Everglades

The Greater Everglades spans southern Florida, from the Kissimmee River basin and Lake Okeechobee southward to Florida Bay and the Florida Keys. It is shaped by freshwater moving through a low-lying landscape toward coastal estuaries. Water quantity, quality, timing, and distribution influence the condition of wetlands and coastal habitats.

The region contains freshwater marshes, sawgrass prairie, tropical hardwood hammocks, pine rocklands, mangrove forests, saltwater marshes, seagrass beds, and coastal waters. UNESCO identifies the park as an important sanctuary for birds, reptiles, and threatened species such as the manatee; the wider ecosystem supports diverse plant and animal communities.

Drainage, canals, levees, agriculture, and other development altered natural water flows and wetlands. The USGS describes restoration as requiring scientific information about historical conditions and the amount, quality, timing, and distribution of freshwater. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan coordinates large-scale efforts to improve the ecosystem and water conditions across South Florida.

Everglades National Park is recognized internationally for its ecological importance. UNESCO describes an unusually varied mix of subtropical wetlands and coastal-marine ecosystems, including a major mangrove system and extensive sawgrass prairie. Conservation and restoration address both habitat integrity and the needs of people and industries that depend on South Florida water resources.