In South Florida, surveys routinely show that residents care deeply about having clean water and air, and unpolluted water to swim and fish in. But when it comes to perhaps the biggest environmental threat yet — climate change — it’s not the kitchen table conversation that environmentalists believe it should be.
Since the passing of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) in 2000, the Everglades has become the largest ecological restoration effort in the world, receiving several billion-dollar infusions in pursuit of preserving the water quality and environmental health of the South Florida basin. The latest addition to the restoration effort is the most prominent to date. A $4 billion endeavor, the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) reservoir will encompass a 10,500 acre reservoir and 6,500 acres of wetlands, otherwise known as the Stormwater Treatment Area (STA). Set for completion in 2030 and full implementation a few years later, the EAA will mark the conclusion of a thirty year endeavor to restore Florida’s natural water flow.