25
toring, wildlife monitoring, and new project implementation procedures for restoring the naturally occurring ridge and slough land formation, vegetation, water flow,
and depth patterns within the ENP.
Even though Mod Waters looks to help restore natural hydrologic conditions for
the Everglades, the implementation schedule for the project has met with much
scrutiny, especially since its completion is required before other Everglades restoration projects can proceed. Multiple concerns have been raised regarding the cost of
implementing the project, project delays, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’
role in funding the project. Currently, the project is behind the originally scheduled
timelines and will cost an estimated $400 million in total (Holl and Howarth 2000).
A portion of the delays was caused by extended efforts to acquire land from private
and state owners. Federal agencies have often used eminent domain to acquire some
lands, a process that has been contentious at best. Furthermore, funding for the
project is being conditioned on the fact that the State of Florida must prove water
entering the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and Everglades National Park
meet state water quality standards by reducing excessive phosphorus and other
nutrients (Walters and Gunderson 1994).
1.3.5 Everglades Nutrient Removal Project
With a growing consensus at the South Florida Water Management District advocating for the treatment of runoff from the EAA, the Everglades Nutrient Removal
Project (ENRP) was put into action during the 1980s. It involved an approximate
15 km
2
tract of state-owned land that was previously leased for agriculture to be
converted into a biological treatment system for the purpose of reducing phosphorus
levels in stormwater runoff (Perry 2004). The ENRP was charged by the District
with three primary objectives: function as an operational treatment wetland and
remove nutrients from EAA runoff before this water entered the Loxahatchee
National Wildlife Refuge; serve as a prototype wetland providing the District with
the operational experience and design data needed to maximize long-term nutrient
removal performance in the larger stormwater treatment areas (STAs); and allow the
District to develop and implement optimal nutrient removal technologies (Walters
and Gunderson 1994; Walker 1995). Critical design issues for the ENRP included
the optimal delivery of water to the project, sizing of the inflow and outlet pump
stations, and construction materials and methods used for the levees. A separate
design process addressed the interior features of the ENRP, due to many the scientific uncertainties regarding optimal sizing and configuration of the interior cells.
Other key issues the District faced included whether to establish the wetland vegetation community either through natural recruitment or planting selected species,
whether to actively manage the vegetation once established through harvesting,
burning, or disking, and whether to maintain a prolonged hydroperiod versus alternate flooding and drying (Perry 2004; Walters et al. 1992).
1 The Florida Everglades: An Overview of Alteration and Restoration
toring, wildlife monitoring, and new project implementation procedures for restoring the naturally occurring ridge and slough land formation, vegetation, water flow,
and depth patterns within the ENP.
Even though Mod Waters looks to help restore natural hydrologic conditions for
the Everglades, the implementation schedule for the project has met with much
scrutiny, especially since its completion is required before other Everglades restoration projects can proceed. Multiple concerns have been raised regarding the cost of
implementing the project, project delays, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’
role in funding the project. Currently, the project is behind the originally scheduled
timelines and will cost an estimated $400 million in total (Holl and Howarth 2000).
A portion of the delays was caused by extended efforts to acquire land from private
and state owners. Federal agencies have often used eminent domain to acquire some
lands, a process that has been contentious at best. Furthermore, funding for the
project is being conditioned on the fact that the State of Florida must prove water
entering the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and Everglades National Park
meet state water quality standards by reducing excessive phosphorus and other
nutrients (Walters and Gunderson 1994).
1.3.5 Everglades Nutrient Removal Project
With a growing consensus at the South Florida Water Management District advocating for the treatment of runoff from the EAA, the Everglades Nutrient Removal
Project (ENRP) was put into action during the 1980s. It involved an approximate
15 km
2
tract of state-owned land that was previously leased for agriculture to be
converted into a biological treatment system for the purpose of reducing phosphorus
levels in stormwater runoff (Perry 2004). The ENRP was charged by the District
with three primary objectives: function as an operational treatment wetland and
remove nutrients from EAA runoff before this water entered the Loxahatchee
National Wildlife Refuge; serve as a prototype wetland providing the District with
the operational experience and design data needed to maximize long-term nutrient
removal performance in the larger stormwater treatment areas (STAs); and allow the
District to develop and implement optimal nutrient removal technologies (Walters
and Gunderson 1994; Walker 1995). Critical design issues for the ENRP included
the optimal delivery of water to the project, sizing of the inflow and outlet pump
stations, and construction materials and methods used for the levees. A separate
design process addressed the interior features of the ENRP, due to many the scientific uncertainties regarding optimal sizing and configuration of the interior cells.
Other key issues the District faced included whether to establish the wetland vegetation community either through natural recruitment or planting selected species,
whether to actively manage the vegetation once established through harvesting,
burning, or disking, and whether to maintain a prolonged hydroperiod versus alternate flooding and drying (Perry 2004; Walters et al. 1992).
1 The Florida Everglades: An Overview of Alteration and Restoration