Restoration of the Everglades Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Restoration of the Everglades - Research Paper Example The scenario started changing in the late 1980’s with the beginning of developments like creation of agricultural farms for growing sugarcane and vegetables, building up of new canals and levees for protecting the farms and the cities from floods and increase in the infrastructure in the east of the everglades. Some parts of the marshland started facing drought and others flood. Earlier it used to cover an area of 10,360 kms but today it has been reduced to half its size. The primary reason for this condition is the pollution caused by companies like Big sugar, construction companies, and various other factors (Marjory Stoneman Doughlas, 1969). The Big sugars comprise of a group of sugarcane growers, mainly U.S sugars, and are primarily responsible for destroying the Everglades. Farmers of these agricultural farms use high content phosphorus fertilizers in excessive quantities, to improve the quality of their soil. The run-off water from these sugarcane farms carrying the kill er phosphorus gets drained into the Everglades through canal-water discharge from Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades agricultural area. It was revealed that this overdose of nutrient results in the overgrowth of unwanted plant and algae species or eutrophication, which in turn causes great harm to the original vegetation of Everglades. The original vegetation of this place- sawgrass and other native plant species- are getting replaced by nutrient loving plants like cattails. Not only fertilizers but sewage and human wastes from these fields are being dumped in the marshlands polluting the water, making it unhygienic to drink and the survival of flora and fauna impossible. The entire ecosystem of Florida is in peril because of the pollution (William H. Orem, Feb 2009). In 1992, the state of Florida had set limit to the amount of phosphorus that could be spewed in the everglades. To achieve this, it had set out Stormwater treatment areas on former agricultural areas. These are artific ial wetlands that help in cleaning the phosphorus-laden canal water before it gets drained in the everglades. This step of the government has been successful to a great extent- reducing the amount of phosphorus in the water from 150 parts per billion (ppb) in 1990’s to 30 ppb today. The target of 10 ppb is still far away but the problem of Everglades is not limited to phosphorus, it goes beyond that (William H. Orem, 2009). There is another way in which these agricultural farms are affecting the marshlands. The agricultural land in the Everglades mostly consists of peat soil. It used to extend up to an area of 3 meters but today it has diminished to one third its size. This happens when farmers drain the peat soil through canals for the better growth of their crops. Once this peat soil is exposed to air it gets oxidized away by aerobic bacteria. As a consequence, the aquatic plants remnants in the peat soil get degraded. Scientists have projected that only 20 cm of the peat s oil will remain by 2050. This is alarming since it will extinguish the original plants and vegetation of the Everglades (William H. Orem, Feb 2009). U.S. factory farms are also polluting the Everglades. During rainy season or snow melting season, the run-off water from these farms, which grow animal feed crops, carry the top soil particles into the Everglades. Also, the 1.4 billion tones of animal manures generated on these farms are let off through the