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OKEECHOBEE– Florida water managers today celebrated another milestone in
the massive restoration of the South Florida ecosystem. The South Florida
Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board unanimously approved the
purchase of the last parcels of land needed to complete the final phases of
the Kissimmee River Restoration Project. The 12,000 acres purchased for
$35.8 million complete the total acquisition of 102,061 acres needed for
construction of the project.
“As the headwaters of America’s Everglades, the Kissimmee watershed is a
critical component of South Florida’s interconnected ecosystem,” said
Governor Jeb Bush. “The State is eager to move forward and finish this
first-of-its-kind river restoration.”
Joined by State Sen. Ken Pruitt, State Rep. Richard Machek, Audubon of
Florida Executive Director David Anderson, and current and former District
Governing Board members, SFWMD Executive Director Carol Wehle presented a
ceremonial land deed to federal partner U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lt.
Col. Andrew Goetz. After 11 years of purchasing land, acquisition was 80
percent complete at the end of 2003. In 2004, the SFWMD Governing Board
directed staff to acquire the remaining 20 percent – and the most difficult
– in just two years.
“Kissimmee River progress continues to set new standards for measuring
restoration success,” said Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Secretary Colleen Castille. “Extensive scientific monitoring indicates
positive responses in the restored portion of the river, and we expect
continued evidence of recovery as construction begins on the next phase of
the project.”
“Thanks to our talented and dedicated real estate and project staff, we
were able to successfully meet the Board’s aggressive acquisition schedule,”
Wehle said. “Overall, the 102,061 acres were acquired at an average of
$3,000 per acre. With escalating land costs, this is also a great fiscal
success for the public.”
Project background
Approved by Congress in the 1992 Water Resources Development Act, the
$578 million Kissimmee River Restoration Project is among the largest
ecosystem restoration projects in the world, and has been studied worldwide
by scientists, engineers and policy makers.
The 103-mile Kissimmee River once meandered across a 1-2 mile floodplain
until the 1960s when it was “straightened” and channelized into the C-38
canal for flood control purposes. While the project delivered its promise,
it also destroyed a floodplain-dependent ecosystem that nurtured threatened
and endangered species, and hundreds of other fish and wetland-dependent
animals. Ultimately, the waterway was transformed into a straight, deep,
oxygen-depleted canal – no longer capable of supporting sport fish species.
Phase 1 sees significant recovery
Today, the Kissimmee River’s rescue is well under way and showing
tremendous recovery. In 2001, the first of the four-phase Kissimmee River
Restoration project was completed. That work filled in 7.5 miles of the
flood control canal and restored flow to about 15 miles of historic river
channel and associated floodplain.
Over the past four years, the river’s floodplain is receiving the
life-giving sheet flow of water that is healing the river’s floodplain
ecosystem. Ten species of shorebirds that disappeared after channelization
have returned to the restored area, including nesting by the black-necked
stilt. Life-giving flow has returned to the once-stagnant river run, native
vegetation has re-colonized and a greater percentage of sport fish are in
river channels.
What’s next?
The next phase of construction is scheduled to begin in May. It involves
backfilling about 2 miles of canal, beginning at the northern end of the
Phase 1 project area, as well as reconnecting about a half mile of
continuous river channel. Completion of this phase is expected in summer
2007.
Future phases in 2007 through 2011 will backfill an additional 12.5 miles
of canal and reconnect additional river channel. Two water control
structures will be removed, restoring more than 8,000 acres of the
river/floodplain ecosystem. The system will continue to be monitored for 5
years upon the end of construction to ensure restoration success.
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