Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan

The Corps of Engineers' Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan provides a framework for improving the quality, quantity, timing, and distribution of water in the South Florida ecosystem, including the Everglades. This report discusses the number and costs of projects that will ultimately be needed to address water quality in the ecosystem. Currently, there are too many uncertainties to provide such an estimate. As uncertainties related to implementing the plan's projects are resolved and more information is gathered about the extent of the ecosystem's water quality problems, it is likely that modifications and additions to the plan could increase its total cost over the Corps' current estimate of $7.8 billion. The Corps has acknowledged the level of uncertainty in the plan and has included a process for incorporating project modifications and additions in its future reports to Congress. It has not, however, included a means for reporting cumulative changes in projects and costs for the plan as a whole or progress in implementing the plan. GAO recommends that the Corps provide for such reporting. GAO summarized this report in testimony before Congress; see: Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan: Additional Water Quality Projects May Be Needed and Could Increase Costs by Barry T. Hill, Associate Director for Energy, Resources, and Science Issues, before the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. GAO/T-RCED-00-297, Sept. 20 (10 pages).

GAO noted that: (1) the Plan provides a conceptual framework for improving the quality, quantity, timing, and distribution of water in the South Florida ecosystem; (2) 24 of the Plan's 66 projects are intended, among other things, to improve the quality of water in the natural areas of the ecosystem--the remaining projects deal more with the water's quantity, timing, and distribution; (3) the water quality projects in the Plan are intended to supplement the efforts of the state, which has the primary responsibility for achieving water quality standards in Florida; (4) under the Water Resources Development Act of 1996, the Corps is allowed to include water quality projects in the Plan and equally share the costs with Florida if the projects are essential to restoring the Everglades; (5) there are too many uncertainties to estimate the number and costs of the Corps projects that will ultimately be needed to address water quality in the ecosystem; (6) as uncertainties related to implementing the Plan's projects are resolved and more information is gathered about the extent of the ecosystem's water quality problems, it is likely that modifications and additions to the Plan will be necessary and that these changes could increase the total cost of the Plan over the Corps' current estimate of $7.8 billion; (7) for example, the state is determining the level of pollutants that Lake Okeechobee can receive and what actions are needed to clean up the lake; (8) some of the actions being considered, such as dredging the lake to remove contaminated sediment, could cost over $1 billion; (9) because the lake is the source of much of the water in the ecosystem, the Corps could become involved in the effort if it determines that the lake's cleanup is essential to the ecosystem's restoration; (10) other efforts, such as the completion of feasibility studies for areas in the ecosystem not covered by the Plan, could also lead to additional water quality projects; (11) the Corps has acknowledged the level of uncertainty in the Plan and has included a process for incorporating project modifications and additions in its future reports to Congress; (12) it has not, however, included a means for reporting: (a) cumulative changes in projects and costs for the Plan as a whole; and (b) the progress being made in implementing the Plan; and (13) such information will be important for Congress in authorizing future projects.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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