Transcript No Slide Title

The Florida Everglades
– America’s Rhine?
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Historical water flow and
landscape features
A century of engineering
modifications: 1880 - 1980
Changes in flow and
associated environmental
problems
Overview of the current
“Restoration Plan” (CERP)
CERP constraints and
uncertainties
Web site for additional info:
www.evergladesplan.org
The Historical Everglades
Kissimmee
River
Sawgrass plains
Ridge and slough/
tree islands
The Historical Everglades
Hardwood
hammocks
Pine forest
Marl prairie
The Historical Everglades
Mangrove swamps
Florida Bay
Events during early statehood
http://everglades.fiu.edu/reclaim/timeline/index.htm
1845 Florida admitted into the Union
as the 27th state.
1847-48 Engineer Buckingham Smith
hired to examine and survey the
South Florida wilderness, reporting
on its value and feasibility for
reclamation to Congress.
1850 U.S. Congress grants swamp
lands to Florida for the purpose of
drainage and reclamation.
1855-58 Third Seminole War
1861-65 Civil War
1860's-1870's Railroad and canal
companies face financial ruin with
devaluation of confederate currency.
1881 Philadelphia millionaire Hamilton
Disston negotiates to drain lands
overflowed by Lake Okeechobee and
the Kissimmee River in exchange for
one-half the reclaimed land.
Drainage History
New York Times, February 18, 1881:
“The reclamation of 12,000,000 acres
of land, or one-third of the States of
the Union, has been undertaken by a
company of Philadelphia gentleman
with every prospect of success...The
project of reclaiming this
wonderfully rich country has been
talked of for years, and it has long
been considered feasible by many
noted engineers...The leading man in
this enterprise is Hamilton Disston, a
young gentleman of great business
energy and ample fortune, and
present head of the great sawmanufacturing firm of Henry
Disston & Sons.”
NEW CHANNEL
CONSTRUCTION
CHANNEL DREDGING
AND STRAIGHTENING
FIRST LARGE SCALE
DRAINAGE EFFORT
IN SOUTH FLORIDA
HAMILTON DISSTON
CONSTRUCTION
1881-1894
Drainage History (continued)
ST. LUCIE CANAL CONSTRUCTED
1916 TO 1928
CALOOSAHATCHEE
RIVER DREDGED
AGRICULTURAL
CANALS DREDGED
EVERGLADES DRAINAGE
DISTRICT WORKS
1905-1928
“River of grass” replaced (now) by
sugar cane fields* and
“water conservation areas”
* Sugar cane is profitable to grow in Florida primarily due
to the US trade embargo on Cuba
Deadly hurricanes in
1926 and 1928
caused flooding of
Lake Okeechobee
Fort Lauderdale, 1926
Belle Glade, 1928
Drainage History (continued)
HERBERT HOOVER
DIKE
1932-1938
Drainage History (continued)
AREAS FLOODED
IN 1947
The 1950s – 1980s
CENTRAL & SOUTHERN
FLORIDA (C&SF)
PROJECT
1,000 miles of canals
720 miles of levees
~200 water control structures
Continued Channelization of the
Lower Kissimmee River in the 1960s
Straightened channel with
remnant meander that is now
cut off from main flow
Lock and dam structure
Continued Expansion of
Agriculture and Urban Areas
Dramatic Change in Flows
Environmental Consequences
Too wet in the water
conservation areas
Too dry in Everglades
National Park
Loss of tree islands
Loss of wading and
water birds
Land subsidence and loss of peat soil
ft above sea level
http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1182/pdf/12Everglades.pdf
Other Indicators of Ecosystem Problems
• 68 plant and animal species are threatened
or endangered
• Over 1.5 million acres infested with
invasive, exotic plants
Brazilian pepper is an
aggressive non-native
plant. It grows as a
shrub or small tree, is
related to poison ivy
and can grow between
10 and 40 feet tall. Its
growth is dense so it
prevents the growth of
other vegetation.
The 1990s: Planning for the “CERP”
Approved in the
Water Resources Development Act
of 2000
Includes more than 60 elements
Will take more than 30 years to
construct
Will cost an estimated $7.8 billion
Constraints
Urban Water Supply
and Flood Control
Invasive Species
Agriculture
Lake Okeechobee
Water Quality
Principal Features and Uncertainties
• Surface Water Storage Reservoirs
• Aquifer Storage Recovery
• Stormwater Treatment Areas
• Reuse Wastewater
• Seepage Management
• Removing Barriers to Sheetflow
• Operational Changes to Structures
Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR)
Idealized System
Recovery
Injection
Surficial
Aquifer
Confining
Unit
ASR
Water
ASR
Water
ASR
ASR
Water Water
ASR
Storage
Zone
(saline)
Lower
Confining Unit
Existing ASR Wells in Florida
(from USGS WRI Report 02-4036)
CERP ASRs will include over 300 wells each with a
capacity of 5 million gallons per day
Major Questions
• Effects on regional groundwater flow and pressures below
confining unit
• Efficiency of recovery after long storage periods
Injection
Storage
Surficial
Aquifer
Confining
Unit
Variations
in Permeability
ASR
Water
ASR
Water
ASR
Storage
Zone
(saline)
Lower
Confining Unit
Ambient
GW flow
ASR
Water
Aquifer Flow
Additional Questions
• Fate of potential contaminants (e.g. microbes, mercury,
nutrients) that are present in source water
• Geochemical and biogeochemical reactions due to mixing
and water rock interactions
Injection
Storage
Surficial
Aquifer
Confining
Unit
ASR
Water
ASR
Storage
Zone
(saline)
Lower
Confining Unit
GW flow
ASR
Water
Most Important Question
• Will recovered water be of suitable quality for the ecosystem?
“Pilot” projects to address these questions
But
• Well designed pilot projects will
require 5-10 years to yield results
• Hydrogeologic conditions may limit
storage options
• Need for contingency planning now
If there is not enough water (or water
storage) to satisfy all needs, what are the
options?
A. Accept increased flood risk in urban areas
B. Condemn sugar holdings in the Everglades
Agricultural Area to provide more land for
surface reservoirs
C. Restrictions on public water supply
D. Allow increased fluctuations in Lake
Okeechobee water levels (affecting fishing,
boating and waterfowl hunting, as well as
water supply for surrounding communities)
E. Provide less water to Everglades National Park
than that required for habitat improvement