The river was channelized, and two-thirds of the historical floodplain was drained between 1962 and 1971 - to prevent catastrophic flooding. There were also unintended impacts: drastic declines in wintering waterfowl, wading bird and game fish populations; as well as a loss of ecosystem functions.
Turning Back to Nature
The Kissimmee River restoration was authorized by the U.S. Congress in the Water Resources Development Act of 1992. The project, led by the SFWMD and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will restore an estimated 40 sq. miles of river/floodplain ecosystem. Toward that end, a great deal has already been done.
Restoring the floodplain ecosystems requires land acquisition, advanced science and engineering and constant monitoring to measure the success of each step in restoration.
Northern Everglades
Kissimmee Water Reservations
