VOA新闻杂志2025--Florida and the Federal Government Support Huge Projects to Clean Up the Everglades

Some experts say damage to the Everglades ecosystem¹ began when a highway connecting the cities of Tampa and Miami in Florida was built in 1928.

The Everglades are a huge wetland at the southern end of the state of Florida.

The highway cut through an area made up of grasses, marshes², freshwater ponds and forested lands. But now, efforts to return Everglades National Park to a wilder state have taken shape after years of work and billions of dollars.

A huge state-federal project aims to undo³ damage to the wetlands.

Eve Samples is executive director of Friends of the Everglades, a nonprofit group based in Florida. She said, "This is the biggest, most complicated and most expensive ecosystem restoration project in the world. It's really important that we get it right."

The project has continued for over 20 years. Observers say wildlife is returning to some areas, there are fewer invasive trees, and people have good feelings about the changes.

The Everglades supports threatened species, protects against storm damage, and provides drinking water for millions of people in South Florida.

Development and agriculture have drained water that once flowed freely through the Everglades. Invasive plants and animals have changed the land. Too much phosphorus, mainly from agriculture, has harmed water quality.

The cost of efforts to repair the Everglades is more than $23 billion. Those efforts could take 50 years to complete. Today, water quality has improved, but there are still problems.

Since 2019, the South Florida Water Management District has worked on about 70 projects. In 2024, lawmakers approved $1.3 billion in spending over the next 12 months for restoration efforts. That is the largest amount approved so far.

Cleaning the water

One project is to the northwest of Miami. Workers are replacing sugarcane fields. The goal is to supply clean freshwater to the Everglades.

When the $3.9 billion Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir Project is complete, a reservoir and wetland will store and clean polluted water from Lake Okeechobee in central Florida before it goes into the southern Everglades.

Jennifer Reynolds is the director of ecosystem restoration and capital projects for the water district. "It's about getting the water right for the natural habitats and also to sustain the population of people who live and recreate here."

Climate and development threats

Data show the water quality of the area around Lake Okeechobee is very good although phosphorous levels are rising a little with increased water flow. In the recent past, phosphorous pollution threatened water quality in the Everglades.

But measurements downstream tell a different story. Salinity⁴ levels, or how much salt is in the water, have gone up. This suggests to some people that a rise in sea level and saltwater intrusion are increasing.

South Florida is in danger from storms and sea level rise. Some people estimate that the sea level in the area will rise as much as 1.2 meters by 2100.

Some signs of progress

In western Florida, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians says they see a change. Betty Osceola is an environmental activist⁵ and tribe member. The tribe says its ancestral tree islands have been flooded by water mismanagement. That hurts the plants and animals they use. Other areas are drier and face polluted water and wildfires.

"Restoration efforts are mainly to benefit Everglades National Park," said Osceola. "So maybe the national park sees benefits, but at the sacrifice to the tribe."

The tribe supports the Western Everglades Restoration Project. The tribe recently signed an agreement with the National Park Service that gives it more control over the area. Work started last summer on the project's first major feature.

The Everglades' future

Michael Kennedy-Yoon is from New York state. Recently, he was in the Everglades looking for wildlife. He saw a soft shell turtle, two alligators⁶, a bird, called the anhinga, a night heron and a swallow-tailed kite.

"I think that preserving and conserving⁷ wildlife and wildlife areas is some of the best and most useful uses of our taxpayer⁸ money," Kennedy-Yoon said.

Restoring and protecting the Everglades for recreation and its wildlife is a very important issue to many people. Samples from Friends of the Everglades said there is a need to build climate resiliency in Florida.

She noted⁹ the words of writer and conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas: "The Everglades is a test. If we pass it, we may get to keep the planet."

I'm Jill Robbins.

Dorany Pineda and Rebecca Blackwell reported this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English.

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Words in This Story

ecosystem - n. everything that exists in a particular environment

reservoir - n. usually artificial lake that is used to store a large supply of water for use in people's homes, in businesses, etc.

complicated - adj. hard to understand, explain, or deal with

intrude¹⁰ - v. to come or go into a place where you are not wanted or welcome

benefit -n. a good result from an action, plan or policy

conserve¹¹ - v. to keep (something) safe or from being damaged or destroyed

resilience - n. the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens

1 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

2 marshes   

n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。
• We had to cross the marshes. 我们不得不穿过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

4 salinity   

n.盐分；咸度；盐浓度；咸性

参考例句：

• In the sea water sampled the salinity is two parts per thousand.在取样的海水中，盐度为千分之二。
• In many sedimentary basins the salinity of the formation water increases with depth or compaction.在许多沉积盆地中，地层水的含盐量随深度或压实作用而增高。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 alligators   

n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Two alligators rest their snouts on the water's surface. 两只鳄鱼的大嘴栖息在水面上。 来自辞典例句
• In the movement of logs by water the lumber industry was greatly helped by alligators. 木材工业过去在水上运输木料时所十分倚重的就是鳄鱼。 来自辞典例句

7 conserving   

v.保护，保藏，保存( conserve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Contour planning with or without terracing is effective in conserving both soil and moisture. 顺等高线栽植，无论做或不做梯田对于保持水土都能有效。 来自辞典例句
• Economic savings, consistent with a conserving society and the public philosophy. 经济节约，符合创建节约型社会的公共理念。 来自互联网

8 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 intrude   

vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰

参考例句：

• I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。
• I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。

11 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！