ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

o Contains about 33% of the historic Everglades.

o A wetland mosaic of sawgrass marshes, wet prairies, sloughs, tree islands.

o Important habitat for diverse array of flora and fauna, including endangered species.

o Major rookery area and foraging habitat for wading birds in normal and dry years.

o Peat soil on a flat geologic platform with extremely low relief.

o Water sources include rainfall, the Everglades Agricultural Area, Lake Okeechobee, urban areas, Big Cypress.

o Compartmentalized by a levee and canal system into five areas with differently managed hydrologic regimes.

o Function as water storage areas, water supply areas, and flood control areas.

o Function as groundwater recharge areas for urban water supply and the natural system.

o Serve as water supply for Everglades National Park.

o Native flora and fauna developed under and are adapted to and dependent on extremely low nutrient conditions, especially phosphorus.

o A highly developed periphyton community that is adapted to low nutrient conditions is an important component.

o Areas developed under and are adapted to extreme hydrologic variations (within limits), and fire.

o Historic sheetflow-driven system has been altered.

o Loxahatchee region contains unique Northern Everglades habitat on deep peat with a mosaic of tree islands, wet prairies and sawgrass strands of high spatial diversity.

o Ecological integrity has been affected in zones of nutrient enrichment near canals and water inflow structures.

o Extensive invasion of exotic plants, especially Melaleuca.

o Distribution of plant communities controlled in part by subtle local relief.

o Populations of some fauna have been reduced.

ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION OBJECTIVES:

o Restore predrainage populations of native flora and fauna, especially missing plant communities.

o Restore predrainage biodiversity.

o Reduce nutrient and contaminant import and export to levels that are adequate for maintaining ecological integrity.

o Control exotic plants and animals.

o Restore predrainage frequency and areal extent of fires to allow natural ecological processes to occur.

 

All WCAs are public lands and will be fully restored.

o Restore predrainage hydrologic gradients, hydropatterns, sheetflow and timing, as defined by output from the Natural Systems Model.

o Decompartmentalize the Water Conservation Areas.

o Reestablish the modern historic natural rainfall-driven pattern of water discharge and timing between WCA3A and Big Cypress, as defined by output from the Natural Systems Model.

o Reestablish sheetflow from the EAA into the Water Conservation Areas.

o Reestablish the modern historic hydrologic link between WCA3A and WCA3B as defined by output from the Natural Systems Model.

o Provide delivery water to Everglades National Park that is in compliance with the Park's Outstanding Florida Water designation, Class III water quality standards, and is in compliance with the terms of the 1991 Settlement Agreement and the 1992 Court Order.

o Deliver water from the EAA into the Water Conservation Areas that complies with Class III water quality standards and is of sufficient quality for preventing an imbalance of native flora and fauna and maintaining ecological integrity.

o Water delivered to Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and the other WCAs is in compliance with the Refuge's Outstanding Florida Water designation and is in compliance with the terms of the 1991 Settlement Agreement and the 1992 Court Order.

CRITICAL LINKAGES:

o Hydrologically linked to Lake Okeechobee, Everglades National Park, Big Cypress, urban areas.

o Some fauna, such as birds, range beyond the sub-region.

o The Water Conservation Areas are major recipients of atmospheric-borne pollutants from urban and agricultural areas.

SUCCESS CRITERIA

o Native periphyton communities reestablished throughout the area (Browder et al. 1993).

o The spread of nutrient-tolerant macrophytes, such as cattails, is halted and reversed in zones of eutrophication near canals and water inflow structures.

o The natural mosaic of native plant communities, as maintained by the rain-driven oligotrophic predrainage system, is restored throughout the WCAs.

o The quality of water throughout the WCAs is consistent with ambient marsh background, is in compliance with Class III water quality standards, is on the order of maritime rainfall concentrations, and is of adequate quality for preventing an imbalance in native flora and fauna and maintaining ecological integrity.

o Mercury levels in wildlife populations are reduced to levels that exhibit no symptomatic effects on animal behavior, reproduction, survival, etc.

o Mercury levels in freshwater fish, alligators, frogs, turtles, and birds do not exceed EPA and Florida screening criteria for protection of human health.

o Predrainage hydrologic gradients, sheetflow, and hydropatterns (maximum, minimum, and average depths, duration of flooding, spatial distribution of surface water, wetland contraction rates, and timing) are approximated, as defined by output from the Natural Systems Model.

o The predrainage hydrologic link between WCA3A and WCA3B is reestablished, as defined by output from the Natural Systems Model.

o The predrainage pattern of rainfall-driven water flow, including timing, is approximated between Big Cypress and WCA3A, as defined by output from the Natural Systems Model.