DROUGHT IN FLORIDA THREATENS THE EVERGLADES AND IMPACTS PEOPLE

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DROUGHT IN FLORIDA THREATENS THE EVERGLADES AND
IMPACTS PEOPLE

• JULY 17, 2007

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EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

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EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

• Everglades National Park is located at the
  southern tip of Florida.
• It was the first national park established to
  protect one of the most unique and endangered
  ecosystemsthe Worlds largest marshland.

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EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

• The Everglades is actually part of a river
  flowing 30 m (100 ft) per day.
• It is a few cm to a few m deep, and 85 m (50
  feet) wide.
• It flows from Lake Okeechobee into the Gulf of
  Florida.

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EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

• The alternating cycle of six dry winter months
  followed by six wet summer months is essential
  for survival of the rich and complex web of life
  within the Everglades.
• This cycle has been disrupted in recent years by
  urban development, flood control diversion
  systems, and the addition of canals upstream.

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KISSIMMEE RIVER DROUGHT CAUSES RECORD LOW LEVELS
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DROUGHT AFFECTS LAKE OKEECHOBEE

• The Kissimmee River needs about 1 ½ m (5 ft) of
  rain just to catch up.
• It has not flowed south toward Lake Okeechobee,
  the second largest fresh water lake in the World
  and the primary source of water for the
  Everglades, for more than 240 days.
• At present, Lake Okeechobee has been deprived of
  50 percent of its water supply.

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LAKE OKEECHOBEE
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SOCIETAL IMPORTANCE OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE

• Lake Okeechobee is a backup source of water for
  millions of South Florida residents.

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SOLUTIONS THAT MIMIC NATURE

• At present, storage sites north of Lake
  Okeechobee are being sought to store water during
  the wet season that can be released during the
  dry season.
• However, flood control diversion works have made
  it much more difficult to capture water.
• Also, the captured water is contaminated with
  farm debris and urban runoff.

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SOLUTIONS THAT MIMIC NATURE

• True restoration of the Everglades is going to
  require catching the water earlier and cleaning
  it up before it is released into Lake Okeechobee.

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THE BEST SOLUTION IS NOT AVAILABLE

• The environmentalists argue that If we want to
  recreate the Everglades natural drought
  resistance (which was there before the State and
  Federal governments began manipulating the
  environment), we have to be able to put water
  back into places where people are living or using
  right nowthe floodplains.