FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 23, 2004
CONTACT: Randy Smith, (561) 682-6197
Florida Begins Cleaning Water Through
World's Largest Constructed Wetland
-- “Green” technology accelerating
Everglades cleanup--
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Secretary Struhs watches as water flows into world's largest constructed wetland.
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AMERICA’S EVERGLADES – Marking another milestone in
the restoration of America’s Everglades, Florida today began
moving water through the world’s largest constructed wetland.
The South Florida Water Management District began operating a
16,500-acre treatment marsh that uses plants to clean
pollution from water flowing into the famed
River of Grass.
“Because of the commitment of Governor Bush, restoration
of America’s Everglades is ahead of schedule, under budget
and exceeding expectations,” said Florida Department of
Environmental Protection Secretary David B. Struhs. “Advanced
technologies are working better than expected and
guaranteeing continued water quality improvements in the
Everglades over the next decade.”
The massive treatment marsh, known as Stormwater Treatment
Area (STA) 3/4, uses plants to naturally cleanse excess
nutrients from water. When necessary, STA 3/4 will also
provide important water storage, capturing 250,000 acre-feet
of water from Lake Okeechobee to reduce harmful discharges of
lake water to coastal estuaries.
The South Florida Water Management District is
accelerating cleanup using the latest “green” technology in
STA 3/4. Years ahead of schedule, the first full scale use of
this advanced technology uses algae and aquatic plants to
further clean phosphorus from stormwater leaving agricultural
and urban areas.
“Today marks another milestone in Florida’s commitment to
improve water quality in the Everglades,” said South Florida
Water Management District Executive Director Henry Dean.
“Saving the Everglades is Florida’s number one environmental
priority. It is critical to South Florida – for our
environment, economy and quality of life.”
Florida invested $197 million to construct STA 3/4. During
construction, engineers moved more than 11 million cubic
yards of dirt and rock to excavate 29 miles of canals and
construct 31 miles of levees. Workers dug 15 feet below sea
level to construct two pump stations, which will manage water
from the Miami and North New River Canals. Equipped with
seven large diesel pumps, the stations can push more than
four billion gallons of water into the treatment marsh every
day.
As part of its intensive schedule to improve water quality
in America’s Everglades, Florida is now operating more than
41,000 acres of constructed wetlands. Together with improved
farming practices, Stormwater Treatment Areas have prevented
nearly 1400 tons of phosphorus from entering the Everglades
over the last decade.
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