Monday, July 17, 2017

Press Release. Received July 16th: “Everglades Water Quality Program Achieves 70 Percent Phosphorus Reduction”.


For more information, contact Mr. Randy Smith, Media Relations, at the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD):
  • Email: rrsmith@sfwmd.gov
  • Office: 561-682-2800
  • Cell: 561-389-3386
SFWMD “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.”

Press Release [excepts]:

West Palm Beach, FL — A program to improve Everglades water quality by ensuring the water flowing from farmlands in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) meets phosphorus reductions required by law, has performed far better than state-mandated goals.

and. . .

     “These tremendous results year after year are proof positive of the hard work from our farming community, who are doing their part to improve Everglades water quality,” said South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Vice Chairman member Jim Moran.
“This program, coupled with the state’s investment in stormwater treatment areas and other measures, have restored Everglades water quality and continue to make it better every year.”
South Florida’s water, especially water moved into Everglades National Park by SFWMD, is cleaner than it has been in generations and meets stringent water quality requirements.
     SFWMD delivered this required annual report, comparing the current Water Year for which BMPs [Best Management Practices] are in place to a baseline period before the BMP program began, to determine whether the EAA has met the requirement of the law . . . BMPs include refined stormwater management practices, onsite farm erosion controls and more precise fertilizer application methods. These and other management practices by agricultural growers reduce the amount of phosphorus transported in stormwater runoff that reaches the Everglades and its connected water bodies.

Also, from July 13th, at the SFWMD Governing Board meeting is this important news:

Resolution No. 2017 - 0720, establishing a “Gopher Tortoise recipient site”.

Click on image to enlarge:
Use this link to learn more about what the SFWMD is doing to protect our wildlife here in South Florida.