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current plan is that its flexibility allows for efficient and successive opportunities to
make further improvements as we refine our plans and obtain new information.
The focus of the recommended Comprehensive Plan has been on recovering
the defining ecological features of the original Everglades and other south Florida
ecosystems. What made these ecosystems unique was their topographic flatness and
expansiveness, and that they formed hydrologically integrated systems from
boundary to boundary. What this means in a healthy ecosystem is that water
patterns in one part of the system could be used to predict the patterns throughout
the system. Animals living in the Everglades would “read” the water patterns, and
“know” where to go to find the food and water that they needed for successful
reproduction and survival under a range of natural conditions. It was the
combination of connectivity and space that created the range of habitats needed for
the diversity of plants and animals. The construction of the many levees and dikes
designed to compartmentalize the Everglades and separate Lake Okeechobee from
its natural overflow, and the canals that drained water to the coast, disrupted these
natural patterns, and destroyed the ability of many animals to find the dependable
habitat needed for their survival at the right time.
The recommended Comprehensive Plan, by removing over 240 miles of
internal levees in the Everglades, and approaching recovery of the natural volume
of water in the remaining wetlands, will restore these essential defining features of
the pre-drainage wetlands over large portions of the remaining system. The plan
also includes water storage and water quality treatment areas that will improve
water quality conditions in the south Florida ecosystem. In response to this
substantial improvement, the characteristic animals of these ecosystems will show
dramatic and positive responses. At all levels in the aquatic food chains, the
numbers of such animals as crayfish, minnows, sunfish, frogs, alligators, herons,
ibis, and otters, will markedly increase. Equally important, animals will respond to
the recovery of more natural water patterns by returning to their traditional
distribution patterns.
The recommended Comprehensive Plan will support the return of the large
nesting “rookeries” of wading birds to Everglades National Park, and the recovery of
several endangered species to more certain and optimistic futures. Wading birds,
e.g., herons, egrets, ibis and storks, are symbolic of the overall health of the
Everglades. As recently as the 1950s and 1960s, large “super colonies” of nesting
waders remained in the park; none have been there since. Wading birds, perhaps
Summary
Final Feasibility Report and PEIS April 1999
xii
more than any other animal, assess the quality of habitats over the entire basin of
south Florida wetlands, before making “decisions” about where and when, or even
whether, to nest. The recovery of the super colonies will be a sure sign that the
entire ecosystem has made substantial progress towards recovery. Of the
endangered species, the wood stork, snail kite, Cape Sable seaside sparrow, and
American crocodile, among others, will benefit and increase. Undoubtedly,
implementation of the recommended Comprehensive Plan will once again allow us
to witness what is now only a fading memory of the former abundance of wildlife in
the Everglades.
It is important to understand that the “restored” Everglades of the future will
be different from any version of the Everglades that has existed in the past. While it
certainly will be vastly superior to the current ecosystem, it will not completely
match the pre-drainage system. This is not possible, in light of the irreversible
physical changes that have made to the ecosystem. It will be an Everglades that is
smaller and somewhat differently arranged than the historic ecosystem. But it will
be a successfully restored Everglades, because it will have recovered those
hydrological and biological patterns which defined the original Everglades, and
which made it unique among the world’s wetland systems. It will become a place
that kindles the wildness and richness of the former Everglades.
Lake Okeechobee will once again become a healthy lake. The littoral and
pelagic zones within the lake, essential to the lake’s commercial and recreational
fishery and other aquatic species, will be greatly enhanced by the water levels
projected in the recommended Comprehensive Plan. Water quality will also be
improved significantly. The lake provides huge regional benefits to wildlife,
including waterfowl, other birds, and mammals.
The Comprehensive Plan provides major benefits to the Caloosahatchee and
St. Lucie estuaries, and Lake Worth Lagoon. The plan eliminates almost all the
damaging fresh water releases to the Caloosahatchee and most detrimental releases
to the St. Lucie. The plan makes substantial improvements to Lake Worth Lagoon.
As a result, grassbeds and other submerged aquatic vegetation will benefit and thus
provide abundant favorable habitat for the many aquatic species that depend on
these areas for food, shelter, and breeding grounds, thereby enhancing the
productivity and economic viability of estuarine fisheries. The recommended
Comprehensive Plan also includes several water storage and treatment areas to
improve water quality conditions in the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie and
Caloosahatchee estuarine systems.
The recommended Comprehensive Plan makes improvements in fresh water
deliveries to Florida and Biscayne bays. These bays will benefit from more natural
water deliveries. Appropriate fresh water regimes will result in substantial
improvements in aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats; fish and wildlife will respond
Summary
Final Feasibility Report and PEIS April 1999
xiii
favorably to these beneficial changes. Mangroves, coastal marshes, and seagrass
beds interacting together to produce food, shelter, and breeding and nursery
grounds will support more balanced, productive fish, shellfish, and wildlife
communities.
South Florida does not have to follow the fate of some states that suffer
severe water shortages, creating tension between natural resource protection and
water supply. The recommended Comprehensive Plan expands the storage
capability of the C&SF Project, enabling the system to better meet ecosystem and
urban water supply needs in the future. Frequency of water restrictions expected
with the recommended Comprehensive Plan are greatly reduced compared to the
Without Plan Condition. This will be accomplished by more effectively providing
adequate flows from the regional system to recharge the surficial aquifer. This will
help offset withdrawals from public water supply wellfields and other users in the
urbanized Lower East Coast Region. Such recharge also protects the surficial
aquifer from saltwater intrusion, allowing it to remain a productive source of fresh
water in the future.
The recommended Comprehensive Plan will significantly increase the
capability to supply water from the regional system to agricultural users. This will
provide better protection from economically harmful water supply cutbacks and

current plan is that its flexibility allows for efficient and successive opportunities to

make further improvements as we refine our plans and obtain new information.

The focus of the recommended Comprehensive Plan has been on recovering

the defining ecological features of the original Everglades and other south Florida

ecosystems. What made these ecosystems unique was their topographic flatness and

expansiveness, and that they formed hydrologically integrated systems from

boundary to boundary. What this means in a healthy ecosystem is that water

patterns in one part of the system could be used to predict the patterns throughout

the system. Animals living in the Everglades would “read” the water patterns, and

“know” where to go to find the food and water that they needed for successful

reproduction and survival under a range of natural conditions. It was the

combination of connectivity and space that created the range of habitats needed for

the diversity of plants and animals. The construction of the many levees and dikes

designed to compartmentalize the Everglades and separate Lake Okeechobee from

its natural overflow, and the canals that drained water to the coast, disrupted these

natural patterns, and destroyed the ability of many animals to find the dependable

habitat needed for their survival at the right time.

The recommended Comprehensive Plan, by removing over 240 miles of

internal levees in the Everglades, and approaching recovery of the natural volume

of water in the remaining wetlands, will restore these essential defining features of

the pre-drainage wetlands over large portions of the remaining system. The plan

also includes water storage and water quality treatment areas that will improve

water quality conditions in the south Florida ecosystem. In response to this

substantial improvement, the characteristic animals of these ecosystems will show

dramatic and positive responses. At all levels in the aquatic food chains, the

numbers of such animals as crayfish, minnows, sunfish, frogs, alligators, herons,

ibis, and otters, will markedly increase. Equally important, animals will respond to

the recovery of more natural water patterns by returning to their traditional

distribution patterns.

The recommended Comprehensive Plan will support the return of the large

nesting “rookeries” of wading birds to Everglades National Park, and the recovery of

several endangered species to more certain and optimistic futures. Wading birds,

e.g., herons, egrets, ibis and storks, are symbolic of the overall health of the

Everglades. As recently as the 1950s and 1960s, large “super colonies” of nesting

waders remained in the park; none have been there since. Wading birds, perhaps

Summary

Final Feasibility Report and PEIS April 1999

xii

more than any other animal, assess the quality of habitats over the entire basin of

south Florida wetlands, before making “decisions” about where and when, or even

whether, to nest. The recovery of the super colonies will be a sure sign that the

entire ecosystem has made substantial progress towards recovery. Of the

endangered species, the wood stork, snail kite, Cape Sable seaside sparrow, and

American crocodile, among others, will benefit and increase. Undoubtedly,

implementation of the recommended Comprehensive Plan will once again allow us

to witness what is now only a fading memory of the former abundance of wildlife in

the Everglades.

It is important to understand that the “restored” Everglades of the future will

be different from any version of the Everglades that has existed in the past. While it

certainly will be vastly superior to the current ecosystem, it will not completely

match the pre-drainage system. This is not possible, in light of the irreversible

physical changes that have made to the ecosystem. It will be an Everglades that is

smaller and somewhat differently arranged than the historic ecosystem. But it will

be a successfully restored Everglades, because it will have recovered those

hydrological and biological patterns which defined the original Everglades, and

which made it unique among the world’s wetland systems. It will become a place

that kindles the wildness and richness of the former Everglades.

Lake Okeechobee will once again become a healthy lake. The littoral and

pelagic zones within the lake, essential to the lake’s commercial and recreational

fishery and other aquatic species, will be greatly enhanced by the water levels

projected in the recommended Comprehensive Plan. Water quality will also be

improved significantly. The lake provides huge regional benefits to wildlife,

including waterfowl, other birds, and mammals.

The Comprehensive Plan provides major benefits to the Caloosahatchee and

St. Lucie estuaries, and Lake Worth Lagoon. The plan eliminates almost all the

damaging fresh water releases to the Caloosahatchee and most detrimental releases

to the St. Lucie. The plan makes substantial improvements to Lake Worth Lagoon.

As a result, grassbeds and other submerged aquatic vegetation will benefit and thus

provide abundant favorable habitat for the many aquatic species that depend on

these areas for food, shelter, and breeding grounds, thereby enhancing the

productivity and economic viability of estuarine fisheries. The recommended

Comprehensive Plan also includes several water storage and treatment areas to

improve water quality conditions in the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie and

Caloosahatchee estuarine systems.

The recommended Comprehensive Plan makes improvements in fresh water

deliveries to Florida and Biscayne bays. These bays will benefit from more natural

water deliveries. Appropriate fresh water regimes will result in substantial

improvements in aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats; fish and wildlife will respond

Summary

Final Feasibility Report and PEIS April 1999

xiii

favorably to these beneficial changes. Mangroves, coastal marshes, and seagrass

beds interacting together to produce food, shelter, and breeding and nursery

grounds will support more balanced, productive fish, shellfish, and wildlife

communities.

South Florida does not have to follow the fate of some states that suffer

severe water shortages, creating tension between natural resource protection and

water supply. The recommended Comprehensive Plan expands the storage

capability of the C&SF Project, enabling the system to better meet ecosystem and

urban water supply needs in the future. Frequency of water restrictions expected

with the recommended Comprehensive Plan are greatly reduced compared to the

Without Plan Condition. This will be accomplished by more effectively providing

adequate flows from the regional system to recharge the surficial aquifer. This will

help offset withdrawals from public water supply wellfields and other users in the

urbanized Lower East Coast Region. Such recharge also protects the surficial

aquifer from saltwater intrusion, allowing it to remain a productive source of fresh

water in the future.

The recommended Comprehensive Plan will significantly increase the

capability to supply water from the regional system to agricultural users. This will

provide better protection from economically harmful water supply cutbacks and