Restoration of the Natural Water Flow in the Everglades Research Paper

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Updated: Mar 13th, 2024

Introduction

One of the most important yet overlooked resources that we possess is the natural environment. When discussing policy analysis and legislation, it is easy to push environmental protection and restoration aside by dismissing it as “too costly” or by demeaning its priority to matters perceived as more urgent. Regardless of the excuse offered, we must recognize the importance of protecting and, in many cases, restoring the natural balance of the environment to sustain life for future generations.

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This paper will discuss a specific problem in the policy analysis arena: restoration of the natural water flow in the Everglades. Specifically, the paper will review the effects of human activity in the Everglades with emphasis on the obstruction of sheet flow in Shark River Slough. We will also focus on the key players and stakeholders in the current push for legislation and policy. The paper will also review the possible solutions to the problems and the alternatives that are being presented by various interest groups, legislators, and the general public. Finally, the paper will explore the possible outcome of the restoration process and highlight factors that may prevent the achievement of the goals of the proposed project.

The Tamiami Trail, also known as United States Highway 41, is a 275 mile stretch of road connecting Miami to Tampa.

The everglade ecosystem

The Shark River Slough is the main supply of fresh water to the Everglades National park; although the river naturally undergoes a reduction in volume during winter-spring, in the recent past it has not been regaining its full volume with the changing seasons. Additionally, each subsequent winter-spring, the levels are getting lower and lower. The ecosystem that has been stable for over 5000 years has been stated to disintegrate from the disruption of the flow of the river. The reduction of flow during the winter-spring season has the effect of concentrating the population of fish thus allowing them to proliferate during the summer high water season. The fish population supports most of the wading birds in the Everglades and is a crucial link in the ecology; the seasonal concentration is important in supporting the birds during the mating and nesting period.

It is estimated that within the last century, the slow flow of fresh water, which is the main sustaining mechanism of the everglade ecology, has reduced by over 50%; this reduction can be attributed to interference with the flow of the shark river, with is the main route of the flow of the water.

The river is part of the everglade ecosystem that is naturally a wetland consisting of a continuous sheet of slow-moving freshwater stretching from Lake Okeechobee in the north to the Florida Bay to the south; the system draws its ability to hold water from two low ridges on the east and the west that flank a shallow basin with north to the south gradient. Rainfall water from further upstream, for example, the Kissimmee valley flows first into Okeechobee Lake; this is the water that then slowly flows down the river into the Everglades to support most forms of life before emptying into the ocean at the Florida bay.

The problem in the Everglades stems from the need to maintain flood water out of the approximately one million acres of farmland that were excised from the wetland and drained of the water; consequently, the canals built empty over 1.7 billion gallons of water into the estuaries shunting it away from the ecosystem that needs it the most. Additionally, the erection of structures, like the Tamiami trail that obstructs the sheet flow of water has a profound negative effect on the flora and fauna living around the area and further downstream. Other harmful structures are levees, built to keep water out of the farmlands; these divide area into sections which the water cannot flow in a continuous sheet; consequently, the water flow from and into disconnected pools through canals and shunt systems denying in life form crucial water for survival.

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Effects of human activity

The everglade ecosystem is among the ones that have suffered heavily from human activities. Before conservation sentiments began to increase to levels that could no longer be ignored, whole sections of the ecosystem had been destroyed to proportions that can never be repaired; these parts of the everglade are lost forever.

Some of the harmful practices include wonton overuse of pesticides on farmlands, clearing of huge sections of natural flora, the introduction of alien species of flora and fauna. Among the events that had a severe impact on the ecosystem was the sheer magnitude at which the water tables of south Florida were manipulated to achieve drier farmlands; the altered table drove the regions to the brink of climatic change.

Ecological effects on plants

The building of levees across the flow of the everglade water and around Lake Okeechobee completely denied some areas water and interrupted the continuous sheet of water that had been present for thousands of years before human interference. Consequently, some of the submerged species of plants were exposed to the elements, and some areas were severely stripped of natural vegetation. Of the species that did not die, they were exposed to unnatural fire patterns that result in the destruction of some species of plants and the alteration of the composition of the soil that may favor some plants and destroy others.

Part of the interference involved the introduction of alien plants in the ecosystem which out-competed the natural flora resulting in homogenized vegetation. It is however important to note that the reason that introduced species can replace the indigenous plants is not because of any superiority in the competition of the alien, but the altered hydrology that forces the indigenous flora to vacate the land; the new plants then take over.

Ecological effects on animals

While not all the animal species were negatively affected by human activity in the everglade ecosystem some of the species were so severely affected that recovery to the original population and distribution may not be possible.

Nesting grounds

The avian population on the ecosystem consisting of wading birds and others were among the most severely affected groups in the ecosystem. The draining of large parts of the system deprived the birds of their natural nesting grounds and destroyed the habitat that shielded them from the adverse effects of human habitation.

The bird population was also affected by the availability of food which they mostly derive from water plants and animals. The destruction of these by unbridled use of pesticides not only broke the food chain but some of the chemicals used were ingested by the birds resulting in deaths and reproductive failure, further reducing the population.

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Road Kills

The death of a large number of animals whose natural habitat is the Everglades by getting run over on the Tamiami trail presents a major issue of debate on the effects of the road and ways of mitigating this for the benefit of the ecosystem.

The reptile and amphibian fauna are particularly vulnerable to roadkill due to their metabolism and motor vehicles are recognized as a major cause of the reduction of these populations along the trail and in the Everglades.

Periodic cold spells and cold northern wind usually lower the water temperature almost to zero degrees centigrade. The herpetofauna can withstand this fall but all physical activity is restricted; when the temperatures in the water return to normal, these animals have to warm up their bodies to regain their metabolism; thus thousands crawl onto the hot tarred surface of the road and get slaughtered in devastating numbers by vehicles.

In southern Florida, another mechanism of roadkill occurs; during spring, the structures of the road, for example, the culverts form pools of water that are attractive to breeding amphibians; during the breeding seasons, many are killed on the road as they attempt to cross to find mates.

Note; the Tamiami trail did not completely seal the flow of water along the shark river; the original engineering had provided culverts through which water could pass across the trail. These culverts, however, did not have good clearance and after years of neglect, they were clogged with debris thus reducing the flow of water. Additionally, an animal that needed to pass from one side to the other had to crawl across the road exposing them to roadkill. The road had reduced the velocity of the flow of water thus affecting the flora and fauna that required the water to flow at optimum speed and favored introduced species that were adapted to near-stagnant water.

The manmade structures that interrupted the continuous sheet of water that covered the habitat resulting in disconnected pools had the same effect on the ecosystem; fragmentation. Completely separated portions of water on either side of the Tamiami road operate as two different ecosystem fragments regardless of their proximity.

Policy alternatives for solving the tamiami trail problem

This paper will analyze three main alternatives that have been proposed as possible solutions to the Tamiami trail modification and the Everglades sheet flow problem; they comprise;

  1. Cleaning of Culverts and Levees
  2. Army Corps of Engineering Alternative 3.2.2.A
  3. The Everglades Skyway Proposal

Cleaning Culverts and Levees

As one of the proposals for solving the Tamiami trail problem, this is by far the easiest among the three to execute in regards to expenditure, time of completion, and volume of engineering work required. The following are the structures that control the flow of water across the Tamiami trial;

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  • S-12: Mechanized dam.
  • Culvert: A draining system that crosses under a road
  • Levee: An embankment or artificial slope to regulate water flows.

There are 4 S-12 Structures and 55 culverts that move water from the north to the south of the Tamiami Trail.

This proposal makes no modification on the surface of the road but suggests that cleaning of these structures to remove debris and vegetation that has accumulated from years of neglect and that is clogging them will restore the flow of water to levels that will rejuvenate the dying ecosystem.

The key proponents of this proposal are the Miccosukee Indians who inhabit ancestral lands in this area; and who fear that modifications that allow movement of the large amount of water across the ‘dam’ will result in flooding of their lands. The other group that supports the proposal is the taxpayers understandably because of the costs involved in the other projects.

It is prudent to mention that there are parties that opposed this proposal as the solution; key among these is the Miami-Dade County, the State Government of Florida, and the Federal Government.

The main aim of the plan is to scrape and dreg away strips of plants and muck measuring 30 by 1000 feet along the levees, culverts, and S-12 structure to improve the flow of water.

Proponents of the proposal cite the benefits of adopting it is the main strategy to include;

  • Cost; the proposal is estimated to cost $17 million; among the three proposals this is the least amount
  • The timeframe from onset to completion; the approximate time of completion
  • limited damage to the natural environment; the proposal does not involve any construction and is not invasive; thus interfering with the natural environment is minimal
  • increased natural water flow
  • protection of sacred Miccosukee land

In the same breath, there are several cited drawbacks to the proposal; for example, the Army Corps of Engineers does not believe that the flow of water will be restored to the natural rate on reopening of the culverts. Additionally, opposition to the flooding of the road during the process has been raised citing traffic delays and congestion between Naples and Miami.

Army Corps of Engineering Alternative 3.2.2.A

The US army in 1989 was mandated by the Everglades National park Protection and Expansion to draft plans for the modification of the Tamiami trail to mitigate the ecological damage that had occurred from the damming effect of the road.

On 9th April 2009, the engineers released a Limited Reevaluation Plan

One of the policy alternatives is the Army Corps of Engineers’ Modified Water Deliveries (MWD) Project. The Modified Water Deliveries Project is a multi-faceted answer to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) which addresses the core task of restoring the natural hydrologic conditions in Everglades National Park. In particular, the Corps is seeking to mitigate and, over time, alter the impacts of man-made structures such as roads, levees, and canals on the water flows and levels in the Central and South regions of Florida. Under the MWD Project, the Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with the United States Department of the Interior and the South Florida Water Management District, will address four major water management issues that have been collectively agreed upon to be the most important components in moving forward with a total restoration of the Everglades ecosystem. The four main components of the MWD Project are:

  1. an 8.5 square mile flood mitigation,
  2. Conveyance and seepage control features,
  3. Combine Structural and Operational Plan (CSOP) and
  4. Tamiami Trail Modifications.

The most recent proposal under this component is known as Alternative 3.2.2.a. Alternative 3.2.2a recommends that (1) one mile of roadway be replaced with a bridge to allow unrestricted water flow. It also calls for increased operating levels in the Tamiami Trail Borrow Canal, a (30) thirty percent surface road increase on Tamiami Trail to prevent flooding, and an adjustment to current water management operations to allow for a more equally distributed water flow on the east and west sides of Tamiami Trail. Cost estimates for implementing Alternative 3.2.2a run approximately $85 million with the Federal Government being the majority financier at a requested (75) seventy-five perfect of total operations and maintenance costs. Local and State costs would be the remaining (25) twenty-five percent with an additional estimated cost of $30,000/annually to maintain the conveyance of flow under the bridge. Alternative 3.2.2a is projected to employ several thousands of workers in the South Florida area and is estimated to take up to (4) four years for completion.

When conducting an overview of this alternative, our group came across a variety of factors that play a part in evaluating and weighing the pros and cons of this policy option. The most widely cited positive outcome of this project is its anticipated effect in restoring a more natural flow of waters within the Everglades National Park. The proposed changes under the alternative would work to allow for an increased level of environmental integrity in a relatively short period. With one of the most vital and tedious tasks completed, the focus could then be shifted to smaller projects under CERP; thereby expediting a movement towards completing all restoration objectives. From an economic standpoint, this project alternative would also help stimulate the local economy through the creation of jobs both in the short and long term. Additionally, the total cost of the alternative is under $100 million. This price is considerably smaller than other alternatives and previous options introduced by the Army Corps of Engineers.

While many support the proposed alternative, it is also important to divulge that this alternative has received a great deal of opposition from policy actors involved in this issue. On the public interest/environmental side, the alternative has been denounced as being too small in scale. Many feel that a 1-mile stretch of the bridge is simply too small to restore the required sheet flow to mend the ecosystem. However, the alternative has received the most opposition from the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. On November 13, 2008, the Tribe even went so far as to request a preliminary injunction against plans to move forward with the alternative citing that the required environmental analysis had not been completed. Like the environmental/public interest stakeholders, the tribe is concerned over the overall effectiveness of the alternative-especially about its cost. Additionally, increased chances of flooding of their tribal land due to changes in the water flow patterns has raised a multitude of concerns which the tribe feels must be addressed through further environmental analysis and research.

The second policy alternative is also part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). It is simply the completion of the Tamiami Trail Modifications Plan through several criteria: 1) The completion of the Tamiami Trail one mile bridge and the C-111 spreader canal phase one, 2) Entrance into the beginning of integrated planning and implementation for a phase two package of essential southern Everglades projects, such as Southern DECOMP, seepage management, Tamiami Trail phase two, and the C-111 spreader canal phase two, and 3) To complete construction of the necessary storage and treatment of capability in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA).

The completion of the Tamiami Trail one-mile bridge and C-111 spreader canal phase one is the most certain way to bring early, incremental restoration benefits to the southern Everglades and Florida Bay. It will also begin to answer important questions about ecosystem responses to increases in flow rates and volumes to complete phase one of these two core projects. A monitoring program must be put in place to show ecological responses to new flows across the Tamiami Trail and increased flows into lower Taylor Slough, respectively, as a basis for extrapolating the larger hydrological requirements for meeting restoration objectives.

Criteria 2, as listed above, will comprise the heart of the plan to restore the central and southern Everglades through the restoration of flow through the River of Grass. Thus, their implementation is critical to the overall restoration of the system and must be accomplished as soon as possible. They are being pursued as individual efforts within the overall restoration plan. To ensure that the individual projects are cohesive and properly integrated, a coordinated planning initiative should be established. This planning initiative would identify the regional volume and flow requirements and delivery options for the central and southern Everglades, southern marl prairies, eastern Big Cypress, mangrove estuaries, and Florida Bay. This initiative would also define an implementation strategy using incremental adaptive restoration and adaptive management principles to ensure the proper sequence of implementation for the various parts. That is, the integrated plan would ensure that seepage management along the eastern boundary of the central and southern Everglades is provided concurrently with the restoration of flows. Those flows would be accomplished through completing modifications to elevate and bridge Tamiami Trail, create an open (free-flowing) system in the central Everglades by removing the adverse effects of the L-67, L-29, and L-28 canals/levees on the natural system, and deliver more natural volumes of water into the Big Cypress/southwestern estuaries and the Taylor Slough/Florida Bay southern estuaries.

Tamiami Trail will continue as a major constraint to restoring the Everglades and Florida Bay until substantial additional hydrological connectivity is established across the Trail. Numerous studies of potential solutions along the Trail exist from which to pull together policy recommendations within 12 months for a phase two Tamiami Trail plan, to increase and restore more natural water flow across the WCA-3 and Everglades National Park interface, thereby reconnecting areas of the historic Everglades that are now separated.

Lastly, the completion of the construction of the necessary storage and treatment capability in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) is vital. Successful restoration will require the capability to send large quantities of treated water from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades, to re-establish the historic flow connection within the watershed. It will also require sufficient storage to replace the natural dynamic storage that once existed in the Everglades. Treatment for 1-1.8 million acre-feet and storage of 1.5-2 million acre-feet of water is needed to restore natural flows into the Loxahatchee Refuge, Central/Southern Everglades, and downstream estuaries.

The Everglades Skyway Proposal

This proposes the construction of an 11-mile elevated bridge to replace the current roadway through the Shark River Slough. Key proponents of this proposal include the Skyway Coalition, Friends of the Everglades, Audubon Society of Florida, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, and several other municipalities and environmental advocacy groups.

The Skyway Proposal boasts the most significant return to natural sheet flow and ecology in the Everglades while simultaneously citing the highest rate of local economic stimulation and development. Project Benefits Include:

  • Restoration of Natural Water Flow
  • Restoration of Native Plant Life
  • Reduction of Animal Habitat Fragmentation and Road Kill
  • Creation of Local Jobs (Approximately 6,000)
  • Stimulation of Tourism to Surrounding Areas ($600 million in Revenue)
  • Heightened Sense of Awareness to the Everglades Restoration Movement

Like all the other projects, disconcert regarding some issues has occurred; the main rallying points against this proposal include;

  • Costs are projected to be between $300 Million and $1.2 Billion
  • Conservative Estimates Suggest a 5-6 Year Project Completion Length which is long compared to other proposals
  • Construction Related Activities May Lead to Further Environmental-degradation, Petroleum Leakage/Spills from the construction machinery, and Quarrying Activities to provide raw materials for the construction that has to occur in a nearby site.
  • Increases in Tourism and Traffic May Lead to Increased Instances of Illegal Dumping, Pollution, and Urbanization of Surrounding Areas

Evaluation of the cost and benefits between the various projects

There are 5 types of criteria, which we felt are vital for the evaluation of the best-case policy alternative.

  • Cost
  • Preservation of Natural Water Flow
  • Preservation of Natural Habitat
  • Technical Feasibility
  • Political Feasibility

Table 1; Evaluation of Costs and benefits.

CriteriaAlternative 1Alternative 2Alternative 3
Cost$17 Million (3)$120 Million (2)$1.2 Billion (1)
Preservation of Natural Water Flow123
Preservation of Natural Habitat321
Technical Feasibility321
Political Feasibility321
Total13107

Weighted matrix

Weighted matrix

Table 2: Weighted matrix.

CriteriaAlt 1Alt 2Alt 3
Cost (40%)321
Preservation of Natural Water Flow (20%)123
Preservation of Natural Habitat (20%)321
Technical Feasibility (10%)321
Political Feasibility (10%)321
Total13107

Ecological response of modification

Plans to modify the Tamiami trail are aimed at returning the flow of water across the trait at the natural rate that had been interrupted for years. After modification, the restoration of water flow is expected to support the return of the ecosystem into its original state; the natural flora and fauna are expected to increase naturally and return to original distribution and balance.

A big headache however is the formulation of an accurate method of evaluating the benefits to the ecosystem from the modification; the everglade ecosystem was severely damaged from human activities before a large volume of biological and hydrological data was gathered. They can therefore only be compared with computer models with generated hypothetical scenarios of response. The key to staying on track in monitoring the recovery of the ecosystem will be the adaptation of a flexible and dynamic model of evaluation that can be altered and formatted to accurately predict the outcome.

However, events outside the Everglades could also influence the outcome of the ecological restoration; the change in the global climate stemming from the emission of greenhouse gases from human activities all over the world is predicted to cause a rise in the ocean levels. If the rise was to occur in the magnitude predicted by scientists, then huge portions of the southern Everglades that are set to benefit from the modification of the Tamiami trial modification would be converted to saltwater wetlands, and the ecosystem of the Everglades in this regions would be completely lost to the assault of the sea.

Another threat to the successful restoration of the southern everglade ecosystem in the ever-present human activity; the population of South Florida is expected to grow to figures greater than 12 million from the current 6 million by the year 2050; the demand therefore for housing, water energy, transportation, and business might smoother the fledgling restored ecosystem. The growth of human populations is always accompanied by urbanization, a situation that cannot progress at the same location as ecological recovery. For the latter to occur successfully, the area has to be isolated for sufficient periods to allow for the undisturbed breeding and reproduction of the recovering flora and fauna.

Expanding human populations also increase the demand for food; this increases the pressure to expand farming activities into the natural ecosystem; alternatively, an increase in farm inputs in form of pesticides and fertilizers on farms adjacent to the recovering ecosystem would harm the recovery; while the pesticides and/or herbicides would cause direct mortality, fertilizers are usually responsible for supporting algae blooms in the water; the algae blocks sunlight and depletes oxygen from the water thus reducing its ability to support life.

Conclusion

The issue of conservation of the environment and in particular the restoration of the everglade is not debatable. While in the past structures like the Tamiami trail were seen as engineering triumphs, now they have been correctly classified as ecological disasters and plans are being made to reverse their effect

It is however prudent to evaluate each proposal for the value it will put in the system to avoid causing more harm and also spending a lot of money on an inefficient solution.

Bibliography

Anderson, David et al. (2008). Comments on Draft Tamiami Trail Modification Limited Reevaluation Report and Environmental Assessment [PDF Document]. Web.

Brinkman, Paul. (2009). U.S. House Approves Big Money for Everglades. Web.

Clark, Lesley and Curtis, Morgan (2009). Money, White House Pick Revive Restoration Hopes. Web.

Department of the Interior. (2008). Department of the Interior Vision and Plan for Successful Everglades Restoration. Web.

NBC 6 News. (2008). Feds Pump $1 Million more into Tamiami Trail Planning. Web.

Regalado, Nanciann E. (2008). Everglades Report [PDF Document]. Web.

South Florida Water Management District (December 2008). Quick Facts On…Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park Project: Tamiami Trail Modifications [PDF Document]. (SFWMD Publication). West Palm Beach, FL.

Worth, Dewey. (2008). Modified Water Deliveries Project: Tamiami Trail Bridge [PowerPoint Presentation]. Web.

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