Non-CERP/ Foundation Projects

The planning process for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) assumed that a set of previously authorized projects would be complete and thus serve as a foundation for CERP implementation. The Foundation Projects and other non-CERP projects described below support and complement CERP by also providing needed improvements to the quantity, quality, timing, and delivery (QQTD) of water in the South Florida Ecosystem.

More information may be found within the Non-Cerp and Foundation Project section of the Task Force's Biennial Report.

C-111 South Dade

This Foundation Project is intended to restore the wetland sloughs and prairies along the eastern boundary of Everglades National Park and improve hydrologic conditions in Taylor Slough and other adjoining areas of the park. The project sends more fresh water through Taylor Slough towards Florida Bay, thus improving portions of the bay’s health by reducing nearshore salinity. At the same time, project features maintain flood protection for development and agricultural interests located east of the project.

Kissimmee River Restoration

This restoration project will return this river north of Lake Okeechobee to a more natural flow after having been channelized in the 1960s. The project involves restoring one-third of the Kissimmee River and its floodplain through backfilling 22 miles of canal, reestablishing flow to 40 miles of river channel, and rehydrating 25,000 acres of river floodplain.

Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park

The purpose of this Foundation Project is to improve natural water flows to Shark River Slough and Everglades National Park to help restore ecological functions, while providing flood mitigation and protection. The project consists of four major components: 1) flood mitigation for the residential 8.5 Square Mile Area; 2) conveyance and seepage control features to reconnect freshwater flows and control seepage out of the park; 3) modifications to Tamiami Trail, including construction of a 1-mile bridge, to allow increased freshwater flows south into the park; and 4) project implementation support that focuses on monitoring and operations.

Seminole Big Cypress

The Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation Water Conservation Plan (Seminole Big Cypress) was one of a suite of “critical projects” authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 1996. Critical projects were defined as those outside of the Central and Southern Florida (C&SF) Project, with a local sponsor, that could provide immediate, independent, and substantial restoration benefits. The Seminole Big Cypress project involves rehydrating wetlands, improving water quality, and enhancing water storage on the Seminole Tribe’s Big Cypress Basin Reservation and the Big Cypress National Preserve in the western Everglades.

Tamiami Trail Next Steps Phase 2

In 2012, the U.S. Congress approved the Tamiami Trail Next Steps project, which included up to 5.5-miles of additional bridging and reconstruction/raising of the remaining eastern roadway to support the higher water levels and flows envisioned in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Phase 1, completed in May 2019, constructed two bridges totaling approximately 2.8 miles, as well as limited roadway reconstruction, via a federal/state partnership. Phase 2 will reconstruct the remaining 6.5 miles of roadway (raising the roadway by approximately 3 feet) and add six smaller bridges to improve flow distributions by targeting historic slough crossings. The Phase 2 plan will allow for unconstrained flows under eastern Tamiami Trail into Northeast Shark River Slough, with the Combined Operational Plan (COP) implementation.