The South Florida ecosystem encompasses an area of approximately 18,000 square miles extending from Orlando to the reef tract in the Keys and the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. It is a system dominated by the watersheds of the Kissimmee River, Lake Okeechobee, and the Everglades. Interconnected by water, the system functions as an integral mosaic of wetlands, uplands, coastal and marine areas.

Prior to drainage and development in the late 1800s, wetlands dominated the landscape. That landscape consisted of swamp forest; sawgrass plains; mosaics of sawgrass, tree islands, and ponds; wet prairies; cypress strands; pine rocklands; hardwood hammocks; and other subtropical landforms.

Beginning with channelization of the Caloosahatchee River and its connection to Lake Okeechobee, and culminating with construction of the Central and Southern Florida Project (C&SF) authorized by Congress in 1948, the system was forever altered. Drainage fostered development, which, in turn, required more drainage to protect against flooding. Flood control made possible massive land-use changes that decreased the availability of land for water storage and recharge and altered both the direction and rate of runoff. Today, the hydrology of South Florida is vastly changed from what it was prior to the 1800s. Changes in the hydrologic regime directly and indirectly caused other physical and biological changes.

The first annual report of the Interagency Working Group (1994) highlighted ecosystem problems that now exist and generically describes an overall approach to restoration. Major ecosystem problems identified in that annual report include:

• Diminished floodplain habitat diversity, reduction of wading birds, fishery forage.
• Nutrients in water.
• Soil subsidence.
• Spread of exotic animal and plant species.
• Altered hydroperiods.
• Uncoupling of wetlands and estuaries from rainfall.
• Loss of hydraulic head and recharge.
• Mercury contamination of water.
• Fire regime changes.

The ideal conceptual restoration target for South Florida is re-establishment of pre-drainage topography, hydrology, and vegetative cover. "In reality, the irreversible loss of significant wetland areas, as well as the almost complete urbanization of the East Coast ridge and the need to accommodate agriculture make the restoration target only approachable." (1994 Annual Report, Interagency Working Group).

The restoration objectives of critical importance for the Total System have been identified by the working group and are listed as follows:

• Maximize the system’s spatial extent and hydrologic interconnection.
• Reestablish natural hydrologic functions.
• Decompartmentalize Water Conservation Areas (WCA's).
• Recover threatened and endangered species.
• Restore natural biological diversity and natural vegetation communities.
• Halt and reverse the invasion of exotic plants and animals.
• Reestablish sustainable wading bird populations and colonies.
• Reestablish wildlife corridors.
• Evolve current agriculture to be compatible with the natural hydrologic regime.
• Promote water conservation.
• Prevent point source and non-point source pollution.
• Restore natural estuarine and coastal productivity.
• Increase hard coral cover on reefs.
• Implement best urban and agricultural management practices to improve water quality and reduce water consumption.
• Link Agricultural and urban growth management with ecosystem management.
• Minimize groundwater seepage.

Important restoration projects in progress or proposed for the Total System are identified on the following pages:

Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view these project sheets and can be downloaded here for free:

Remember the name of the folder you downloaded the Acrobat file to then navigate to that folder and double click
on the file in order to install it on your computer!!!  When using the Reader to view these sheets click on the show/hide
Navigation Pane button then on the bookmarks tab for convenient use.