Everglades Restoration Advances with Record Funding, But Challenges Persist

The $23 billion, 50-year effort to restore Florida's wetlands shows progress, yet faces climate threats, development pressures, and water quality concerns.

The Everglades restoration project, approved in 2000, aims to repair decades of environmental damage caused by engineering projects, invasive species, and agricultural pollution.
Wildlife is returning to some areas, with native species like wood storks and wading birds benefiting from rehydrated habitats and improved water flows.
Key projects like the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir and the Western Everglades Restoration Project are underway, though concerns remain about their size, cost, and effectiveness.
Climate change poses significant threats, including sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, and rising temperatures, which complicate restoration efforts and threaten biodiversity.
Population growth and development pressures in Florida continue to challenge the preservation of the Everglades, a critical source of drinking water and storm protection for millions of residents.