The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) today released the South Florida Environmental Report for Water Year 2020 (May 1, 2019 - April 30, 2020) showing the continuing major progress being made for Everglades restoration and water quality under Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The 2021 South Florida Environmental Report highlights the restoration, scientific, and engineering accomplishments in SFWMD's 16-county jurisdiction. The report also provides extensive peer reviewed research summaries, data analyses, financial updates, and a searchable database of environmental projects. The report covers environmental information for Water Year 2020 (May 1, 2019–April 30, 2020) and project budgetary information for Fiscal Year 2020 (October 1, 2019–September 30, 2020).
Highlights of Everglades restoration progress detailed in the report include:
- Progress expediting and completing more than two dozen projects identified by Gov. DeSantis in his Achieving More Now For Florida's Environment Executive Order (19-12). Signed less than 48 hours after Gov. DeSantis took office, the order directs SFWMD to expedite the completion of these projects and during Water Year 2020 several of these projects have been completed or reached major milestones.
- Progress made fulfilling the requirements of the Everglades Forever Act (EFA) restoring the water quality and reducing the total content of nutrients such as phosphorus in Everglades-bound water.
- Progress made fulfilling the requirements of the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program which includes the implementation of restoration projects and other programs to improve water quality north of Lake Okeechobee and the coastal estuaries and reduce the flow of water into the lake.
- Progress being made completing components of other restoration plans for the Everglades such as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and Restoration Strategies that will help improve the quality, quantity, distribution and timing of water in the Everglades.
The report also details environmental monitoring and permitting work that SFWMD undertakes to safeguard South Florida's environmental resources.