Restoration of the Everglades
The restoration of the Everglades is an ongoing effort to remedy damage inflicted on the environment of southern Florida during the 20th century. In response to floods caused by hurricanes in 1947, the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project was established to construct flood control devices. A strategy called the Comprehensive Everglade Restoration Plan was enacted to restore portions of the everglades, Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River, and Florida Bay. It would take 30 years and cost USD 7. 8billion to complete.
About Restoration of the Everglades in brief
The restoration of the Everglades is an ongoing effort to remedy damage inflicted on the environment of southern Florida during the 20th century. It is the most expensive and comprehensive environmental repair attempt in history. In response to floods caused by hurricanes in 1947, the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project was established to construct flood control devices. The C&SF built 1,400 miles of canals and levees between the 1950s and 1971 throughout South Florida. The last venture was the C-38 canal, which straightened the Kissimmee River and caused catastrophic damage to animal habitats. A strategy called the Comprehensive Everglade Restoration Plan was enacted to restore portions of the everglades, Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River, and Florida Bay to undo the damage of the past 50 years. It would take 30 years and cost USD 7. 8billion to complete. Though the plan was passed into law in 2000, it has been compromised by political and funding problems. Since the early 19th century the Ever glades have been a subject of interest for agricultural development. The first attempt to drain them occurred in 1882 when Pennsylvania land developer Hamilton Disston constructed the first canals. The political motivations of Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward resulted in more successful at canal construction between 1906 and 1920. Recently reclaimed wetlands were used for cultivating sugarcane and vegetables, while urban development began in the Ever Glades in the 1920s and 1930s. The OkeECHobee River drains into Lake Okeschobee.
During the wet season when the lake exceeds its capacity, the water leaves the lake in a very wide and shallow river, approximately 100 miles long and 60 miles wide. The land gradually slopes toward Florida Bay, the historical destination of most of the water leaving the EverGlades. Before drainage attempts, the Ever GLades comprised 4,000 square miles, taking up a third of the Florida peninsula. The water is now flowing into Florida Bay. The original Everglading water supply is now over 100 miles long and over 60 miles wide. It has been estimated that the EverGLades are worth an estimated $1.2 billion. The EverglADE Forever Act was passed in 1994. The bill was criticized by conservation groups for not being strict enough on polluters, but it was passed by the Florida Legislature in 2000. A commission appointed by Governor Chiles published a report in 1995 stating that South Florida was unable to sustain its growth, and the deterioration of the environment was negatively affecting daily life for residents. The environmental decline was predicted to harm tourism and commercial interests if no actions were taken to halt current trends. The report warned that if no action was taken the region would rapidly deteriorate. The South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have surpassed expectations for achieving lower phosphorus levels. A four-story wall cut off water from the original South Florida area, providing excess water to the metropolitan area, or flushing it into Florida bay.
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This page is based on the article Restoration of the Everglades published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 01, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
