Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Picayune Strand Restoration Project

1. Big Cypress Basin Board MeetingFebruary 17, 2012 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Picayune Strand Restoration Project Janet Starnes, Principal Project Manager Office of Everglades Policy and Coordination

2. Picayune Strand RestorationProject Background, Issues and Needs • 279 miles of roads and 48 miles of canals constructed on 55,000 acres by private developer in late ’60s • Resulted in over-drainage of northern and southern Golden Gate Estates • Caused extreme flows to estuaries, affecting salinity and marine habitat • Resulted in drier conditions inland • Expansion of invasive plant species such as Cabbage Palm and Brazilian Pepper • Loss of Cypress forests • Plant species changed, quality of animal habitat declined

3. Historic Flowways

4. Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge Urban Development Big Cypress National Preserve Picayune Strand State Forrest Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve Collier SeminoleState Park Rookery BayNational EstuarineResearch Preserve 10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge Everglades National Park Southern Golden Gate Estates Missing Piece of the Puzzle • Restores ecological connectivity between publicly owned lands

5. Alternatives Considered • 20+ alternatives initially formulated • Three alternatives warranted further evaluation • Alternative #6 • Alternative #12 • Alternative #3D • “No Action” alternative also considered

6. FAKA UNION CANAL MERRITT CANAL MILLER CANAL PRAIRIE CANAL Restoration Plan Elements N 3 Spreader Canals 3 Pump Stations Canal Plugs Primary Roads Secondary Roads Private Lands Boundaries Berm I-75 810 cfs Private Lands Boundary 1250 cfs 2650 cfs Tie-Back Levee Management Roads 6L Boundary U.S 41 POI Boundary U.S. 41 Drainage Enhancement

7. Summary of Benefits • Restores freshwater flows to estuaries • Restores upland/wetland habitat in watershed • Restores pre-drainage watershed flow pattern to a sheet flow condition • Increases groundwater levels • Restores habitat for endangered/threatened species (Florida panther, woodstork, etc.) • Provides for better fire management

8. Picayune Strand - Phase 1 • Seven miles of Prairie Canal filled • 65 miles of roadway removed • 17 culverts constructed to restore natural sheet flow • More than 13,000 acres of restored and enhanced habitat • U. S. Army Corps of Engineers constructing remaining features

9. Prairie Canal Plugging – Phase I One year after plugging of Prairie Canal

10. Phase I - Road Removal Natural regeneration two years after degrading Extent of vegetation removal and road degrading

11. Prairie Canal Plugging – Phase I January 2009 Summer 2008

12. Merritt Pump Station • 810 cubic feet per second capacity • Smallest of the three PSRP pump stations • Located approximately two miles south of I-75

13. Merritt Pump Station (Cont.) October 2010 September 2011

14. Phase II - Road Removal • Area of construction is from the eastern bank of the Faka Union Canal to the western bank of the Merritt Canal • Degrade ~95 miles of roads

15. Phase II – Road Removal • Example of Degraded Road

16. Faka Union Pump Station • 2625 cubic feet per second capacity • Largest of the three PSRP pump stations • Located approximately three miles south of I-75

17. Faka Union Pump Station (cont.) Faka Union Pump Station Foundation January 2012

18. Phase III - Road Removal • Area of construction is from the eastern bank of the Miller Canal to the western bank of the Faka Union Canal • Degrade ~100 miles of roads

19. Remaining Work To Be Contracted • Miller Pump Station and Phase IV Road Removal • Construction scheduled to begin in Fall 2013 • Three year construction time frame • Includes protection features for “Private Lands” • Protection Features • Port of the Islands - Construction scheduled to begin in Fall 2013 • 6Ls/US41 - Construction scheduled to begin in Fall 2015

20. Questions?