Imperiled Everglades

Imperiled Everglades

Imperiled Everglades

As Miami's backyard, the Everglades are threatened by suburban sprawl, agriculture, and business development. What results is competition among environmental, agricultural, and developmental interests. The biggest issue is water. Starting in the 1930s, a giant flood-control system began diverting water to canals running to the gulf and the ocean. The unfortunate side effect of flood control has been devastation of the wilderness. Park visitors decry diminished bird counts, the black bear population has been nearly eliminated, and the Florida panther once neared extinction. Meanwhile, the loss of fresh water has made Florida Bay saltier, devastating breeding grounds and creating dead zones where pea-green algae have replaced sea grasses and sponges.

The nearly $8 billion, 10-year comprehensive plan worked out between government agencies and a host of conservation groups and industries to restore, protect, and preserve the ecosystem is under way. More than 200 projects tear down levees, fill canals, construct new water-storage areas on land formerly preserved for agriculture or new development, channel water to estuaries and Everglades National Park, and provide flood protection and a reliable water supply. The expectation is that new policies and projects implemented over the next decade will go a long way toward reviving the natural system.

Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma took their toll on the Everglades in 2005, knocking down trees, flooding, and flattening the landscape. Although nature heals quickly, towns take a little longer, particularly Flamingo, which took the brunt of the storm before it moved northward. For last-minute updates visit www.nps.gov/ever or call 305-242-7700.