Save the Everglades
Pollution from large ranches and farms spurs algal blooms and invasive plant growth in Lake Okeechobee and the rest of the Everglades, but large agricultural operations have fought state efforts to restore these waters. It's time for the Water Management District to crack down on the Lake's worst polluters — and soon.
Pollution threatens the Everglades
The Everglades, composed of sawgrass marshes and lush mangrove forests, are one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems. Home to endangered wildlife including panthers, crocodiles and alligators, the Everglades attract millions of Floridians and other visitors every year.
Yet more than half of the historic Everglades have already been drained or paved over. And nutrient pollution plagues a quarter of what’s left—causing algae blooms, spurring invasive plant growth, and threatening the wildlife that depend on the “river of grass” for their habitat.
That’s why Environment Florida is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to set and enforce rules that limit pollution from development and other sources and help restore what’s left of the historic Everglades.
The Everglades need our help
The EPA has proposed mandatory limits on the pollution that threatens the Everglades and all of Florida’s waters, and it is poised to do more. But developers, polluters and their allies in Congress are protesting.That’s why we need your help to support the EPA’s pollution limits, and to urge the agency to set new rules that require developers to use smart, low-impact designs that minimize runoff pollution.
Together we can win
Restoring the Everglades and protecting the area from development is an enormous challenge but together, our staff, members and supporters like you are making progress. With your support, Environment Florida helped stop construction of the Everglades Corporate Park along protected wetlands in Broward County. By taking action today, you could make a significant difference for the Everglades— keeping them safe for the wildlife that call them home and for future generations to enjoy.
Click here to join our campaign.
Call on Florida's leaders to restore Lake Okeechobee and the rest of the Everglades.
Key Facts
- Pollution from large ranches and farms spur algal blooms and invasive plant growth in Lake Okeechobee.
- One-fourth of the remaining Everglades, including Lake Okeechobee, is plagued by pollution from animal waste and fertilizers.
- Lobbyists for large agricultural operations have successfully fought a 2000 Florida law to decrease the amount of polluted runoff allowed into Lake Okeechobee and the rest of the Everglades.