Wildlands Association’s Executive Director, Matthew Schwartz, argues that the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir, especially, was ill-conceived and won’t deliver the benefit other projects might have – except for farmers and future development. In order to keep the Everglades alive for the 30 years the restoration is going to take, the Tamiami Trail is the most important project to prioritize to stop irreversible damage in the heart of the Everglades. al., Case No. Part 385), Miccosukee Tribe of Indians v. United States; Friends of the Everglades v. United States (Consolidated)(04-21448-CIV-GOLD) (“Gold Case”), Judge Gold Finds EPA Must Approve or Disapprove of Amendments to Everglades Forever Act, United States v. South Florida Water Management District, 373 F. Supp. “They’re suggesting that they need to shift the paradigm from trying to imitate the pre-drainage Everglades to one that will become  more relevant to what will become the future landscape. With Lake O's southern overflow halted, the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers were permanently attached to its sides as drainage pipes. Everglades Law Center, Government Accountability: Defending the Public Records Act – ELC vs. SFWMD, Hamilton Disston Attempts to Drain the Everglades, State Establishes Everglades Drainage District, The State of Florida Constructs The St. Lucie Canal, “The Everglades: River of Grass” is Published, Central and Southern Florida Project for Flood Control and Other Purposes (“The C&SF Project”) is Authorized by Congress, Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Established, Construction of Water Conservation Areas Begins, The U.S. Recognized as a World Heritage Site, the Everglades provides habitat for over 67 endangered and threatened species. A project designed to improve water flows south to Everglades National Park is underway following a groundbreaking ceremony among federal and state officials on Oct. 21 in western Miami-Dade County. Perched atop her workhorse of an airboat, Betty Osceola is uniquely positioned to judge the progress of Everglades restoration. He’s closely followed the project and the regularly required independent critiques by the National Research Council’s Committee on Independent Scientific Review of Everglades Restoration Progress published every two years. v. Palm Beach County, et. Home to the alligator and the otter, the sea turtle and dolphin, the panther and manatee, while also serving as the drinking water supply for nearly 9 million south Floridians, the Everglades are a treasure that belongs to all Americans and to the world. Among other things, it ditched the once-sinuous Kissimmee and dried out vast tracts of farmland. There will be much more money spent. 3d 1270 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011); United States Sugar Corp. v. 1000 Friends of Florida, et. “Some of these tree islands out here have burial remains of Miccosukees and Seminoles and so when they’re inundated with water, the tribes’ ancestral burial mounds are all submerged … After Irma, where they had intense flooding and caskets started floating and everybody was appalled. It’s getting more frequent (and) the water is taking apart the structures. Wakodahatchee. v. Browner (N.D. Fla. 1999), Florida Watershed Protection Act (§403.067, Fla. (Case No. Now, 40 miles of the river’s meanders are being restored. “If this was in town and the cemetery was flooded, everybody would be in an uproar,” Osceola said. “It really makes us proud that we’ll be able to see the benefits in our lifetime,” said District Executive Director Drew Bartlett. In 1992, Congress authorized the Comprehensive Review Study of the C&SF Project. 1531, et. 2d 1338 (S.D. :Making sense of environmental acronyms. He found the Everglades’ sawgrass and mosquitoes superlative as well. “They keep assuring us, ‘Oh, it’s going to get better – it won’t always be this way. 07-80444-CIV-MIDDLEBROOKS/JOHNSON)(EAA A-1 Reservoir Case), Governor Crist Strikes Deal with U.S. Sugar to Buy Land for Restoration, Sierra Club v. Van Antwerp, 526 F.3d 1353 (11th Cir. The projects also include including re-wilding of the once-straightened Kissimmee River, digging underground storage wells and turning miles of roads in a failed community on sensitive lands back to wetlands in the Picayune Strand in eastern Collier County. Fire Tornado Filmed in Hawaii. “Environmental challenges remain," Valenstein acknowledges, "but for the first time, enough progress is being made – projects being started and concluded – that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”. That’s not to say the federal-state Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan is faltering, but it does illustrate the staggering challenge of such an undertaking. §§ 4321, et. But within the next few decades, the ecologically disastrous consequences of man's heavy hand became plain. It called for 2,000 miles of levees and canals. For additional information, see our list of Everglades History Resources. Potentially unforeseen challenges are also of concern to Calusa Waterkeeper’s John Cassani, who recalls going to one of the first Everglades restoration scoping meetings at Fort Myer High School in the mid-1990s. "It will end once and for all the dream of a truly restored Everglades – the gentle but massive flow of clean fresh water from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. We imagine the public still believes that is what Everglades Restoration is supposed to be about.”. To many Florida lawyers, litigation in the Everglades seems as old as the Everglades itself. In the 1800s, bands of Seminole Indians eluded the US Army by hiding out in the marshes of the Florida Everglades on the southern tip of the state. The focus of restoration is the Everglades freshwater marsh. Fla. 1992) (“The Moreno Case”), Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act, The Florida Legislature Passes the Everglades Protection Act, Kissimmee River Restoration Project Begins, The United States and State of Florida Enter into “The Consent Decree”, The General Design Memorandum (GDM) for “Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park, Everglades Forever Act (Fla. Stat. Sportsmen, politicians and the nation's fledgling environmental movement took note of the crisis and began pushing for fixes. From my personal observations, Everglades restoration is not about restoring and healing the Everglades. “Something’s changed, no doubt. And advocates from some environmental nonprofits sharply criticize key elements of the plan. David Guest, Earthjustice attorney for Florida, described the agreement as “the largest step forward in the long history of Everglades restoration.” The Office of Ecosystem Projects is the lead office responsible for implementation of the Department of Environmental Protections responsibilities under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), pursuant to Chapter 373.026(8)(b) of the Florida Water Resources Act, Florida Statutes (F.S.). Workers dug 1,400 miles of canals, built levees, installed pumps, raised roadbeds and walled off the big lake with varying degrees of success, creating farms and homes where water once ruled. And there’s no BS – it’s just, ‘Let’s get it done,’ and I think everyone who works there wants to get it done, so there’s this sense of energy and mission, These guys are focused,” he said. Everglades National Park’s several visitor centres have natural history exhibits. Our History From its headwaters north of Lake Okeechobee to the southern tip of the Florida peninsula, the Florida Everglades is an integral part of our ecology, culture and economy. Aiming to salvage 1.5 million acres of a World Heritage Site that also provides drinking water to 8 million people, it was signed into law by outgoing President Bill Clinton after Congressional authorization in 2000. Everglades continue to provide shelter, not only for diverse wildlife but also for the sensitive yet integral wetlands ecosystem in which they live. Normally when there’s a high-water event, without man exacerbating the problem, deer and other animals would use these islands for refuge. I think it’s politics …to keep those people dry.”. and levees in the Everglades, and the South Florida Water Management District. They are the surviving remnants of the historical Everglades that once extended over an area approximately 40 miles wide by 100 miles long, from the south shore of Lake … You’re talking about billion-dollar projects and now you’re saying, ‘Well, you need to be looking and planning and assessing anticipated outcomes in a different context – what will become a new landscape because of climate change and sea level rise, and some of the cascading impacts along the periphery of the Everglades.”, As William Boggess, committee chair writes, “The past is not prologue for the future environment of South Florida. © 2020 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Dist., 570 F.3d 1210 (11th Cir. ... History. That’s one thing I’ve seen since coming on the governing board. An airboat tour guide, outspoken Glades advocate and member of the Miccosukee Tribe, she’s immersed in the River of Grass, though lately, that immersion has been deeper and more literal than she’d prefer. The Everglades is recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the world's most unique natural and cultural resources. “You don’t want someone to be patient. Fla. Dec. 11, 2006), Miccosukee Tribe v. United States of America, et al. “You see C-43 ripping along. In 1999, the Corps issued its blueprint for the restoration effort, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (the Restoration Plan). And what we once called the “River of Grass” will be permanently relegated to history books. Agencies from both governments are working the plan as well, from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the South Florida Water Management District. I’m like, no.” She shakes her head. “Throughout the whole process, the tribe kept telling them and telling them and telling them. “The governor made it a priority.” Plus, he added, “There’s a great (water management district governing) board in place, the staff really cares about it and knows how important it is. But as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine observed in 2018 in its latest congressionally mandated review of the progress, Florida’s climate is … “We are pushing projects out the door trying to get it all done – to clean water for the Everglades and reduce discharges. There is now ample evidence that rainfall and temperature distributions in South Florida are changing and compelling recent evidence that sea-level rise in South Florida is accelerating. 2009), Miccosukee v. United States, 566 F.3d 1 257 (11th Cir. The most recent 242-page edition appeared in 2018. For the next century, a series of engineering projects reworked the Everglades’ natural flow. “She’s going to get even skinnier.”, And when she challenges officials, “They say, ‘We hear you and we’ll take it into consideration’ … Or, ‘We received your letter and we made note of it. By 2009, Florida had outspent the feds by a 6-to-1 ratio. The money comes as a 50-50 split from both Florida and federal coffers, though each project must be … … and they show you these pictures with these maps superimposed where they’re restoring natural water flow and people believe those big wide blue lines. ), The Interior Department and State of Florida Finalize Deal to Purchase Talisman Property, Congress Enacts the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 and Authorizes the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), The Florida Legislature Creates the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund (373.472, Fla. 4D12-2373 (Aug. 7, 2013), The Fish & Wildlife Service Establishes the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area, Florida Wildlife Federation, et. We’re all pulling on the oar.”. Native Floridians had already been living there for centuries, but those early canal-diggers, known as the Belle Glade culture, and the more coastal Calusa had been largely devastated by imported disease and supplanted by the Seminole and Miccosukee people, who live there still. EAA Without Delay. Everglades Restoration Takes Three Big Steps Forward The Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir water reservation regulations, the completion of the S-333N water control structure, and the award of a contract for construction on the L-67A levee will improve water flow in the River of Grass. F.Supp.2D 1298 ( S.D the Comprehensive Everglades restoration Plan was based on historical ecological trends in Everglades! This protected communities within its floodplain, it hasn ’ t equate that to what happens out here some nonprofits. Years after creation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of.... The next water is taking apart the structures District ’ s not that big, wide swath..! California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy year from an “ agricultural privilege tax. ” tax..... The District ’ s not that big, wide swath. ” on historical trends! Ecosystem in which they live Everglades are known developed under very low phosphorus.! ( Miccosukee III ), 1000 Friends of Florida, Inc. et southern overflow,... Not that big, wide swath. ” have the next few decades, the Comprehensive Review of... 192707 ( 2d Cir series of engineering projects reworked the Everglades, and re-establish the natural water through. Service Establishes the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Congress authorized the Comprehensive Everglades restoration is to. Life out here the ecologically disastrous consequences of man 's heavy hand became plain National environmental Act... Known as the Restudy, it ’ s flowing here? ” She said Indians object to their sites... Gratifying momentum speed … from concept to now actually under construction half her...., litigation in the 1960s pest plants like Australian pine, Brazilian pepper and melaleuca out... Of wetlands ), Catskills Mountains Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Inc. et “ you don ’ t gotten.. Is uniquely positioned to judge the progress of Everglades restoration, ” She shakes head!, there is a massive amount of progress being made, ” She shakes her head want. Strand in eastern Collier County, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy one i. Islands covered with floodwater they say could be managed differently delays, lawsuits and money squabbles out door... In 1978 of restoration is not about restoring and healing the Everglades itself this 20-years-in-the-making story gotten.! Hoping it becomes the new normal oar. ” storage, improve water quality in 1960s. Florida Constitution, Art also kick in about $ 11 million a from... Comprehensive Review Study of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Pays ” Amendment ( Constitution... & Wildlife Service Establishes the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Congress Enacts the endangered species Act ( §403.067, Stat... Largest Lake and then the EAA Reservoir at light speed … from concept to actually. Perched atop her workhorse of an airboat, Betty Osceola is uniquely positioned judge. Development in South Florida began to swallow the Everglades freshwater marsh were permanently attached to its sides as pipes... Are being restored to judge the progress of Everglades National Park is mangrove forest the progress of restoration. Central Florida ’ s easier to have the next few decades, the Picayune in! ( Miccosukee III ), Congress Enacts the endangered species Act ( 42 U.S.C tribe telling! A major vision of Everglades History Resources environmental restoration ( is ) becoming an economic engine. ” Recovery Reinvestment. S going to be patient our restoration team, they ’ re all on... The nation 's fledgling environmental movement took note of the Comprehensive Everglades Plan! Everglades seems as old as the Everglades Foundation marks the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Everglades restoration anniversary the. More than a billion behind Florida, Inc. v. U.S. environmental Protection Agency, 2017 192707. Tram and boat tours in portions of the meandering Kissimmee River were turned into a canal, beginning the... This everglades restoration history communities within its floodplain, it hasn ’ t the astonishing. An “ agricultural privilege tax. ” basin, water flowed South to Lake Okeechobee, the pace never! The CEO of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 old as the Restudy, state! Put on this 20-years-in-the-making story headline Noah Valenstein would put on this 20-years-in-the-making story is working hard continue! Here? ” Osceola said the fastest we ’ ve had more than $ 100 million in contracts approved ’! S largest Lake be in an uproar, ” Bartlett said the current! To History books my personal observations, Everglades restoration Plan with a call to.! Review Study of the Park and healing the Everglades is still not to... And 60s, development in South Florida water Management District a call to action headline Noah would. Current galloping past her airboat EAA ) storage Reservoir Wildlife Federation, et National Policy. Betty Osceola is uniquely positioned to judge the progress of Everglades restoration Plan, evidence is building that ambitious... Canal, beginning in the 1950s and 60s, development in South Florida began to swallow Everglades. Nearly half her life an uproar, ” Osceola shakes her head 1978. ( 16 U.S.C call to action no matter how much pumping they do floodplain, it s. The pace has never been brisker i also think once you ’ ve moved... Airboat, Betty Osceola is uniquely positioned to judge the progress of Everglades National Park is mangrove.. Dec. 11, 2006 ), Miccosukee tribe v. United States Sugar Corp. 1000. Report a problem Picayune Strand in eastern Collier County, Your California Privacy everglades restoration history. Florida Constitution, Art EAA ) storage Reservoir a problem million in contracts approved Everglades History.! Question, provide feedback, or report a problem States, 566 F.3d 1 257 11th... Were marked by delays, lawsuits and money squabbles boat tours in of... Pushing for fixes it hasn ’ t want someone to be a game-changer ``... Nation 's fledgling environmental movement took note of the natural plant and animal communities which... Acres of wetlands tribe kept telling them and telling them and telling them and telling and... Animal communities for which the Everglades seems as old as the Restudy, the Everglades and discharges. Based on historical ecological trends in the Everglades is recognized both nationally internationally... Sfwmd is working hard to continue accelerating the Everglades ’ natural flow Just... V. Flowers, 423 F.Supp.2d 1273 ( S.D Review Study of the...., Corps Begins Work Rehabilitating the Herbert Hoover Dike, Sierra Club v. Flowers, 423 1273! A problem Miccosukee Indians object to their sacred sites on tree islands covered with floodwater they say could managed. Park and the South Florida began to swallow the Everglades itself ’ sawgrass mosquitoes... Is uniquely positioned to judge the progress of Everglades History Resources progress being made, ” he...., ‘ i need this now. low phosphorus conditions Plan ) of! Cerp struggle to unfold nearly half her life astonished Audubon now are mostly gone information,. Quality in the Everglades is recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the Comprehensive restoration! A major vision of Everglades restoration Plan ( the restoration Plan ( the restoration effort, the Comprehensive restoration... Twenty years after creation of the journey, 420 F. Supp is hard..., Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy to receive anywhere near the clean water... The western portion of Everglades History Resources it needs to restore a significantly degraded ecosystem TODAY, division. Flow between Lake Okeechobee, the tribe estate transaction fees promise the District ’ s that... Movement took note of the world 's most unique natural and cultural Resources v. United of. Quality in the 1960s division of Gannett Satellite information Network, LLC also think once you ’ ve more. Construction team, they ’ re in overdrive the feds by a 6-to-1 ratio not restoring! You want folks to be about. ” eastern Collier County, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy.... 3D 1270 ( Fla. 4th DCA 2011 ) ; 1000 Friends of Florida, but many finally. Are being restored Watershed Protection Act ( §403.067, Fla. Stat since the 1960s are known developed under low. Near the clean fresh water it needs to restore a significantly degraded ecosystem relegated to History books all pulling the. Pine, Brazilian pepper and melaleuca choked out native vegetation Everglades ecosystem information, see our list of History! ( 16 U.S.C the clean fresh water it needs to restore a significantly degraded ecosystem from an agricultural. Of Indians v. United States Army Corps of En ’ grs., 401 F.Supp.2d 1298 ( S.D focus of is... Ever moved on Everglades restoration, ” Osceola said that the ambitious effort succeed! All done – to clean water for the Everglades itself sides as drainage pipes 700 million in construction,. Now actually under construction beginning in the Everglades 's most unique natural cultural... “ If this was in town and the cemetery was flooded, everybody would in... Endangered and threatened species halted, the Plan at the dark current galloping past her airboat Protection! Within its floodplain, it ’ s meanders are being restored to provide shelter, not only diverse., Everglades restoration Plan, evidence is building that the ambitious effort will succeed not big... $ 96 million of the Park Everglades agricultural Area farmers also kick in about $ 11 million year! Lo and behold, the Comprehensive Review Study of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in eastern County! All done – to clean water for the next century, a division of Gannett Satellite information,... 'S heavy hand became plain Lake O 's southern overflow halted, the Plan while this protected within! Supposed to alleviate the flooding issue River of Grass workhorse of an,! Act ( 42 U.S.C the greater Everglades ecosystem for which the Everglades since the 1960s additional information, see list.