Local, state and federal officials called it a crucial effort to restore the Everglades, and it is now under way.
The final part of the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands project began construction March 21 when Miami-Dade officials and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) broke ground on a pump station approved last September by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMC) to restore freshwater flows to the Cutler Wetlands.
The project aims to stop pollutants from flowing into Biscayne Bay that are known to cause fish kills, while also stopping saltwater from pushing west into the Everglades.
By improving the health of the bay and aiding wetland rehydration, the pump station will build coastal resiliency and improve water quality in that area of Miami-Dade County.
It is scheduled to be finished in 2025.
Coastal Wetlands Restoration Also Benefits Everglades
The Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project is part of the larger Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) that aims to restore the quality, quantity, timing and distribution of water within the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.
When complete, it will restore freshwater flows to the southern part of the bay and to Biscayne National Park while improving salinity distribution near the shore. It also restores historical freshwater wetland habitat adjacent to the bay, which acts like a sponge by soaking up water in the wet season and slowly releasing it in a more natural pattern. Reestablishing productive nearshore habitat also supports nursery habitat for key marine wildlife including shrimp, shellfish, and fish.
"Our way of life and our community in Miami are tied to the water," said SFWMD Governing Board Member Charlie Martinez at the groundbreaking. "I've grown up enjoying Biscayne Bay, and I'm proud to see continued progress to further revitalize [it].
"Thanks to the unprecedented support from Gov. Ron DeSantis, a strong working relationship with the [USACE], and partnerships with Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, and many [other] county officials, we are finally breaking ground on this key restoration effort. [Biscayne Bay] is an environmental treasure and economic engine for Miami and improving the health of the bay is critical to safeguarding this one-of-a-kind waterbody."
"Restoration of the Everglades and particularly Biscayne Bay is critical to ensuring the continued clean water supply, economic viability, and environmental and public health of Miami-Dade County," added Cava. "For decades as a citizen, as a nonprofit executive, and now as mayor, I've advocated for this critical project in South Dade. Our environment is our economy, and with today's groundbreaking, we are one step closer to ensuring clean drinking water and a strong local economy for generations to come."
New Pump Station Just One Means of Protection
The groundbreaking celebrated the beginning of construction of the Cutler Flow Way Phase 1 Pump Station S-701. Once complete, the station will deliver freshwater from the C-1 Canal to slowly rehydrate coastal wetlands to Biscayne Bay instead of immediately and harmfully discharging it into the bay.
"What's important for everyone to understand is Everglades restoration doesn't just snap in 10 years, and we are all done, and then it starts to work," explained Col. James Booth, commander of the USACE-Jacksonville District. "Every single increment, every single project that we complete, has a major impact on the environment. We see the benefits as soon as that project is done, sometimes even while that project is being constructed, and [SFWMD] has a major impact on that."
Supporting the health of Biscayne Bay is SFWMD's top priority. In partnership with Miami-Dade County and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the regional water-safety agency also works to reduce litter and debris from reaching the bay through the regional canal system.
Added restoration efforts involving SFWMD are being planned within the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan in the Biscayne Bay and Southeastern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (BBSEER) Project, in partnership with the USACE.
The final part of the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands project began construction March 21 when Miami-Dade officials and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) broke ground on a pump station approved last September by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMC) to restore freshwater flows to the Cutler Wetlands. (Photo courtesy of South Florida Water Management District)
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