Water's Journey Everglades Notes

The Florida Everglades: A Unique Ecosystem

The Florida Everglades is a unique region with beauty and diversity, referred to as Florida's original magic kingdom.
Marjorie Stoneman Douglas championed the Everglades, recognizing its uniqueness.
Past actions in the Everglades were intended to benefit mankind, but may have gone too far.
Draining and development have pushed the Everglades to the brink of collapse.
A massive ecological restoration project, the largest ever conceived, has been initiated to protect the Everglades.
- The project is scheduled to take 40 years and cost over $10,000,000,000$ .
- Success would balance the needs of the Everglades and millions of people.
- Failure could threaten the survival of South Florida.

Hurricane Wilma and Flood Control

Hurricane Wilma, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes, prompted mandatory evacuations.
A special ops team was stationed in South Florida's water control center to prevent urban flooding.
Catastrophic failure of dikes and water control structures is a major danger.
South Florida is vulnerable to major flood events, similar to New Orleans.
Lake Okeechobee's water level is maintained by remote-controlled dams, gates, and pumps.
Breaching of these structures could have catastrophic results, devastating parts of South Florida.

Historical Flooding and the Hoover Dike

In the 1920s, killer storms caused massive flooding in Southern Florida.
In 1928, a category five hurricane breached a five-foot earthen dike on Lake Okeechobee.
- Approximately three thousand people died.
President Herbert Hoover promised to build a 40-foot dike, leading to the first major flood control effort in South Florida.
- The dike stands almost 40 feet high and runs for almost 80 miles.

War on Water and the Everglades' Formation

Florida legislators declared a war on water, aiming to harness and contain it.
Water was declared a common enemy of the state.
The Everglades formed after the last ice age, around 5,000 years ago, when sea levels stabilized.
Mangrove coastlines, hardwood forests, and cypress swamps developed.
An enormous sheet of clear water covered the lower half of the state, flowing south.

Transformation of the Everglades

Industrialized settlers transformed the Everglades, seeking farmland, timber, and land for development.
Drainage canals were created, exposing millions of acres of flooded land.
Killer hurricanes spurred demand for flood protection.
A dependable water supply was needed for the growing coastal population.
In less than 50 years, over half of the original Everglades was permanently lost.

Exploring the Everglades Watershed

A team of explorers and scientists are studying the Everglades watershed.
- Joe Hynerth and Wes Giles are environmental filmmakers.
- Scientists Mark Clark and Tom Morris have over 50 years of combined experience in the watershed.
Two teams will explore the Everglades ecosystem using different approaches.
- Jill and Tom will paddle, dive, swim, and hike to cover over 300 miles.
- Mark and West will conduct aerial observations of the restoration effort.
The Everglades watershed extends up to Orlando.
Restoration requires managing the quantity, quality, distribution, and timing of water throughout the system.

Headwaters of the Everglades: The Kissimmee Basin

The Kissimmee Basin is the source water for the Everglades.
The area is located not far from Orlando's theme parks.
Lake Russell in the headwaters appears pristine.
Dwarf cypress trees are centuries old and indicate past lake conditions.
Most big cypress trees were cut down for timber about 100 years ago.
Alligators are apex predators in this area, with humans as their only real enemy when they reach a certain size.

Drainage Efforts: Hamilton Distant and the Army Corps of Engineers

In the late 1800s, developers sought to drain the Everglades for its potential.
Hamilton Distant planned to reroute the Kissimmee River to send water directly to Lake Okeechobee, east and west to the ocean, and stop the flow of water into South Florida.
This is now considered one of the biggest environmental mistakes ever made.
The Army Corps of Engineers, post-World War II, executed Distant's plan on a massive scale.
The Kissimmee River was replaced with a 56-mile long, 30-foot deep channel.
Massive ditches were cut east and west out of Lake Okeechobee to the coasts.
Over half a million acres of land were drained for farming and development.

Consequences of Channelization

Storm water from farms and communities poured into the Kissimmee Canal.
The natural cleansing process of the flood plain was disrupted.
Nutrient-rich water flowed directly into Lake Okeechobee and then to the Atlantic and Gulf.
The canal was completed in 1971, and it was commonly agreed it should never have been built.

Modern Farming and Land Management

Farmers like the Williamsons are trying to preserve their land and leading protection efforts.
They are converting land into natural wetlands to manage runoff.
Others are making land available for water storage.
Okeechobee County has five times as many cattle as human residents.
More than $5,000,000$ acres of agricultural land have been converted to suburban sprawl since the 1970s.
Open spaces are critical for habitat, water supply, and food source.

Restoration of the Kissimmee River

The original Kissimmee River meandered over 100 miles.
The river swelled into a flood plain almost two miles wide during rain.
This cycle was critical to the ecosystem.
Scientists and engineers are backfilling parts of the Kissimmee Canal to restore the river's natural flow path and floodplain.
This allows the river to cleanse itself and enhances habitat.
The dissolved phosphorus is reduced, and water quality is improved.

Lake Okeechobee and Phosphorus Problems

Lake Okeechobee is the fourth largest lake in America.
It is the source of major problems for Everglades restoration.
Runoff from farms and development has impacted the lake.
Phosphorus in the water is devastating coastal estuaries.
The restoration plan aims to move more water south and use natural processes to clean it.

Phosphorus and Algae Blooms

Phosphorus is introduced into the environment from fertilizers.
High levels of phosphorus in water bodies fuel algae blooms.
Algae blooms deplete oxygen and block sunlight, causing dead zones.
Best Management Practices (BMPs) involve private farmers and local and state governments working together to protect the environment.

Livestock Waste Management and Recycling

Confined areas allow for total waste containment.
Farmers are turning pollution into products they can sell.
Solids are collected and separated, and liquids are reused for wash down or irrigation.
Solids are transformed into organic fertilizer.

Storm Water and Its Impact

All water on Earth is connected.
Storm water runoff picks up contaminants and carries them downstream.
A major challenge is to minimize storm water impact.
Pollutants gather on the bottom of Lake Okeechobee.
Hurricanes resuspend contaminated sediments.
Contaminated water is released to coastal estuaries.

Everglades Agricultural Area

South of Lake Okeechobee is rich farmland.
The area was transformed into agricultural lands with the construction of the Hoover Dike and drainage canals.
The area has a rich deposit of peat soil, known as black gold.
Protecting this muck soil is critical to the farmers survival.

Soil Subsidence and Challenges for Farmers

After drainage, peat soil can burn or blow away.
Biomechanical oxidation breaks down carbon in the soil, releasing carbon dioxide into the environment.
Rising costs, regulations, and extreme weather events have forced many farmers out of business.

Big Sugar and Public Decisions

Big sugar is a powerful political force in Florida.
Government subsidies allowed sugarcane farming to thrive.
Corporate farming became influential but was also blamed for the failing health of the Everglades.
The demand for land, flood control, and the belief in man's destiny drove the ecosystem's decline.
It was a public decision to create the Everglades agricultural area through drainage.

Everglades Restoration Fundamentals

Cleaning up phosphorus-laden water is essential.
Returning sheet flow to the lower basin is important.
Creating massive water storage systems is needed to ensure water meets the needs of people, farming, and the environment.
The Everglades Forever Act placed a threshold on phosphorus levels not to exceed 10 parts per billion.
Private and state partnerships are key to implementing new farming techniques and BMPs.
Farmers laser-level fields, conserve water, and reduce direct application of fertilizers.

Progress by Farmers and Challenges

Farmers in the Everglades agricultural area have reduced phosphorus discharge by 55%.
The goal to drop phosphorus levels to below 10 parts per billion remains costly and elusive.
Farmers are faced with the question of whether to preserve the American food supply or sell their land to real estate developers.
Urban landscapes have the potential to pollute on a much larger scale.

Impact on Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes

The decline of the Everglades has impacted the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes.
Both tribes believe that land cannot be owned.
They remain true guardians of the Everglades and a powerful voice for their homeland.
They are fighting to protect the Everglades the way it was and seeking control over the water.

Wetland Scientists and Phosphorus Impact

Wetland scientists study plants, animals, and nutrients, focusing on how phosphorus impacts the ecosystem.
Water conservation areas retain overflows of storm water.
Cattails thrive on phosphorus-rich runoff and have become a nuisance species.
Phosphorus helps plants grow, but it can cause communities to shift and reduce wildlife value.

Phosphorus Levels and Calcareous Paraphyton

Scientists have shown how phosphorus changes along a gradient.
This information is used to model storm water treatment areas.
As the team moves southward, soil samples indicate that phosphorus levels are dropping.
Calcareous paraphyton, a community of algae, fungus, and bacteria, indicates clean water.
It captures sunlight, grows food for animals, and creates oxygen.
If paraphyton is lost due to too many nutrients, it will result in the loss of a key food source.

Constructed Wetlands and Storm Water Treatment Areas

Constructed wetlands or storm water treatment areas use plants to remove contaminants from water.
A specially engineered mix of plants is used to cope with storm water challenges.
STAs use a massive stage process that matches plant species to specific nutrient levels in the water.
Nutrient-rich water passes through emergent vegetation, submerged aquatics, and periphyton.
These plants cleanse the water and reduce phosphorus levels by about 80%.
Clean water then enters the natural wetlands of the Everglades.
Storm water treatment areas and best management practices have prevented $2,200$ metric tons of Phosphorus from entering into the everglades.

Conclusion: Commitment and Progress

Commitment from environmental organizations, state, and tribal leaders is clear.
Federal aid and widespread citizen support are crucial.
The Everglades restoration effort is well on its way.
In the Kissimmee River, over one-third of the river has been restored.
Farmers continue to minimize runoff. By implementing an accelerated schedule to solve these issues, legislator are making good progress with the project.
Pioneering scientists are successfully treating billions of gallons of water using aquatic plants.
The Everglades is a unique ecosystem and is being restored well.