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May 1, 2019
Inaugural RECOVER Report Card
Everglades Ecosystem Vulnerable to Further Ecological Degradation
Everglades health in fair condition
Everglades restoration projects will improve future health
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.
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The REstoration COordination and VERification program (RECOVER), the scientific program of CERP that includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the South Florida Water Management District, and other Florida state agencies, federal agencies, and tribes, in conjunction with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) has released the first report card on the ecological health of the Everglades.
With a score of 45, out of a possible 100, the report card assesses overall Everglades ecological health as fair for the five-year period 2012-2017. It is important to keep in mind that this time frame does not include the devastating red tide or blue-green algae events that effected the Northern Estuaries and other areas of Florida in the summer of 2018 or a full analysis of the impacts of Hurricane Irma in September of 2017.
Overall, the report card shows south Florida ecosystems are under stress from the regional system of canals, pumps, and control structures that provide flood protection and supply water to nearly 8 million people in south Florida. The benefits of flood protection and water supply have come at a cost to the natural ecosystems that make up the Everglades, and the ecological benefits could be lost. The good news is that CERP water managers are making progress toward the goal of reversing the negative ecological impacts of the regional water management system.
The Everglades report card summarizes detailed analyses reported in the 2019 System Status Report. The System Status Report is an in-depth look at the many projects that are required to fully implement the restoration plan and report on progress toward full restoration. Although this is the first ever Everglades report card, System Status Reports date back to 2006.
The Florida Everglades report card evaluates a wide variety of indicators in four distinct regions. The indicators and metrics are specific to each region. The Northern Estuaries (including the Caloosahatchee River Estuary, St. Lucie Estuary, Southern Indian River Lagoon, and Loxahatchee River Estuary), the Greater Everglades, and Lake Okeechobee were in fair condition (58, 52, and 44 percent, respectively) during the 2012-2017 timeframe. Southern Coastal Systems (Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay, and the Southwest Coast) scored 38 percent, and was in poor condition.
RECOVER developed an ecological report card to better communicate the health of the Everglades to decision makers and the public. The Everglades report card condenses relevant data into a score clarifying the status of the ecosystem and informed decisions can be made on how to minimize negative impacts and accelerate restoration efforts.
"Evaluating the Everglades ecosystem in a report card focuses the attention on the overall health of Everglades and how its individual regions work together to form a functioning system," said Dr. Bill Nuttle, lead scientist for the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. "The scores tell us where the current health stands, communicating this information to the decision makers is even more important."
Several significant events occurred from May 1, 2012- April 30, 2017. These include the seagrass die-off in Florida Bay, harmful algal blooms in Lake Okeechobee, and St. Lucie River and Estuary, a strong El Niño, extreme weather, and massive mortality of mangroves along the southwest coast.
Periodic assessments of ecological conditions across south Florida are essential for keeping the long-term Everglades restoration work on track and document how far Everglades restoration has come and how far it still needs to go. Since 2000, Florida local, state, and federal agencies have been working together on the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). With participation from each of the key agencies, the RECOVER program works with a variety of partners to assess ecological conditions in ecosystems affected by CERP and provide information needed to design and implement the many separate projects that make up the Everglades restoration effort.
This Everglades report card is a RECOVER product that provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of health of the Florida Everglades using data from May 1, 2012 through April 30, 2017. For more information on the Everglades report card, visit https://www.evergladesecohealth.org.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District team of professionals is dedicated to meeting the needs of the Armed Forces and the nation, with an area of responsibility that encompasses Florida and the Caribbean. We provide quality planning, engineering, construction and operations products and services in environmental restoration, flood risk reduction, navigation, Regulatory permits, hurricane and storm damage reduction, and emergency response and recovery. To learn more about the USACE visit www.saj.usace.army.mil
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)
The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. Our mission is to protect south Florida's water resources by balancing and improving flood control, water supply, water quality and natural systems. To learn more about SFWMD visit www.sfwmd.gov
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland's natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound evidence and advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. www.umces.edu.
For more updates on SFWMD's work:
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The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. Our mission is to protect South Florida's water resources by balancing and improving flood control, water supply, water quality and natural systems.
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