The Everglades Restoration Project?

" Eighty Billion Dollars"

By: Glenn Wilsey, Sr.

This month I wanted to tell you how I feel about the Everglades Restoration Project. On my tours people ask me, frequently, if the project is really going to help The Everglades. Many of you have also asked about the project. I’ve tried to answer everyone but I find myself, avoiding the question and going on to something else. On the web site, I get to write about the cool and fun things that we can do in The Everglades, that’s why I’m here. Dealing with the politics of The Everglades is no fun for me but it is important. Now that you have my back against the wall, I have to give you the answers you all have been asking for. Just remember, you asked for it.

In the title of this story you can see I added Eighty billion dollars, in quotation marks for emphasis. The way I see it, that eighty billion dollars is the biggest reason The Army Corps of Engineers, their scientists and The National Park Service want anything to do with The Everglades at all. The folks who live in and around the glades know what’s going on and want to tell the world the truth, however, our local (South Florida) newspapers are notoriously lazy about talking to the little people when they want to do a story about The Everglades. The reporters only ask their questions to the National Park Service (scientific name: Bureaucraticus, Politicalus Agendasus) or To The Army Corps of Engineers (scientific name: Spendicus as much money as they canicus so it looks like they are doing somethingus, importantus and thus perpetuate their jobicus) when they want answers about The Everglades. The Army Corps of Engineers seems, to only give the answers that will keep their projects going way into the future. The Army Corps has had control of the water for about 50 years and they still haven’t been able to figure out what to do with the water to balance the needs of the people of South Florida with what is best for The Everglades. They built levees to hold the water back, to save the water for the people who have moved to South Florida and would get very thirsty without the water. In building these levees, they have also created problems in the glades. For example, whenever there is a forecast of heavy rains, they run the pumps on the canals so that the water runs into the glades instead of out of them. This way, the rain water drains off the streets in our east coast cities instead of flooding them out. The problem is that all of that run off from the streets that heads out to the glades is contaminated with pollutants that have an affect on The Everglades such as killing off native plant-life and allowing acre upon acre of cat tails to grow.

The only real part of The Everglades that is left is, everything south of The Tamiami Trail (U.S.41). Everything north of the trail is blocked off by levees. The Army Corps has sectioned off all of The Everglades north of The Tamiami Trail into what they refer to as water conservation areas. Water "conservation," wow! That sounds like it is a good thing, right? We need to conserve water in South Florida. Well, just so we understand each other, a water conservation area is a reservoir. Now, here’s where I see if you’ve been paying attention to my stories, is The Everglades a reservoir or a river? We all know The Everglades is a slow flowing river, but when someone, puts up a levee the natural flow of the water is stopped. When the water flow is stopped and the water fills the areas behind the levee that is a reservoir. Obviously, we need drinking water but if you go out on a tour in a "conservation area" you are far from seeing the glades in its natural state. The Army Corp used the word "conservation" in place of reservoir, so you folks out in the world wouldn’t ask any questions. With no questions they can do almost anything they want. Although what they want to do now is restore the Everglades by undoing the work they have been doing as recently as just a few short years ago.

The locals tried to tell the world this many years ago and no one would listen. The city folks would listen to the scientific explanations (from the Park Service and the Army Corp) and then say those stupid rednecks in The Everglades are going to ruin the place. We live here! Ask yourself, why would we want to ruin the place where we live? Furthermore, I take the redneck statement personally. I’m a hippy, not a redneck and you don’t make friends by calling people names. I’m a long haired country boy that wants to keep on living in the country. If the Army Corps and The National Park Service get to have their way, I will have to move to the city or out of South Florida. I grew up here. This is my home. It has always been said, "the pen is mightier that the sword," In this new age that we live in, I say "the Internet is mightier than the pen." With the Internet, anyone in the world can be heard and that is a wonderful thing for all of us.

The bottom line to restoring The Everglades back to a normal flow "is" make 2/3s of the people move out of south Florida, take out all of the house’s west of downtown Miami and don’t let anyone else move here. Take out all of the industry and factories. The number one thing we need to do is take out all of the sugar and sod farms.

We would also have to take down all of the levees that have been built by the army corps and fill in all the canals. This can not be done. I know we can’t do all of this so we have to compromise.

However, building bridges won’t make it ALL better either, read on.

I’m going to try to explain The Everglades starts at lake Okeechobee and continues south to The Florida Bay. Those of you who are familiar with my stories already know this so please be patient while I do this for the new folks. The Everglades "used" to start at Lake Okeechobee. Now, the glades starts at the sugarcane fields. In my opinion, the sugarcane farms are some of the biggest problems we have in the glades. Ten years ago I took an odometer reading from Lake Okeechobee as I went south. There were 17 miles of sugarcane fields before The Everglades started. Four weeks ago I took the same route and took another odometer reading and now there are 27 miles of sugarcane fields south of Lake Okeechobee. I see that as a problem. There are now 27 miles of commercial agriculture (with all that entails) between Lake Okeechobee (still the source of all our fresh water in South Florida) and The Everglades (natures filter).I didn’t sell all that land to the farmers and you didn’t sell all that land to the farmers, our government sold it. Whatever is running off those farms is ending up in The Everglades and I don’t think I have to say much more on that subject. At the end of the sugarcane fields the glades continues south for several miles to Alligator Alley (I-75).

The river of grass (The Everglades) is about 40 miles wide where Alligator Alley crosses it. The alley used to have culvert pipes running under the road to let the water flow south. In the 1980’s the state decided to expand Alligator Alley, from a two lane highway to a four lane highway. Where there were culvert pipes running under the road, they replaced them with short span bridges. The bridges, let the water flow under the road and because the bridges were high, it let animals, motor boats and air boats pass from one side of the road to the other. This seems to be a great way to solve the problem of restoring natural flow under the road.

Continuing southward from Alligator Alley to Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) the river of grass narrows. At the trail, The Everglades, river of grass is only about 25 miles across. If you travel west from state road 997, on Tamiami Trail you will come to the L-67 levee. From L-67 you can travel another 12 miles to L-28 levee. In all, that’s about 25 miles across the river. There is a levee on the north side of Tamiami Trail that runs along side of the trail, to the L-67 levee. From that point on for 12 miles, Tamiami Trail becomes a levee, with four water locks (gates that hold the water back).

The levee (L-29) that runs along the northern side of Tamiami Trail for the first 12 miles was not always there. That levee was started in 1968 and completed in 1971. Once the L-29 levee was completed we had a new water conservation area (reservoir). That area is now called Water Conservation Area 3-b.

Pay attention now, here’s where we start to see the magic of The Army Corp of Engineers. Are you ready? Keep your eye on the cards. Watch the Army Corp’s hands. Keep watching. Ok, now, where is the Queen of hearts? Before the L-29 levee was put in, the water flowed under Tamiami Trail with no problem. The new plans called for a bridge 10 miles long from state road 997 to the L-67 levee. The Army Corp scratched out that plan and decided to put in three shorter bridges and then they also scratched that idea. Now they want to put in a 3,000-foot bridge and take out the L-29 levee and take out a large portion of Tamiami Trail and say "HEY, it’s all better now, the natural flow has been restored." This bridge is going to cost the taxpayers a lot of money and won’t solve the problem. We taxpayers say, "just put in more culverts, if they think Tamiami Trail blocks the natural flow or worry that water will breach over the road during the rainy season" Culverts would be more cost efficient than any variation of the bridge idea.

From the L-67 levee west on the trail, the road continues to the 40-mile bend and that is about a 12-mile stretch of road. There is no L-29 levee from that point on. The road is a levee, with gates that can be opened or shut to let water flow, or not. So, if Tamiami Trail is a problem (interferes with the natural water flow) from state road 997 west to the L-67 levee, then why isn’t it a problem all the way across for the whole 25 miles? The Army Corp should be putting in culverts or leaving the gates open so the water can flow through. Taking out The Tamiami Trail is not going to solve the problem and there are 80 billion reasons why. Remember, with EIGHTY BILLION DOLLARS up for grabs there are many who will do anything to get some of the money.

If the State of Florida and The Army Corps want to store water, then they should store it up in the sugarcane fields. We should use the sugarcane fields to store water and buy our sugar from other countries. If you buy sugar from Florida you are "killing" The Everglades. Those fields can never be restored back to everglades but we could store a lot of water there and not compromise the glades in the name of restoration. North of The Tamiami Trail there are five reservoir’s 2-a, 2-b, 3-a, 3-b and Loxahatchee in West Palm Beach. If you want to restore The Everglades, take out the reservoirs and use the sugar cane fields for water storage.

I know I have many friends up in the sugar producing areas (maybe less after this month’s rant) and I agree that you are entitled to make a living. I just wish the cost to the rest of us (in lost natural resources) didn’t have to be so high.

Well that’s about all I can say about everglades restoration in the space I’m given. Taking out The Tamiami Trail is not the answer.

I hope those of you that asked me to respond to this question, got the answers you were looking for.

Until next time remember NATURE RULE’S !!!!!!!!!

GATORMAN Glenn W. Wilsey Sr.

PS. If any of my stories can help you with anything for education (a grade, class project, or a science fair) just e-mail me, and I will give you permission to use the story. All I ask is that you e-mail me back, and tell me what grade you got or if the class liked my story THANK YOU!!!!

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