Saving America's Everglades: It's All About Your Water

As a resident of Naples, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the Everglades. It’s one of the world’s most unique ecosystems, spanning 16 Florida counties, including our own. It supplies drinking water for millions, while supporting world-class fishing, buffering coastal communities from storm surge, helping stabilize our pristine coastline, and bolstering our state’s vital tourism and real estate sectors. The Everglades also provides habitat for more than 70 threatened or endangered species, and encompasses 14 National Wildlife Refuges and four National Parks, including Everglades National Park.

Unfortunately, though, the Everglades is suffering from massive environmental damage. Over the past century, manmade water diversions and flood control projects altered historic water flows in the Everglades thereby converting large areas for agricultural and residential uses. Consequently, too much polluted water is often pumped from Lake Okeechobee to the east and west coasts of Florida – sparking outbreaks of toxic algae blooms damaging the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries – while too little freshwater is flowing south to the Everglades and Florida Bay.

Everglades restoration is the answer to reversing the harm to the ecosystem. Since its founding in 1993, The Everglades Foundation has been the leading champion for restoration by providing bipartisan solutions backed by sound scientific research led by its own in-house team of world-class Ph.D. scientists. Through science, advocacy, and education, The Everglades Foundation is devoted to restoring and protecting America’s Everglades.

In 2000, The Everglades Foundation helped persuade Congress to pass the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)– a plan whose 68 projects represent the largest ecosystem restoration project on the planet. CERP is an international model for ecosystem restoration.

The Foundation works tirelessly to secure the state and federal funding needed to implement restoration projects to fix South Florida’s outdated water infrastructure. These projects will restore the flow of desperately needed water to the Everglades and Florida Bay, and reduce discharges of pollutants that cause perennial outbreaks of red tide on our coast.

Among the most noteworthy restoration projects is the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, considered “the crown jewel” of Everglades restoration. Ground was broken in February 2023 on the reservoir, which, together with other projects completed and those underway, will send freshwater south to the Everglades and Florida Bay. No other project will play a bigger role in reducing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee to our west coast.

The Foundation also works to educate future generations on the vital importance of Everglades restoration and protection through its Everglades Literacy Program. Established in 2014, the program offers the only comprehensive PreK-12 free, online curriculum complete with customized teacher training courses, symposia, and other resources.

You can help The Everglades Foundation in its mission to restore and protect America’s Everglades:

• Tell your neighbors and elected officials that Everglades restoration matters to you, your family, your real estate, your business, and the future of Florida.

• Join the conversation on Instagram and Facebook at @evergladesfoundation

• Become an Everglades water advocate by subscribing to our newsletter at EvergladesFoundation.org/get-involved.

• Make a gift of any amount to support the Foundation’s mission to restore and protect the Everglades through science, advocacy, and education. Visit EvergladesFoundation.org/Giving.

For more information about The Everglades Foundation,

visit EvergladesFoundation.org.