At one time, the Everglades was a vast sea of grass stretching through South Florida from Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Bay. But through a common policy of “dam it, dike it, drain it, divert it” the Everglades was altered to appease the growing population and desire for development by humans (“Conservation in Florida’s Everglades”). Areas of the Everglades were drained by the federal government and the water was re-routed throughout South Florida, as a means of flood control. The acceleration of land development in South Florida and the disappearance of wetlands from draining resulted in an increase in agricultural farming. Once a part of the Everglades, the area south of Lake Okeechobee became the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). This region became intensely involved in the growth of sugar cane. The soil, which was once submerged under water, was considered ideal, often being referred to as “black gold” for its fertility and richness in nutrients (Santaniello). But as a by-product of the agricultural growth in the area, the water in the Everglades was being polluted, disrupting the natural ecosystem. The prime example and greatest pollutant of the Everglades, which continues until today, is the element phosphorus.

Phosphorus

In the daily lives of human beings, phosphorus is everywhere. It is found in matches, sodas, television picture tubes and baking soda (Santaniello). In the human body, it provides the bones with strength. Phosphorous is also a very important element within fertilizers. According to the agronomist Cliff Snyder of the Potash and Phosphate Institute, phosphorus allows the passage of other nutrients through the plant membranes (Santaniello). In other words, it is a growth stimulant. In Florida, phosphorus is an abundant nutrient, mostly contained within sedimentary rock. However, if it is released in excess, it can become a pollutant.

Phosphorus in the Everglades

The Everglades is an ecosystem that evolved around a “low-phosphorus diet” (Santaniello). The lack of phosphorus made it a limiting factor, controlling the growth of plants and shaping the Everglades to be what it is, an array of “sawgrass, wet prairies and open-water sloughs dotted with tree islands” (Santaniello).

With the creation of the EAA, an increase of phosphorus occurred in the area by three methods. The first way was through the use of fertilizers, containing substantial amounts of phosphorus needed for the survival of crops (Evans). The second method was through the importation of water for irrigation from Lake Okeechobee, which contains 50,000 tons of phosphorus itself (Grunwald). The third method was through tilling of the soil, which releases the natural phosphorus that has accumulated over time in the soil from detritus (eg. dead plants, dead animal bodies, or fecal waste).

The significant amounts of phosphorus are then passed on into the Everglades through two manners. They can form runoffs into the ground, which then seep into the water that supplies the Everglades. Or the phosphorus is pumped through canals and levees into the Everglades by the South Florida Water Management District. Through both processes, phosphorus, as well as other nutrients, are being dumped into the Everglades, and are therefore polluting the water, causing it to be almost 20 times the tolerable level, as well as endangering the native wildlife.

Of the 2.4 million acres in the Everglades, 240,000 acres contain a high concentration of phosphorus (Santaniello). To alter the Everglades ecosystem, only 10 parts per billion (a scientific measurement meaning the number of parts per one billion parts) of phosphorus is needed. Prior to 1991, the water leaving the EAA contained approximately 173 parts per billion of phosphorus (Zollo). And as of 2002, the water released by the EAA into the Everglades has reduced to 77 parts per billion due to farmers recycling the storm water and the South Florida Water Management District’s filter marshes (Santaniello).

The impact the nutrient-rich water has on the Everglades is devastating. On a microscopic level, the phosphorus entering the water changes the chemistry of the water and destroys the microbial populations, which are an essential source of food and energy for many aquatic organisms. The altered water also causes a remarkable loss of biodiversity. Ninety percent of the wading birds in the Everglades have disappeared and 68 species of plants and animals are either endangered or threatened (“ Ecosystem Problems Center on Water”). As the levels of phosphorus increase, the characteristic sawgrass prairies of the Everglades are being overrun by cattails. The flourishing and invasive cattails block off areas for wading birds, create a substance in the water that provides an inhospitable environment for fish, and prevent the southern flow of water towards the Florida Bay (Zollo). The pollution of the Everglades also, in turn, affects the human population by raising concern over the quality of the water (Evans).

Controlling Phosphorus in the Everglades

The entire ecosystem of the Everglades revolves around water . . . its quality, quantity, distribution, and timing. Phosphorus pollution is the main manner in which the quality of the water is being disrupted. It has contributed to a significant loss of biodiversity in the Everglades. And in response to this and the many other dilemmas in the Everglades, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) was enacted by the federal government. The plan, divided 50-50 in costs between the federal and state governments, strives to achieve a sustainable society, in which the natural ecosystem of the Everglades is restored and protected while residents of South Florida are ensured enough clean water and flood control (Zollo). This will be achieved through storing the storm water in reservoirs instead of in the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee. This will, in turn, prevent the destruction of estuaries on both coasts of Florida from the large pulses of nutrient-rich water (Grunwald). The plan also requires the enforcement of an upper limit of phosphorus discharge into the Everglades. However, this requirement has been delayed by 10 years due to a piece of legislation signed by Governor Jeb Bush in spring of 2003 and supported by the sugar industry (Zollo).

Ultimately, the power and ability to save the Everglades and control the phosphorus emissions lies in the implementation of the CERP and the proper funding for the $8.4 billion plan. And this can only be achieved once it is realized that the main goal of the plan is ecosystem restoration.