Infrastructure: Canals
There have been multiple environmental disasters, however, due to the plethora of environmental predicaments, the moments of environmental resiliency are left in the shadows. The book entitled In River of Interests: Water Management in South Florida and the Everglades Ch.2 Federal Intervention stated that there were issues such as soil subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and oxidation that creates raging fires; were all a result of drainage schemes. The drainage of the land had caused high rates decomposition which exacerbated the rate of soil subsidence, as well as, increase in salt water intrusion by the Atlantic Ocean due to lowered surface water levels. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers were called on to develop a solution to the issues. As a solution, the Central and Southern Florida Control Project was constructed to alleviate the burden that ecological problems caused due to drainage.
The politicians of the state of Florida and other lobbyists called for a joint effort by federal, state, and other local officials to tackle the issue. H.A Bestor, a drainage engineer, stated that an orderly plan needed to emphasize conservation of water over its disposal. The Everglades provided about 2,330,232 tons of citrus fruits and vegetables from 1944 to 1946, as well as, $11,764,000 worth of sugar and 120,000 head of beef. It was a major industry, so when hurricanes devastated the south Florida region, the market was affected tremendously, with over $59 million in property damage. Due to the devastation and avoidance of large scale flooding due to levees, a comprehensive plan for the Glades was pushed for. The Corps used field surveys and office studies to develop the plan, in which they stated that fish and wildlife would be a major part of consideration. The project eventually summed up to $208 million, but asked for an initial appropriation of $70 million dollars; which was a large percentage of the $3.3 billion budget of the 1930. Ultimately, the plan became an effective means of controlling water for the water supply and ameliorating the issues faced due to drainage.
As time passed, the environmental movement picked up steam. In the 1960s, environmentalism became a force to be reckoned with in the United States. There were conditions such as expansion of the economy leading to more college admissions and increase in quality of life. Another instance in environmental resiliency was stated in The book entitled In River of Interests: Water Management in South Florida and the Everglades Ch. 5: Flexing the Environmental Muscle The Cross-Florida Barge Canal. Marjorie Carr was adamantly against the construction due to the impending ecological problems that would be created due to its construction. As the Corps continued their construction, Carr partnered up with the Florida Defenders of the Environment, who fought using environmental litigation, eventually halting construction. Nixon utilized the environmental issues in Florida to bolster his own approval, issuing a statement to the Corps of abandoning the project. Two more instances occurred, with the construction of the Everglades Jetport and preservation of the Big Cypress Swamp. The jetport was advocated for due to the expanding population in South Florida, however, the project infringed on large tracts of sensitive Everglades National Park land. Media coverage and governmental intervention from the Department of Interior and Department of Transportation, reported the major problems with jetport development and successive commercial development. Ultimately, the jetport was also scrapped due to the intervention of all players and Nixon. The Big Cypress Swamp provided another instance environmental protection, in this situation, there was Native American participation. The Seminole and Miccosuke Indians organized themselves under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, which bolstered the argument that the development of the Big Cypress Swamp would degrade the use of their land. Eventual support from other avenues, provided the bill entitled Big Cypress Conservation Act purchased approximately 574,000 acres of land and designated it Big Cypress land.
There are a lot of problems and due to the problems, pessimism is derived. Nevertheless, there are potential pathways for optimism and resiliency to rise. From moments in developing the Central and Southern Control Project to help with local problems of fire, saltwater intrusion, and a basket of other problems, stopping the construction of the Cross-Florida Barge Canal and Everglades Jetport, and conserving the Big Cypress Swamp, hope flourishes. Until there are no longer people that care about the plane we live in, we can rest assure that the good fight will continue.
