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water before it is discharged to the natural areas throughout the system.
Stormwater treatment areas are included in the recommended Comprehensive Plan
for basins draining to Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River Basin, the St.
Lucie Estuary Basin, the Everglades, and the Lower East Coast. These are in
addition to the over 44,000 acres of stormwater treatment areas already being
constructed pursuant to the Everglades Forever Act to treat water discharged from
the Everglades Agricultural Area.
Improve Water Deliveries to the Everglades. The volume, timing, and quality of
water delivered to the south Florida ecosystem will be greatly improved. The
Comprehensive Plan will deliver an average of 26 percent more water into
Summary
Final Feasibility Report and PEIS April 1999
ix
Northeast Shark River Slough over current conditions. This translates into nearly
a half million acre-feet of additional water reaching the slough, and is especially
critical in the dry season. More natural refinements will be made to the rainfalldriven operational plan to enhance the timing of water sent to the Water
Conservation Areas, Everglades National Park, and the Holey Land and
Rotenberger Wildlife Management Areas.
Remove Barriers to Sheetflow. More than 240 miles of project canals and
internal levees within the Everglades will be removed to reestablish the natural
sheetflow of water through the Everglades. Most of the Miami Canal in Water
Conservation Area 3 will be removed and 20 miles of the Tamiami Trail (U.S. Route
41) will be rebuilt with bridges and culverts, allowing water to flow more naturally
into Everglades National Park, as it once did. In the Big Cypress National Preserve,
a north-south levee will be removed to restore more natural overland water flow.
Store Water in Existing Quarries. Two limestone quarries in northern MiamiDade County will be converted to water storage reservoirs to supply Florida Bay,
the Everglades, Biscayne Bay, and Miami-Dade County residents with water. The
11,000-acre area will be ringed with an seepage barriers to ensure that stored water
does not leak or adjacent groundwater does not seep into the area. A similar facility
will be constructed in northern Palm Beach County.
Reuse Wastewater. The recommended Comprehensive Plan includes two advanced
wastewater treatment plants in Miami-Dade County capable of making more than
220 million gallons a day of the county’s treated wastewater clean enough to
discharge into wetlands along Biscayne Bay and for recharging the Biscayne
Aquifer. This reuse of water will improve water supplies to south Miami-Dade
County as well as reducing seepage from the Northeast Shark River Slough area of
the Everglades. Given the high cost associated with using reuse to meet the
ecological goals and objectives for Biscayne Bay, other potential sources of water to
provide freshwater flows to the central and southern bay will be investigated before
pursuing reuse.
Pilot Projects. A number of technologies proposed in the Comprehensive Plan have
uncertainties associated with them -- either in the technology itself, its application,
or in the scale of implementation. While none of the proposed technologies are
untested, what is not known is whether actual performance will measure up to that
anticipated in the Comprehensive Plan. The pilot projects, which include
wastewater reuse, seepage management, Lake Belt technology, and three aquifer
storage and recovery projects are recommended to address uncertainties prior to full
implementation of these components.
Improve Fresh Water Flows to Florida Bay. Improved water deliveries to Shark
River Slough, Taylor Slough, and wetlands to the east of Everglades National Park
Summary
Final Feasibility Report and PEIS April 1999
x
will in turn provide improved deliveries of fresh water flows to Florida Bay. A
feasibility study is also recommended to evaluate additional environmental
restoration needs in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys.
Southwest Florida. There are additional water resources problems and
opportunities in southwest Florida requiring studies beyond the scope of the
Restudy recommended Comprehensive Plan. In this regard, a feasibility study for
Southwest Florida is being recommended to investigate the region’s hydrologic and
ecological restoration needs.
Comprehensive Integrated Water Quality Plan. The recommended
Comprehensive Plan includes a follow-on feasibility study to develop a
comprehensive water quality plan to ensure that the Comprehensive Plan leads to
ecosystem restoration throughout south Florida. The water quality feasibility study
would include evaluating water quality standards and criteria from an ecosystem
restoration perspective and recommendations for integrating existing and future
water quality restoration targets for south Florida water bodies into future
planning, design, and construction activities to facilitate implementation of the
recommended Comprehensive Plan. Further, water quality in the Keys is critical to
ecosystem restoration. The Florida Keys Water Quality Protection Plan includes
measures for improving wastewater and stormwater treatment within the Keys.
Implementation of the Keys Water Quality Protection Plan is critical for restoration
of the south Florida ecosystem.
Overall, the recommended Comprehensive Plan will capture and store much
of the water that is now lost to the ocean and gulf. This will provide enough water
in the future for both the ecosystem, as well as urban and agricultural users. It will
continue to provide the same level of flood protection as it does at present, if not
more, for south Florida. The Comprehensive Plan is a system-wide solution for
ecosystem restoration, water supply, and flood damage reduction. It is a necessary
step towards a sustainable south Florida.
What the Comprehensive Plan Will Accomplish
Implementation of the recommended Comprehensive Plan will result in the
recovery of healthy, sustainable ecosystems throughout south Florida. It is a plan
that will lead to a much improved environment, for people and for the plants and
animals that depend upon the natural system for their survival. The
Comprehensive Plan contains all of the essential components to achieve this goal.
There are many reasons for having confidence that it will be successful. No other
plan, especially one on a smaller scale or one lacking the appropriate balance
between ecosystem restoration and future urban and agricultural water supply
objectives, would achieve a similar level of success.
Summary
Final Feasibility Report and PEIS April 1999
xi
The Comprehensive Plan does not provide all the answers – no plan could.
The plan, however, contains an aggressive adaptive assessment strategy that
includes independent scientific peer review and a process for identifying and
resolving uncertainties. Because it is acknowledged that all the answers cannot be
known at this time, and that inaction is not an option, adaptive assessment
provides the means to allow restoration to move forward. A major strength of the

water before it is discharged to the natural areas throughout the system.

Stormwater treatment areas are included in the recommended Comprehensive Plan

for basins draining to Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River Basin, the St.

Lucie Estuary Basin, the Everglades, and the Lower East Coast. These are in

addition to the over 44,000 acres of stormwater treatment areas already being

constructed pursuant to the Everglades Forever Act to treat water discharged from

the Everglades Agricultural Area.

Improve Water Deliveries to the Everglades. The volume, timing, and quality of

water delivered to the south Florida ecosystem will be greatly improved. The

Comprehensive Plan will deliver an average of 26 percent more water into

Summary

Final Feasibility Report and PEIS April 1999

ix

Northeast Shark River Slough over current conditions. This translates into nearly

a half million acre-feet of additional water reaching the slough, and is especially

critical in the dry season. More natural refinements will be made to the rainfalldriven operational plan to enhance the timing of water sent to the Water

Conservation Areas, Everglades National Park, and the Holey Land and

Rotenberger Wildlife Management Areas.

Remove Barriers to Sheetflow. More than 240 miles of project canals and

internal levees within the Everglades will be removed to reestablish the natural

sheetflow of water through the Everglades. Most of the Miami Canal in Water

Conservation Area 3 will be removed and 20 miles of the Tamiami Trail (U.S. Route

41) will be rebuilt with bridges and culverts, allowing water to flow more naturally

into Everglades National Park, as it once did. In the Big Cypress National Preserve,

a north-south levee will be removed to restore more natural overland water flow.

Store Water in Existing Quarries. Two limestone quarries in northern MiamiDade County will be converted to water storage reservoirs to supply Florida Bay,

the Everglades, Biscayne Bay, and Miami-Dade County residents with water. The

11,000-acre area will be ringed with an seepage barriers to ensure that stored water

does not leak or adjacent groundwater does not seep into the area. A similar facility

will be constructed in northern Palm Beach County.

Reuse Wastewater. The recommended Comprehensive Plan includes two advanced

wastewater treatment plants in Miami-Dade County capable of making more than

220 million gallons a day of the county’s treated wastewater clean enough to

discharge into wetlands along Biscayne Bay and for recharging the Biscayne

Aquifer. This reuse of water will improve water supplies to south Miami-Dade

County as well as reducing seepage from the Northeast Shark River Slough area of

the Everglades. Given the high cost associated with using reuse to meet the

ecological goals and objectives for Biscayne Bay, other potential sources of water to

provide freshwater flows to the central and southern bay will be investigated before

pursuing reuse.

Pilot Projects. A number of technologies proposed in the Comprehensive Plan have

uncertainties associated with them -- either in the technology itself, its application,

or in the scale of implementation. While none of the proposed technologies are

untested, what is not known is whether actual performance will measure up to that

anticipated in the Comprehensive Plan. The pilot projects, which include

wastewater reuse, seepage management, Lake Belt technology, and three aquifer

storage and recovery projects are recommended to address uncertainties prior to full

implementation of these components.

Improve Fresh Water Flows to Florida Bay. Improved water deliveries to Shark

River Slough, Taylor Slough, and wetlands to the east of Everglades National Park

Summary

Final Feasibility Report and PEIS April 1999

x

will in turn provide improved deliveries of fresh water flows to Florida Bay. A

feasibility study is also recommended to evaluate additional environmental

restoration needs in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys.

Southwest Florida. There are additional water resources problems and

opportunities in southwest Florida requiring studies beyond the scope of the

Restudy recommended Comprehensive Plan. In this regard, a feasibility study for

Southwest Florida is being recommended to investigate the region’s hydrologic and

ecological restoration needs.

Comprehensive Integrated Water Quality Plan. The recommended

Comprehensive Plan includes a follow-on feasibility study to develop a

comprehensive water quality plan to ensure that the Comprehensive Plan leads to

ecosystem restoration throughout south Florida. The water quality feasibility study

would include evaluating water quality standards and criteria from an ecosystem

restoration perspective and recommendations for integrating existing and future

water quality restoration targets for south Florida water bodies into future

planning, design, and construction activities to facilitate implementation of the

recommended Comprehensive Plan. Further, water quality in the Keys is critical to

ecosystem restoration. The Florida Keys Water Quality Protection Plan includes

measures for improving wastewater and stormwater treatment within the Keys.

Implementation of the Keys Water Quality Protection Plan is critical for restoration

of the south Florida ecosystem.

Overall, the recommended Comprehensive Plan will capture and store much

of the water that is now lost to the ocean and gulf. This will provide enough water

in the future for both the ecosystem, as well as urban and agricultural users. It will

continue to provide the same level of flood protection as it does at present, if not

more, for south Florida. The Comprehensive Plan is a system-wide solution for

ecosystem restoration, water supply, and flood damage reduction. It is a necessary

step towards a sustainable south Florida.

What the Comprehensive Plan Will Accomplish

Implementation of the recommended Comprehensive Plan will result in the

recovery of healthy, sustainable ecosystems throughout south Florida. It is a plan

that will lead to a much improved environment, for people and for the plants and

animals that depend upon the natural system for their survival. The

Comprehensive Plan contains all of the essential components to achieve this goal.

There are many reasons for having confidence that it will be successful. No other

plan, especially one on a smaller scale or one lacking the appropriate balance

between ecosystem restoration and future urban and agricultural water supply

objectives, would achieve a similar level of success.

Summary

Final Feasibility Report and PEIS April 1999

xi

The Comprehensive Plan does not provide all the answers – no plan could.

The plan, however, contains an aggressive adaptive assessment strategy that

includes independent scientific peer review and a process for identifying and

resolving uncertainties. Because it is acknowledged that all the answers cannot be

known at this time, and that inaction is not an option, adaptive assessment

provides the means to allow restoration to move forward. A major strength of the