In America projects are in full swing to restore the Everglades , the vast Wetlands at Florida’s southern tip. this comes amid historic funding that increased this year . in our next report we will look at how efforts are being made to restore America’s largest subtropical Wilderness, whose unique ecosystem provides fresh water to some 9 million people and serves as a significant carbon sink due to its peat soils, take a look.
Everglades the largest subtropical Wilderness in the U.S . spanning 1.5 million acres is home to an abundant wildlife and supplies water to millions. in the 20th century the Everglades lost about half of its area. it was due to water being diverted for agriculture and urban uses. as well as roads being built that cut off its supply of water from Lake okachubi.
now with the effects of man-made climate change , ravaging water supplies globally the project to rehydrate the Everglades are in full swing. Steve Davis the chief science officer for the Everglades Foundation , an organization that works to restore and protect the area says, terms of climate change Everglades restoration is really an enormous carbon sink.
it only works though when the ecosystem is wet and often the Everglades are too dry for too long. that leads to the oxidation of these peat soils across this surface that spans millions of Acres . so by restoring the hydrology getting the water right . we can regrow that carbon sequestration engine that this system has naturally within it to build up those peat soils. the latest major restoration project to break ground is the Everglades agricultural area Reservoir. it is located just south of Lake okochobee . the plan is to store excess water from the lake and purify it in a storm water treatment area before releasing it South into the Everglades.
when completed it will help restore water flow and reduce harmful discharges of water to Florida’s East and West coasts. both these areas have been blamed for causing toxic red algae blooms. moreover in late February the U.S Army Corps of Engineers held a groundbreaking ceremony for the project . the construction is expected to finish in 2029.
while the experts say that the project represents the single biggest effort to restore the natural flow of water to the Everglades. that groundbreaking really signifies a major Leap Forward in Everglades restoration because what it does, is it allows us to take water from Lake Okeechobee. water that would otherwise sit there stack up in the wet season leading to those unwanted discharges to the east and west coast. it allows us to take that water store it clean it and put it back in the Everglades where it belongs . efforts to restore the Wetland began in 2000 with an act of Congress called the comprehensive Everglades restoration plan and over the past year, federal and state governments have each pledged over one billion dollars for restoration.
we’ve made great progress particularly over the past decade with completion of the one mile bridge on Tamiami Trail. providing the necessary flood control for communities to the East , and then again building that Reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee that just broke ground this week . we’re making great progress. the funding is where we need it to be it’s just sustaining that funding from both the state and federal government to get this project across the Finish Line. in the context of climate change efforts like restoring the Everglades matter a lot .
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