WRDA 2000 Initially Authorized Projects:
Raise and Bridge East Portion of Tamiami Trail and Fill Miami Canal within Water Conservation Area 3
(Now incorporated into WCA 3 Decomp and Sheetflow Enhancement - Part 1 project)

General Description:

The purpose of this project feature is to restore sheet flow and reduce unnatural discontinuities in the Everglades landscape. The project includes raising and bridging portions of Tamiami Trail and filling in portions of the Miami Canal within Water Conservation Area 3. Due to the dependencies of components, this project would be implemented with the North New River Improvement project which would create a bypass for water supply deliveries using the North New River Canal.

Criticality:

This project is included in the initial authorization for two reasons; 1) to provide immediate opportunities for enhanced sheetflow within Water Conservation Area 3 and between Water Conservation Area 3 and Everglades National Park and 2) to integrate with ongoing modifications that are being made in the detailed design and construction of the Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park project.

Engineering Design:

This project includes backfilling the Miami Canal in Water Conservation Area 3 from one to two miles south of the S-8 pump station down to east coast protective levee. To make up for the loss of water supply conveyance to the Lower East Coast urban areas from the Miami Canal, the capacity of the North New River Canal south of the proposed Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir will be doubled under a separate component to convey additional water supply deliveries to Miami-Dade County as necessary. Modifications will also be made to the eastern section of Tamiami Trail which includes elevating the roadway through the installation of a series of bridges between L-31N Levee and the L-67 Levees. The eastern portion of L-29 Levee and Canal will also be degraded in the same area as the Tamiami Trail modifications.

The Project Implementation Report will address the scope and method to be used for Miami Canal backfilling, conveyance improvements to the North New River Canal and, the bridging of Tamiami Trail, and L-29 modifications that are necessary to enable unrestricted flow from Water Conservation Area 3 into Everglades National Park. The sequencing of these modifications will also be addressed in the Project Implementation Report. These project modifications will be coordinated with the existing Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park Project as well as the development of rainfall driven operational schedules for Water Conservation Area 3 and Everglades National Park.

It is estimated that approximately an additional 55 acres along the U.S. 41 right-of-way would be required for bridging the Tamiami Trail. SFWMD owns the right-of-way to the Miami Canal, L-68A levee, L-67A canal, L67C levee, and L-29 levee and canal.

Benefits:

The benefits of this project include restoring sheet flow and reducing the unnatural discontinuities in the landscape. The water depth patterns will be more gradual allowing aquatic organisms will be able to move more freely, exotic species will not have the advantage of deep water canals that provide thermal refuge or dry levees on which to grow. Normal proportions of predators/prey species in fish populations will be undisturbed. Natural interspersions of different marsh habitats will replace the current system of upstream pools and downstream dry area on either side of barriers. The result will be better quality and more easily accessible habitat for wading birds and other Everglades species.

This project will provide the initial increment of more integrated passive water management between Water Conservation Area 3 and Everglades National Park. It is anticipated that these modifications will be made in association with the implementation of a rainfall driven operational schedules for both Water Conservation Area 3 and Everglades National Park.

Related Projects:

The sequencing of these modifications will be coordinated with the existing Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park Project as well as the development of rainfall driven operational schedules for Water Conservation Area 3 and Everglades National Park. Schedule: The Miami Canal and the Tamiami Trail modifications are currently scheduled for construction initiation in January 2005 with completion in January 2010. Of the 255 acres needed for this project, none have been acquired.