Everglades Current Water Situation * Communiqué # 2

Dr. German Mendez Asks - Will You Help?

Wildlife Biologist-Veterinarian-Environmentalist, German Mendez works tirelessly educating the public about Florida's Endangered Everglades. Here he's explaining about the Everglades original pioneer crusader's plea for help, 82 year old Tom Shirley.

Problems that plague the Everglades are...

An excess of water in the designated Florida Water Management District Areas which is killing the historic Tree Islands by submerging the tree base/root systems in high water. This causes the trees to struggle as they grow, rot, then die free standing.

High water levels additionally kill the fauna; specifically mammals such as deer, raccoons, otters, armadillos and other indigenous creatures. These animals slowly drown in the high water as they have no solid ground to walk on. This affects the wading birds that cannot reach their food in the increased water depth.

While this is the situation in the heart of the Everglades quite the opposite phenomena is occurring in the neighboring Everglades National Park section. Here there is no water! This is because the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) wouldn't release the water contained in their management area through the S-12 floodgate doors they constructed. These floodgate doors have only been opened one time, for one day, since they were constructed 40 years ago. The reason? There is competition for this water. The water mostly flows to the city of Miami and the agricultural areas. More recently a portion of this water now flows into the artificial lakes carved from limestone substructure by mining companies such as Rinker who use the limestone to produce concrete.

 German Mendez inspects the Tree Islands

There seems little positive cooperation between state and federal governments when it comes to deciding what's best for a proper ecological balance, a balance that would enhance the living productivity and enjoyment of the earth itself as well as those who live upon its outer shell.

"That (there) seems to be a trend -- retaliation against government employees who advocate for the Everglades, such as the Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who was fired after he objected to development projects in Florida panther habitat." ... reporter Michael Grunwald

High concentration of Phosphorous in the water is another major issue. Phosphorus was not native to the area and is a direct result of unregulated agricultural runoff into the Everglade aqua system. Good science reports that there should never be more than 2 ppb of phosphorous in the water. This amounts to a teaspoon of phosphorous put into an Olympic size swimming pool.

In the past unregulated phosphorous content has been perhaps as high as 200 ppb or more but nobody knows for sure how high the concentration has been due to inadequate record keeping. In 2003 the Everglades Forever Act reduced the " legal allowable" phosphorous content from 200 ppb to 30 ppb. However what is allowable legally, and what happens in the field, are two separate realities as we all have seen often enough when it comes to the subject of political loop holes or exceptions created in the law.

Due to lobbying on the part of Big Sugar the Everglades Forever Act has mandated that on or before 2016 today's allowable 30 ppb must be reduced to 10 ppb. That's still 7 years in the future and 8 ppb higher than science recommends is healthy for the Everglades. Again laws can and are amended under political pressure as common practice. By the time 2016 rolls around the various lobbies involved could easily have used this span of time to bend the politicians to their will, which is not to benefit of the Everglades ecosystem.

.... amazingly   "cattails grow at the rate of 2 acres a day!”

 Real Concern for the Environment

MERC's Science Coordinator Dr. Mendez

It's unfortunate that the life of this important living Eco-system is caught up in a battle between land developers, large farming corporations and politicians; people who have more concern for their reelection and economic growth then for caring for something we all depend on - the preservation of Florida's natural living environmental treasure, the Everglades.

Without a proper alliance of true environmental concern and activity it seems that CERP (Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project) will never become a true restoration project. At best it will represent a patchwork attempt to repair an important environmental ecosystem that's rapidly becoming what we call Dead Nature. It  may look like nature, but very little inside is alive. As long we don't put nature first the real Everglades is only going to be seen in books, magazines, Internet pictures, and in the slowly passing memories of our elders.

“. …This we know, the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that joins us all. Whatever he does to the web of life, he does to himself…” Chief Seattle (1852)

Thank you for your concern,

Dr. German R. Mendez

Science Coordinator-MERC

August 17, 2009

  Information on MERC's Board Member Tom Shirley can be found here: http://www.evergladesrestorationfear.org/

References:

Michael Grunwald's (The Swamp) interview : http://www.grist.org/article/gertz4/

Emily Gertz - Select Bibliography: http: //www.emilygertz.com/eg/bibliography.html

Michael Grunwald “ The Swamp” 2006 Simon and Shuster

Fauna: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauna

Tom Shirley: http://serpentoxin.com/tomshirley.htm

Photos:  http://ipacmerc.multiply.com/photos/album/20/Dr._Mendezs_Firsthand_Investigation_of_the_Everglades_Tree_Islands_