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2015 – 2020 Momentum: Report to Congress

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2015 – 2020 Momentum: Report to Congress 2015 - 2020 MOMENTUM REPORT TO CONGRESS COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN Central and Southern Florida Project THE 2015 – 2020 REPORT TO CONGRESS details the momentum that has sprung from previous years of Everglades restoration efforts – that will in turn, set the initial pace for further restoration progress in 2020 and beyond. The report is structured to mirror the multi-faceted aspects of the restoration program, and to highlight the collaboration of the many partners, team members, and stakeholders so vital to restoration success and its current and future momentum. Cover Images: Front: Tricolored Heron Back: Record Bird Colonies at the Broad River Photo Credits: Mark Cook, South Florida Water Management District RTC 2020—Agency Letters Final December 2020 AGENCY LETTERS Section 601 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2000 approved the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), which is the framework for modifications and operational changes to the Central and Southern Florida Project needed to restore, preserve, and protect the south Florida ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region, including water supply and flood protection. Section 601(l) of WRDA 2000 requires that the Secretaries of the Army and the Interior jointly submit a Report to Congress not less than every five years on the implementation of the plan. This report covers progress made between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2020. In accordance with Section 601(l)(1) of WRDA 2000, this report includes: “…the determination of each Secretary, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, concerning the benefits to the natural system and the human environment achieved as of the date of the report and whether the completed projects of the Plan are being operated in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of subsection (h)...” Following are these determinations and a letter of support signed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). i RTC 2020—Agency Letters Final December 2020 This page intentionally left blank. ii DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY CIVIL WORKS 108 ARMY PENTAGON WASHINGTON DC 20310-0108 October 28, 2020 Determination of the Secretary of the Army for the Five-Year Report to Congress Pursuant to Section 601(l) of the WRDA 2000 I am providing the 2020 Five-Year Report to Congress as per the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2000, Section 601 (l) and as required by the Programmatic Regulations for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (33 C.F.R. § 385.40(d)(1)). I have determined that satisfactory progress is being made towards achieving the benefits for the natural system and the human environment envisioned in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The Army Corps of Engineers, in strong partnership with its non-federal sponsor the South Florida Water Management District, continues to execute CERP to achieve results and value to the nation. The successful implementation of the CERP is a result of consultation with the Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Commerce, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the State of Florida, and other federal, state and local agency partners, all of which have actively participated in the development and progress of this program. Approximately $1.3 billion in funding, in combined contributions from the federal and state partners, has been provided in support of the CERP and prospective CERP projects over the past five fiscal years. CERP cumulative expenditures through fiscal year 2019 total $3.23 billion. With support from Congress, we have accomplished big things for America’s Everglades and our economy. Federal, state, local, and tribal governments, the United States Congress, the Florida Legislature, stakeholder groups, and members of the public have taken concrete, collaborative steps over the past five years to move key restoration programs and plans forward. This reporting period, from 2015 through 2020, has been busy with new construction starts, project completions, accelerated planning efforts, and record-breaking new investments. In the past five years, enabling legislation by Congress has authorized two key components of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act of 2016 authorized the Central Everglades Planning Project and America’s Water Infrastructure (AWI) Act of 2018 authorized the Central and Southern Florida, Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), Florida Project. Together, these two projects provide necessary infrastructure to meet the CERP goals for clean water flow to the central Everglades and further the ongoing restoration of the Southern Everglades and Florida Bay. These projects will reduce the releases from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries by capturing, storing, and cleaning and re-directing that water to the Everglades where it is needed. Significant progress has also been made over the past five years on the planning of the next set of CERP projects. The Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project has a signed Chief's Report and was provided to Congress in early 2020 for consideration in future legislation. This project will restore and sustain the flow of freshwater to the federally designated “National Wild and Scenic” northwest fork of the Loxahatchee River and reconnect the wetlands of the historic headwaters of the River. The Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project is in the final phase of review of its Project Implementation Report and Environmental Impact Statement. This project will provide much needed storage north of Lake Okeechobee and restore wetlands within the watershed. WRDA 2000 introduced the concept of Interim Goals, further developed into the Programmatic Regulations of 2003 and defined as “a means by which the restoration success of the Plan may be evaluated throughout the implementation process.” The regulations also required the development of Interim Targets for “evaluating the progress towards other water-related needs of the region provided for in the Plan…” These goals and targets are based on selected native habitats and species called indicators that, through monitoring and forecasting, can tell us how the Everglades is expected to respond to restoration. For the current effort, which began in 2017 and concluded with a report in 2020, RECOVER developed model runs that used historical hydrology (from 1965-2005) to generate forecasts due to the scheduled implementation of CERP projects. Overall, model forecasts show substantial progress towards ecosystem goals while also meeting needs for water supply and flood protection, although the hydrologic and ecologic needs of the South Florida ecosystem are still not fully achieved. Science has illustrated that America’s Everglades are resilient. The results achieved by individual projects such as the Kissimmee River, Picayune Strand, Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Phase 1, the C-111 South Dade, the Modified Water Deliveries projects and the bridging of Tamiami Trail are encouraging. As hydrology is restored and habitats rebound, native species are returning, such as the threatened wood stork and endangered Florida panther to the Picayune Strand area, and wading bird colonies along the Kissimmee River floodplain. These projects provide insight into what can be achieved at larger scales through continued restoration. The next five years provide an opportunity to build upon the restoration program’s current momentum and substantial recent progress. The success of CERP will stand on the shoulders of completed Foundation Projects that have bridged the Tamiami Trail and will continue to send more, clean, freshwater to the Greater Everglades and Everglades National Park. Great strides toward “getting the water right” will be made during the next reporting period: four Foundation Projects will have been completed, six CERP projects will have been constructed, and seven more CERP projects will be simultaneously under design and construction. Planning will also be underway for the next group of CERP projects including the Biscayne Bay Southeastern 2 Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (BBSEER) study and the Southern Everglades study. The next five years hold the promise of even more tangible, beneficial change in the south Florida ecosystem as the projects in the central Everglades authorized during this reporting period are constructed. Successful partnerships, collaboration, and leadership are fostering the real-time delivery of the program. Thank you for your support of the Army Civil Works program. Sincerely, R.D. James Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) 3 RTC 2020—Agency Letters Final December 2020 This page intentionally left blank. vi United States Department of the Interior Office of the Secretary Determination of the Secretary of the Interior for the Five-Year Report to Congress Pursuant to Section 601(L) of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 The collaborative, interagency effort to restore America’s Everglades is making significant progress as detailed in the 2020 Five-Year Report to Congress. This report is required by the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2000, Section 601 (1), and the Programmatic Regulations for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP; 33 C.F.R. § 385.40(d)(1)). The CERP and associated
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