This "River of Grass" is a mosaic of sawgrass marshes, freshwater ponds, prairies and forested uplands that supports a rich plant and wildlife community. For example, the Everglades ecosystem provides drinking water for one-third of Floridians and irrigation for much of t… Water is always important. Wow! Water levels in Lake Okeechobee and local rainfall drove slow-moving sheet flow through the Everglades under topographic and hydraulic gra- “The outline of this Florida end-of-land, within the Gulf of Mexico, the shallows of the Bay of Florida and the Gulf Stream, is like a long pointed spoon. Can you name any more? The Okeechobee River drains into Lake Okeechobee, a 730-square-mile (1,900 km … Its wetlands and wildlife draw large numbers of birders, anglers, boaters, and other outdoor enthusiasts. Nutrient and hydrological relationships have been studied and linked through experiments, field monitoring and historical analysis within the remaining Everglades' system. About 300 million y… West Palm Beach, FL 33406, Ecosystem Restoration - Projects and Programs, Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project, Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program, South Miami-Dade Water Issues Coordination Initiative, Restoration Strategies for Clean Water for the Everglades, Water Quality Improvement/Stormwater Treatment Areas, Source Controls and Best Management Practices, Long-Term Plan for Achieving Water Quality Goals, Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir Project, Role of the Everglades in the Greater Everglades ecosystem [PDF], Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). So how does this important element reach the Everglades? Florida Bay is connected to the Everglades by the flow of fresh water into the bay and the infiltration of salt water into the Everglades. Originally, the Everglades flowed unobstructed from Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Bay. Construction of canals and levees and impoundment of the Water Conservation Areas (WCAs) have caused over-drainage of some areas and excessive flooding in other areas. They are the surviving remnants of the historical Everglades that once extended over an area approximately 40 miles wide by 100 miles long, from the south shore of Lake Okeechobee to the mangrove estuaries of Florida Bay. Just a century ago, water flowed down the Kissimmee River into Lake Okeechobee, then south through the vast Everglades to Florida Bay, the ultimate destination of uninterrupted sheetflow. These computer models are designed to accurately predict the landscape and hydrological responses to different water management scenarios in the Greater Everglades. This creates areas of extreme flooding, as well as areas that are completely lacking in water. Water is the lifeblood of the sprawling Everglades ecosystem, but its wetlands, prairies, forests and hammocks thrive on a seasonal cycle of rainy springs and … Recognizing that a healthy ecosystem is vital to a healthy economy, the South Florida Water Management District – working with our local, state and federal partners – is committed to restoring, revitalizing and protecting this national treasure. It shows improvement in the restoration of animal habitat, but there’s still a lot of work to do in getting more water to flow south. The effects of reduced seasonal water flows are increasing salinity in the estuaries and failure to maintain the topography. The remaining Everglades/Florida Bay area provides significant ecological, water storage, flood control and recreational benefits to the region as well as important habitat for wildlife of national significance. The committee focused special attention on Water Conservation Area (WCA) 3 as an example of these challenges because it serves as the main flow-way of water through the remnant Everglades. In addition, many invasive animals thrive in the Everglades because they don't have any natural predators to keep their populations in check. Research is also focused on the transition zone between the freshwater Everglades and saltwater Florida Bay. Water Flows and Nutrient Loads to the Southwest Coast of Florida - Water Flow and Nutrient Flux from Five Estuarine Rivers along the Southwest Coast of the Everglades National Park, Florida - Methodology for estimating nutrient loads discharged from the east coast canals to … As the water flows through the Everglades to the bay, a lot of it starts to slowly soak into the limestone rock underground. This leads to less and less water for the Everglades system and degredation of the ecosystems there. 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