PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sean Cooley, Communications Manager, (850) 999-1030, scooley@audubon.org 

MIAMI (July 3, 2018) - Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that they are raising water levels in the L-29 canal in South Miami-Dade County to the maximum allowable level of 8.0 feet. This move, long in the making, allows water to flow under the Tamiami Trail 1-mile bridge as intended by Everglades restoration.

“We are finally doing exactly what Everglades restoration envisioned,” said Celeste De Palma, director of Everglades policy at Audubon Florida. “High water events in South Florida are testing water managers’ ability to move water yet again. The move to flow more water under the Tamiami Trail bridge will give water managers even more flexibility to provide relief to the bloated Water Conservation Areas to the north and puts water back into the northeast corner of Everglades National Park without putting all of the burden on sensitive upland wildlife habitat for species like the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow. It is so great to see Everglades restoration projects work as intended.”

The decision comes after critical construction features in South Dade were completed earlier this month to help manage seepage for nearby property owners that could result from the increased flows into Everglades National Park. Audubon Florida commends the Corps for their swift action during these challenging times.

“Pushing water away is the old way of doing business in Florida; that’s why Everglades restoration focuses on recapturing water, cleaning it, and rerouting it to mimic the historic freshwater flows that support our ecosystems and our way of life in the Sunshine State. It’s all about putting the watershed back in equilibrium. Today’s announcement marks a big step in the right direction,” concluded De Palma.

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