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| Tamiami Trail project on schedule for delivery to Congress |
The revised plan to build a one-mile bridge on the eastern end of the Tamiami Trail is on schedule for delivery to Congress by July 1. With congressional approval, construction could begin this fall.
 The Tentatively Selected Plan for the Tamiami Trail Modifications project includes the construction of a one-mile eastern bridge about a mile west of the intersection of Tamiami Trail and Krome Avenue. The plan also allows water levels in the adjacent L-29 Canal to reach 8.5 feet and includes reinforcing the remaining roadway to mitigate for possible impacts from that increased water level.
The Tamiami Trail Modifications project will improve water flow from north of Tamiami Trail to northeast Shark River Slough in Everglades National Park. It is a component of the Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park project to restore natural water conditions in Everglades National Park, which were altered by the construction of roads, levees, and canals. Currently, Tamiami Trail acts as a barrier to natural sheetflow.
The project area is located in Miami-Dade County, in a 10.7-mile section of the Tamiami Trail (U.S. Highway 41), adjacent to the north boundary of Everglades National Park.
Public support of the revised plan has helped to move the project forward. Approximately 60 people attended a public meeting April 22 in Miami to comment on the revised plan. Public comments were also taken online through May 9, with more than 125 comments received from 28 groups and individuals.
“We are getting wonderful cooperation across the board,” said Stu Appelbaum, deputy for restoration program management for the Corps of Engineers.
For additional information and to view the plan, visit www.saj.usace.army.mil/dp/mwdenp-c111/index.htm.
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| Preparing for hurricane season a year-round effort |
As the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season gets under way, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is prepared to respond to a storm throughout central or south Florida, or the nation for that matter.
 The Corps of Engineers has missions that relate directly to flood damage reduction and emergency response. In central and south Florida, the Corps works in partnership with the South Florida Water Management District to operate one of the world’s most sophisticated water management systems. The Central & Southern Florida Project quickly routes floodwaters to sea, when needed. Like any flood control system, it can be overwhelmed with large amounts of water, but it remains a very dependable water management project. It protects more than 7 million people in a 16-county region.
One component is the Herbert Hoover Dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee. The Corps maintains the dike, which protects more than 60,000 residents in lakeside communities. As each hurricane season approaches, the Corps conducts a pre-season check to ensure equipment and power generation systems are working properly. Should a hurricane threaten, the Corps begins its Hurricane Standard Operation Plan 72 hours before the event. If a hurricane strikes, the Corps works around-the-clock to maintain the integrity of the dike and respond to the emergency at hand.
This past May, the lake was nearly 3 feet below normal due to the lingering drought in the southeast United States. As a result, special precautions were and continue to be taken to deal with low water levels. “We have a high water level plan and a low water level plan,” said Jim Hammond, chief of field operations for the Corps of Engineers in Clewiston. But despite the time of year or conditions, “our efforts are ongoing throughout the year,” he said.
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| Native American immersion training benefits restoration nationwide |
Across the United States, including in the Everglades, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is developing programs and projects to protect natural ecosystems and wildlife that often have a connection to Native American tribes. As a way to improve these, the Corps of Engineers has an immersion training to better understand the unique culture, ethics and environmental practices of Native American tribes.
 The course, part of the curriculum of the national Corps of Engineers’ Professional Support Center Proponent-Sponsored Engineer Corps Training (PROSPECT) registry, is unprecedented in the federal government. The training goals are to develop a better understanding of the Native American worldview, share the knowledge and experience of sustainable living, evaluate sustainability and environmental concerns of federal agency actions, and combine ideas among federal agencies for environmental preservation.
This past March, local Corps of Engineers staff members took part in a unique training experience with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The result was increased cultural sensitivity, better teambuilding, and an improved understanding of a Native American tribe with a large stake in Everglades restoration.
Nineteen Corps employees joined Corps contractors and representatives from the U.S. Air Force and South Florida Water Management District to set up camp on the grounds of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, in the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation in south Florida. Participants toured the museum exhibits, learned about Seminole history and oral tradition, took a medicinal plant tour, learned about tribal government, enjoyed traditional food, and spoke with tribal members.
At week’s end, lessons learned were tied to the Corps Environmental Operating Principles, which are established considerations in Corps–tribal relations. Several Corps projects – including the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, Big Cypress Water Control Plan and Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park – will alter the way water flows in and out of tribal lands.
The March session marked the first time the nationwide Native American training program has been held in the southeast United States.
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| Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule approved |
On April 28, Brig. Gen. Joseph Schroedel, commander of the Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division, approved a new Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule. The purpose of the schedule is to keep Lake Okeechobee water levels between 12.5 and 15.5 feet throughout the year.
The schedule changes allow for quicker response to lake conditions, as well as improving flow to coastal estuaries. The schedule benefits the lake’s ecological health, the dike, and balances the multiple and competing uses of the lake.
This new schedule is considered temporary. Starting this year, water managers will conduct a study to provide additional options for water storage and management. This will be applied to future lake level schedules.
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| Products showcase beauty of Haiti and Everglades |
In celebration of Haitian Cultural Heritage Month in May, the Corps of Engineers released new products aimed at engaging the Haitian community in south Florida. The Corps created a beautiful poster and bookmark with the theme, Unity/Ini: The Beauty of Nature. The poster and bookmark feature the hibiscus, a flower found in both Haiti and the Everglades, and messages about protecting the environment. A screensaver in the same theme also was developed. In addition, the Corps produced a 30-minute radio program in Creole about the Everglades, which was broadcast on Creole radio stations in south Florida in May. For more information, visit www.evergladesplan.org.
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| Residents have say at recreation meetings |
 A series of Master Recreation Plan (MRP) public meetings hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District and the South Florida Water Management District concluded May 7. These meetings introduced the draft MRP to the community, allowed interaction between attendees and the planning team, and solicited public comments. Since the plans are regionally-based, meetings were held in six different counties. The MRP is a blueprint for maintaining recreational opportunities within Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan projects. The final plan will be posted online. For more information, visit http://www.evergladesplan.org/pm/progr_master_rec_plan.aspx.
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| ASR Interim Report now available |
 An interim report on the first five years of the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) program is now available. Up to 333 ASR wells have been proposed by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) to recharge, store, and recover water underground. This will ensure water for the Everglades, improve conditions in Lake Okeechobee, and prevent damaging releases of fresh water to coastal estuaries. This Interim Report was released May 28. To view the report and for more information, visit
www.evergladesplan.org/pm/projects/pdp_32_33_34_44_asr_combined.aspx.
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| Outreach in Action |
 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District was among approximately 100 vendors at one of the largest minority business expositions in south Florida. The 2008 Florida Regional Minority Business Council Expo held May 9 in Fort Lauderdale attracted an estimated 700 attendees. The Corps of Engineers has a strong small business program. It encourages minority-owned and small businesses to participate in its programs and projects as a vendor or contractor. For more information, visit www.hq.usace.army.mil/hqsb/.
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| To add your name to the Everglades Report electronic mailing list: visit www.evergladesplan.org. To add or remove your name, please call 305-948-8063. |
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