The Flow of Water in the Everglades

By: Glenn Wilsey, Sr.

Folklore, the local view: To explain the water flow and depth, we will start with the folklore of the Everglades as past down from generation to generation. January is the high water level. May is the low water level. June and July starts the rainy season and fills the Everglades back to its normal level, about two to three feet deep. Every four to seven years or so, The Everglades will go completely dry for a week up to eight weeks. The water level between this four to seven year period will go from very high (3 feet) to very low (1-2 inches). There is no evidence in the history of building the Tamiami Trail of the water level ever being more than three and one half feet. Lately, we have heard a lot about El Nino. This phenomenon is a factor in the depth of the water in The Everglades. El Nino has always been with us but because of satellite technology we can better understand its effects on the world’s weather. As El Nino stretches out it tends to give us plenty of rain. As El Nino shrinks it becomes La Nina and tends to give us dryer conditions. During the La Nina years we have the drought period of one to eight weeks which could be repeated two years in a row.

The Water Management View: Water Management builds levees around areas that they call water conservation areas. If you have been following my Everglades stories, you should recall that the Everglades are really a big river flowing south. If you block the natural flow with a levee, you no longer have a river. What you have is a reservoir. Water management calls their reservoirs “water conservation areas” because our government sometimes likes to use words against us. If they said “reservoir” people would ask a lot more questions but “water conservation area sounds pretty reasonable, doesn’t it?

How it works: All of the land east, south and west of Lake Okeechobee for seventeen miles out ward is comprised of sugarcane or sod farms. Everything south of there for fifty miles to the Tamiami Trail is “water conservation areas.” South of the Tamiami trail is still in its natural state.

Water management and the Army Corps of Engineers want the water depth in the Loxahatchee, Areas 2-A, 2-B and 3-B to always have a depth of four to eight feet.

In Area 3-A, The Army Corps of Engineers wants to maintain a water level between four to six feet. This would, however, flood the Big Cypress area. This would essentially mean the death of The Everglades. Our animals in The Everglades have been walking and foraging for food for thousands of years and you better believe that they can’t eat and swim at the same time. The animals have to get out of the water to dry their feet and rest and give birth, as well as eat. Even the alligators need a dry spot to build a nest to lay their eggs. A momma gater piles grasses to make her nest about three or four feet above the water line. If the water level is raised and kept at higher levels the animals will all starve to death on what little vegetation remains on the highest points of the Hammocks (Everglades’ islands) or they will drown trying to swim between the islands. Please consider the following. After Tropical Storm Gordon, the water level in Area 3-B stayed at a depth of six feet for over three months. During that time we lost 90% of the white tail deer herd in the area as a direct result of the high water. The Everglades are also famous as the home to many species of wading birds. A quick glance at an encyclopaedia will tell you that a wading bird “wades through the shallows, feeding.” If the water is too deep the birds can not find their food so they will go away. They won’t have a choice. The birds won’t stay if the water is too DEEP!

The water from the Tamiami Trail south is in its natural state, anywhere from a few inches to about two and one half feet. The Army corps of Engineers and Water Management are already starting a project that will flood the area south of the Tamiami Trail. This would devastate this delicate ecosystem. Hardwood hammocks have a small dry island on their north side. These islands are generally a small part of the Hammock as a whole. Only about 4% on average are high and dry. Raising the water level will adversely affect all of the species that live in the Everglades, including Man.

As a local who has lived my entire life on the eastern edge of The Everglades, I and many other locals feel left out of the decision making process. Because we are a small voice, we are not always heard in our country, state or local province. Even our Vice President seems to only hear what The National Park Service has to say and they seem to change their views on the issues from year to year depending on who is doling out the grant money or which influential big wig happens to be visiting.

Rarely do our elected officials come to our Conservation Club Meetings to hear the local view of how our natural resources are being managed. The invitation stands.

Nature rules! Until next Month, See you later Alligator! You’re all welcome to visit us and see for yourselves.
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