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WEST PALM BEACH – The Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) and South Florida Water Management
District (SFWMD) today released the 2007 South Florida
Environmental Report detailing a year of scientific,
engineering and restoration work to improve the
environmental quality of America’s Everglades and the
entire South Florida ecosystem.
“Florida is an international leader in environmental
restoration,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “Our
state is committed to sound science, engineering
excellence and common-sense resource management—all
supported by dedicated funding that will ensure
continued progress.”
Key findings in the 2007 South Florida Environmental
Report include:
- Florida’s 41,000 acres of treatment wetlands captured
and treated nearly 1.5 million acre-feet or 488 billion
gallons of water during Water Year 2006 – improving the
quality of water flowing into the Everglades and
reducing phosphorus loads by close to 70 percent.
- Best
farming practices in the Everglades Agricultural Area
prevented 118 metric tons of phosphorus from entering
the River of Grass.
- Since their implementation, best
farming practices and stormwater treatment areas have
prevented 2,500 metric tons of phosphorus – the
equivalent weight of more than 2,000 average sized cars
-- from entering America’s Everglades.
- In a single year
and ahead of schedule, Florida expanded and enhanced
three Stormwater Treatment Areas, increasing available
treatment area by 5,336 acres.
- Closing on a final 13,000
acres in 2006, Florida completed the 102,064-acre land
acquisition needed for the restoration of the Kissimmee
River. The $578 million program to rescue the river is
demonstrating environmental returns. Wading birds and
waterfowl are returning to the restored floodplain with
an estimated 657 nests observed in 2006.
- For the first
time in history, publicly issued revenue bonds called
Certificates of Participation are being used for natural
resource restoration. Their sale successfully raised
$572 million for Everglades restoration projects.
“The 2007 South Florida Environmental Report provides
a comprehensive update on our scientific research,
restoration projects and environmental returns,” said
Carol Wehle, Executive Director of the SFWMD. “This
report is documenting the world-class work taking place
in South Florida and demonstrating Florida’s commitment
to restoration.”
The result of a pilot project authorized by the
Florida Legislature in 2004, the two-volume annual South
Florida Environmental Report consolidates more than 50
individual reports documenting the State’s work to
improve the Everglades, Kissimmee Basin, Lake
Okeechobee, estuaries and coastal areas. The report
provides extensive research summaries, data analyses,
financial updates and a searchable database of
environmental projects throughout the South Florida
ecosystem.
The State of Florida and the South Florida Water
Management District has invested more than $2 billion
toward the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, an
additional $1.8 billion for Everglades water quality
improvements and $200 million toward the Lake Okeechobee
and Estuary Recovery Plan.
The 2007 South Florida Environmental Report,
including a 52-page executive summary, is available
online at
http://www.sfwmd.gov/sfer/  .
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