Decline of the Florida Everglades
The death of the Florida Everglades was a slow process. This process began with an arguably beneficial plan developed by the United States Corps of Engineers to help stop the damage caused by frequent flooding and create more farming land. The flooding problems sought to be corrected by the Corps of Engineers occurred primarily in the Kissimmee River basin, a major river running south though central Florida and functioning as the primary source of clean water to the Florida Everglades. When man proceeds to alter the natural order of things, however, man must recognize that he is dealing with a complex system where even minor changes can have major, unpredictable outcomes. The story of man’s changes to the Kissimmee River and the resulting damage to the Everglades demonstrates exactly what can go wrong when the system nature has devised is artificially altered. The Kissimmee River Flood Control Project of the 1960s and early 1970s started with the best of intentions; the relief of major flooding problems in the Kissimmee River water shed. This project, however, is a classic example of how even good intentions can lead to catastrophic results when they are poorly conceived, planned, and executed. In this case, the well intentioned flood control destroyed thousands of acres of wetlands and wild life habitat and led to a major ecological decline in the Everglades.
The Kissimmee River Basin was once a jewel of nature, breathtaking in its beauty and in its diversity and richness of birds, water fowl, and animals. The river itself flowed through Central Florida from a chain of lakes just south of Orlando on a 103 mile meandering journey to the Lake Okeechobee on the northern edge of the Everglades (Boning 212-214). It was the largest tributary flowing into the lake and served as the primary source of fresh water for
Gibbons 2 the entire Everglades system (212). The Kissimmee River, in its natural state, flowed through a marshy plain surrounded by extensive
The Kissimmee River Basin was once a jewel of nature, breathtaking in its beauty and in its diversity and richness of birds, water fowl, and animals. The river itself flowed through Central Florida from a chain of lakes just south of Orlando on a 103 mile meandering journey to the Lake Okeechobee on the northern edge of the Everglades (Boning 212-214). It was the largest tributary flowing into the lake and served as the primary source of fresh water for
Gibbons 2 the entire Everglades system (212). The Kissimmee River, in its natural state, flowed through a marshy plain surrounded by extensive
Cited: Alderson, D. (2009). Kissimmee River Orlando to Okeechobee by Kayak. Gainesnsville: The University Press of Florida. Boning, C. R. (2007). Florida 's Rivers. Sarasota: Pineapple Press, Inc. Douglas, M. S. (1997). The Everglades - River of Grass. Sarasota: Pineapple Press. Engineers, U. A. (2010, October). Everglades Division. Retrieved October 2, 2010, from http://www.evergladesplan.org/about/rest_plan_pt_01.aspx Environmental, F. D. (2010, October). Learn about your Watershed-Kissimmee River Watershed. Retrieved October 2, 2010, from http://www.protectingourwater.org/watersheds/ Everglades Foundation. (2006). Essential No.2-Restore the Kissimmee River Watershed. Retrieved October 2, 2010, from http://www.evergladesfoundation.org/pages/restore-the-kissimmee-river-watershed Lodge, T. E. (2005). TheEverglades Handbook: Understanding the ecosystem, Second Edition. Boca Raton: CRC. Lott, M., & Clark, B. (1997). Restoring a River-The quest to Resurrect the Kissimmee. Retrieved October 2, 2010, from Back to Fish Florida Magazine: http://www.fishflorida.com/articles/restore.html U.S. Department of the Interior. (2006, April 26). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved October 2, 2010, from Projects to Improve The Quantity, Quality,Timing and Distrubution of Water: http://www.sofia.usgs.gov/publications/reports/doi-science-plan/waterkissokee.html