A fictionalized account of the event is told in the book Killing Mister Watson by Peter Matthiesson. Who doesn't love being #1? Representative N.J. Wicker, of Sumter County: " The Everglades is Florida's biggest asset. Early settlers and land developers considered the Everglades to be a worthless swamp. By 1910, approximately 50 people lived in Flamingo and Cape Sable. Communities  |  Progress  |  Why is it Important to Restore the Everglades? Little by little canals, roads, and buildings displaced native habitats. 4. De-Compartmentalizing the Everglades In order to save the Everglades we must “decompartmentalize” the system. 1909: A preliminary (and flawed) draft of the USDA's report on the feasibility of draining the Everglades, prepared by James Wright, was released to the Internal Improvement Fund. The state must drain these lands if every foot of state land has to be mortgaged or sold to do the job." Why is the Everglades important to American alligators and crocodiles? Here are some of the milestones that turned the historic Everglades into a giant water project in a 16-county taxing district. Constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers, and sponsored by the Central and Southern Flood Control District (later redesignated the South Florida Water Management District), the project purposes were to provide water and flood protection for urban and agricultural lands, a water supply for Everglades National Park, the preservation of fish and wildlife habitat, facilitate navigation and recreation, and the prevention of salt water intrusion. As Florida became part of the Union and also more settled, businessman and government officials looked to Florida's swamplands, the Everglades in particular, to drain for use as agricultural land, according to the University of Florida. What did the Corps of Engineers do to the Everglades during a 30 year period? Capable of killing a wide range of wildlife, they kill alligators, birds, deer and especially small mammals. 7. Everglades, subtropical saw-grass marsh region, a “river of grass” up to 50 miles (80 km) wide but generally less than 1 foot (0.3 metre) deep, covering more than 4,300 square miles (11,100 square km) of southern Florida, U.S. Parts of Everglades National Park have been so dry in past years that alligators have died from a lack of water. They wanted to develop cities and towns in the region C. They thought it would prevent flooding D. They wanted to use the water to fill water bottles. It was considered wasteland and so they started to drain the everglades and replaced the water for houses. Chokoloskee, near present-day Everglades City, was first settled in the 1870s, although it had been the home of Calusa Indians for centuries in pre-Columbian times. Neighboring Chokoloskee did not have a road until a causeway was built from the mainland in 1956. But starting in the 1880s, Americans determined to subdue Mother Nature started trying to drain the Everglades with canals, hoping to create a new paradise for agriculture and development. Today the lake supports sportfishing and has been called the “Bass Fishing Capital of the World.” After the fishing industry died, farming took its place. They were seen as having no utility to humans B. Scientists who took soil samples before draining did not take into account that the organic composition of peat and muck in the Everglades make it prone to soil subsidence when it becomes dry. They built dikes, canals, and pumping stations to drain the water even more. Each Everglades boat is built with patented features and quality craftsmanship you simply won’t find in other brands. Everglades - Everglades - Development of the Everglades: After the Seminole Wars, which occurred sporadically from 1817 to 1858, interest in the Everglades centred on exploiting its wildlife, especially the heron and egret for their feathers and the alligator for its hide. Census records from that year reveal that many of the African Americans living in Flamingo were born in the Bahamas and Jamaica. Site Map  |   The canals also supplied a new means of transportation. The Tamiami Trail cuts straight through the heart of the Everglades. When drained it will be the richest farming country in the United States. Why is the Everglades important to American alligators and crocodiles? 3. It also hosts huge numbers of smaller migratory birds. Name Date As far back as 1847, promoters of south Florida real estate proposed “reclaiming” the Everglades – making it usable, salable, and profitable – by dredging a few canals to drain off excess water. Links  |  7. Why have the wetlands suffered over the years? By the mid-1700s, the original Native American cultures encountered by European explorers were gone, their members killed, enslaved or dead from diseases to which they had no resistance. Be the first to answer! This involved the construction of an elaborate system of roads, canals, levees, and water-control structures stretching throughout South Florida. Land Boom & Bust  |  Timeline Florida, along with other states of the old Confederacy, was just about broke. Why is it Important to Restore the Everglades? The phrase drain the swamp was originally popularized to reference the literal removal of water from marshy areas. Many of these exotics are successful because they take advantage of unnatural alterations to the Everglades environment. Plant and Henry M. Flagler made the region more accessible and attractive to tourists. It … Native Americans  |  This abundance of "new" land stimulated the first of several south Florida land booms. Draining the Everglades. Naturally occurring bacteria in Everglades peat and muck assist with the process of decomposition under water, which is generally very slow, partially due to the low levels of dissolved oxygen . William Sherman Jennings was elected Governor of Florida on the promise to expand the role of state government help for the poor, to develop more schools, and to drain the Everglades as part of a land reform effort. 5. The Everglades is known for its many wading birds, such as white and glossy ibises, roseate spoonbills, egrets, herons, and wood storks. To ensure good ocean views, they removed mangroves from the shorelines and replaced them with palm trees. These places are—because of their nature of being on the fringe—full of all kinds of wildlife, and they’re actually very peaceful and serene places. In 1906, Gov. It is the most expensive and comprehensive environmental repair attempt in history. 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