United States Government Accountability Office

GAO Testimony 

Before the Subcommittee on International 

Operations and Organizations, Democracy 

and Human Rights, Committee on Foreign 

Relations, U.S. Senate

SOUTH FLORIDA 

ECOSYSTEM 

Some Restoration Progress 

Has Been Made, but the 

Effort Faces Significant 

Delays, Implementation 

Challenges, and Rising 

Costs 

Statement of Anu K. Mittal, Director 

Natural Resources and Environment 

For Release on Delivery

Expected at 3:00 p.m. EDT

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

 

GAO-07-1250T 
What GAO Found

United States Government Accountability Office

Why GAO Did This Study

Highlights

Accountability Integrity Reliability

September 19, 2007

SOUTH FLORIDA ECOSYSTEM 

Some Restoration Progress Has Been Made, 

but the Effort Faces Significant Delays, 

Implementation Challenges, and Rising Costs 

Highlights of GAO-07-1250T, a testimony 

before the Subcommittee on International 

Operations and Organizations, Democracy 

and Human Rights, Committee on Foreign 

Relations, U.S. Senate 

The South Florida ecosystem 

covers about 18,000 square miles, 

and is home to the Everglades, one 

of the world’s unique 

environmental resources. Historic 

efforts to redirect the flow of water 

through the ecosystem have 

jeopardized its health and reduced 

the Everglades to about half of its

original size. In 1993, the United 

Nations Educational, Scientific, 

and Cultural Organization’s World

Heritage Committee (WHC) added 

Everglades National Park (Park) to

its List of World Heritage in Danger

sites. In 2000, a strategy to restore 

the ecosystem was set; the effort

was expected to take at least 40

years and cost $15.4 billion. It 

comprises 222 projects, including 

60 key projects known as the 

Comprehensive Everglades

Restoration Plan (CERP), to be

undertaken by a multiagency 

partnership. 

This testimony is based on GAO’s 

May 2007 report, South Florida 

Ecosystem: Restoration Is Moving 

Forward, but Is Facing 

Significant Delays, 

Implementation Challenges, and 

Rising Costs, and a review of WHC 

decision documents relating to the

Park’s listing. This statement 

addresses the (1) status of projects

implemented (2) status of projects

key to improving the health of the 

Park, (3) project sequencing

factors, and (4) funding provided 

for the effort and extent to which

costs have increased. 

What GAO Recommends

GAO is not making any new 

recommendations. 

Of the restoration effort’s 222 projects, 43 have been completed, 107 are being

implemented, and 72 are in design, in planning, or are not yet started. The 

completed and ongoing projects will provide improved water quality and 

water flow within the ecosystem and additional habitat for wildlife. According 

to restoration officials, significant progress has been made in acquiring land, 

constructing water quality projects, and restoring a natural water flow to the 

Kissimmee River—the headwater of the ecosystem. Many of the policies, 

strategies, and agreements required to guide the restoration in the future are 

also now in place. However, the 60 CERP projects, which are the most critical

to the restoration’s overall success, are among those that are currently being 

designed, planned, or have not yet started. Some of these projects are behind 

schedule by up to 6 years. Florida recently began expediting the design and 

construction of eight key projects, with the hope that they would immediately 

benefit the environment, enhance flood control, and increase water supply, 

thus providing further momentum to the restoration. 

In 2006, the WHC adopted several key benchmarks that if met would facilitate 

removal of the Everglades National Park from its List of World Heritage in 

Danger sites. As noted by WHC, achievement of these benchmarks was linked 

to the implementation of nine key restoration projects. However, only one of

these projects has been completed, four are currently being implemented and 

four are currently being designed. Moreover, the benefits of these projects 

will not be available for many years because most of the projects are 

scheduled for completion between 2011 and 2035. 

There are no overarching sequencing criteria that restoration officials use 

when making implementation decisions for all 222 projects that make up the 

restoration effort. Instead, decisions for 162 projects are driven largely by the 

availability of funds. There are regulatory criteria to ensure that the goals and 

purposes of the 60 CERP projects are achieved in a cost effective manner.

However, the 2005 sequencing plan developed for these projects is not 

consistent with the criteria because some of the data needed to fully apply 

these criteria were not available. Therefore, there is little assurance that the 

plan will be effective. GAO recommended that the agencies obtain the needed

data and then comprehensively reassess the sequencing of the CERP projects. 

From fiscal years 1999 through 2006, the federal government contributed $2.3

billion and Florida contributed $4.8 billion, for a total of about $7.1 billion for 

the restoration. However, federal funding was about $1.4 billion short of the 

funds originally projected for this period. In addition, the total estimated 

costs for the restoration have increased by 28 percent—from $15.4 billion in 

2000 to $19.7 billion in 2006 because of project scope changes, increased 

construction costs, and higher land costs. More importantly, these cost 

estimates do not represent the true costs for the overall restoration effort 

because they do not include all cost components for a number of projects. 

www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1250T.

To view the full product click on the link 

above. For more information, contact Anu K. 

Mittal at 202-512-3841 or mittala@gao.gov. 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: 

We are pleased to be here today to participate in your hearing on 

protecting the Everglades. As you know, restoring the South Florida 

ecosystem is a complex, long-term effort. This vast region, which is home 

to a rapidly growing population of more than 6 million people and 

supports a large agriculture-, tourism-, and recreation-based economy, also 

encompasses one of the world’s unique environmental resources—the 

Everglades. Recognizing the importance of the Everglades, in 1979, the 

World Heritage Committee (WHC) of the United Nations Educational,

Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included Everglades 

National Park (Park) on its list of world cultural and natural heritage sites 

of importance. However, over the past 100 years, engineering projects 

designed to control floods and supply water to the residents of South 

Florida have diverted water from the Everglades. This alteration of water 

flow, coupled with agricultural and industrial activities and urbanization, 

has jeopardized the ecosystem’s health and reduced the Everglades to 

about half of its original size. In light of the Everglades deteriorating 

condition, in 1993 the WHC added the Park to its List of World Heritage in

Danger sites. These sites are determined to be facing serious and specific

threats and require major conservation efforts. 

In 1996, through the Water Resources Development Act of 1996, the

Congress formalized the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, 

an effort established by federal agencies in 1993 to stem the deterioration 

of the ecosystem and restore the Everglades to a more natural state. The 

Task Force was expanded to include state, local, and tribal representatives 

and was charged with coordinating and facilitating efforts to restore the 

ecosystem. The restoration effort currently consists of 222 projects, which 

include 60 key projects that comprise the Comprehensive Everglades 

Restoration Plan (CERP), 28 projects that lay the foundation for the CERP 

projects (that we refer to as CERP-related projects); and 134 projects that 

are not directly related to CERP (that we refer to as non-CERP projects). 

According to WHC and Park documents, nine of the 222 projects are key 

to achieving a set of benchmarks adopted by the WHC in 2006 that, when

met, would lead to the removal of the Park from its list of sites in danger. 

Our testimony today focuses on the (1) status of restoration projects and

their expected benefits, (2) status of projects that are key to restoring the 

health of Everglades National Park, (3) factors that influence the 

Page 1 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

sequencing of project implementation, and (4) amount of funding provided 

to the restoration effort since 1999 and the extent to which costs have 

increased. Our testimony is based primarily on our May 2007 report 1

on the 

status of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Initiative. In addition,

at the request of the subcommittee, we reviewed publicly available WHC 

decision documents regarding Everglades National Park’s inclusion on the 

List of World Heritage in Danger. We conducted our work in accordance 

with generally accepted government auditing standards. 

In summary, we found the following:

• Forty-three of the 222 projects that constitute the South Florida 

ecosystem restoration effort have been completed, while the remaining 

projects are currently being implemented or are in design, being 

planned, or have not yet started. Many of the completed projects are 

intended primarily to improve water quality in natural areas or to 

acquire or improve tracts of land in order to preserve wildlife habitat.

The projects now being implemented also emphasize the restoration of 

wildlife habitat by acquiring or improving land, as well as the 

construction of key CERP-related projects that will improve water flow 

to natural areas. The projects not yet implemented are largely CERP 

projects that are crucial to realizing the restoration’s overall goals, but 

these projects are progressing slowly. Despite the slow progress, 

agency officials report a number of achievements, such as finalizing 

key CERP agreements and restoring a more natural water flow to the 

Kissimmee River which is the headwater of the ecosystem. In addition, 

because of the continuing delays in implementing critical CERP 

projects, the state has begun expediting the design and construction of 

some of these projects with its own resources. The state hopes that its 

efforts will provide some immediate environmental, flood control and 

water supply benefits and will help provide some impetus to the larger 

CERP effort.

• Most of the nine projects that were identified by the WHC as being 

critical to removing Everglades National Park from the list of world 

heritage sites in danger have not yet been completed. Specifically, only 

one project has been completed, four are currently being implemented, 

and four are currently in the planning and design phase. Moreover, the 

 1

South Florida Ecosystem Restoration: Restoration is Moving Forward, but Is Facing

Significant Delays, Implementation Challenges, and Rising Costs, GAO-07-520

(Washington, D.C.: May 31, 2007

Page 2 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

benefits from these projects may not be apparent for many more years. 

For example, five of the projects have scheduled completion dates 

from 2012 to 2035. 

• There are no overarching criteria to ensure that the 222 projects that 

make up the restoration effort are implemented in a sequence that 

would ensure the achievement of environmental benefits as early as 

possible and in the most cost effective manner. Instead, 

implementation decisions for the 162 CERP-related and non-CERP 

projects are largely driven by available funding. The 60 CERP 

projects—which are critical to successfully achieving the restoration—

have sequencing criteria; however, when the agencies developed their 

sequencing plan for CERP projects in 2005, they did not have key data 

and other information to fully apply these criteria. Recently, the 

agencies began revising the CERP project schedules and sequencing 

plan, but they still do not have the key information needed to fully 

apply the established criteria. As a result, there is little assurance that 

the revised sequencing plan, when it is final, will lead to a CERP 

project implementation plan that will provide restoration benefits as 

early as possible and in the most cost-effective manner. We 

recommended that the agencies obtain the information needed to fully 

apply the required criteria and then comprehensively reassess its 

sequencing decisions to ensure that the CERP projects have been 

appropriately sequenced. 

• Participating federal and state agencies provided a total of $7.1 billion 

for the restoration effort from fiscal years 1999 through 2006. During 

this period, the federal government contributed about $2.3 billion to the 

restoration effort and Florida contributed about $4.8 billion. However, 

the federal contribution to the effort has been about $1.4 billion less 

than agencies expected during this period. Because the state has 

contributed more than its share the overall shortfall for the restoration 

effort has been about $1.2 billion. At the same time, the total projected 

cost of the restoration effort has increased by 28 percent—from $15.4 

billion in 2000 to $19.7 billion in 2006. According to agency officials, the 

overall cost increases are due to project scope changes, increased 

construction costs, and higher land costs. Moreover, these cost 

estimates do not reflect the true cost of the restoration effort, which 

could be significantly higher because most CERP projects are still in 

the conceptual phase and their full cost is not yet known. 

The South Florida ecosystem covers about 18,000 square miles in 16 

counties. It extends from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes south of Orlando Background 

Page 3 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

to Lake Okeechobee, and continues south past the Florida Bay to the reefs 

southwest of the Florida Keys. The ecosystem is in jeopardy today because

of past efforts that diverted water from the Everglades to control flooding 

and to supply water for urban and agricultural development. The Central

and Southern Florida project, a large-scale water control project begun in

the late 1940s, constructed more than 1,700 miles of canals and levees and 

over 200 water control structures that drain an average of 1.7 billion 

gallons of water per day into the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. 

This construction resulted in insufficient water for the natural system and 

for the growing population, along with degraded water quality. Today, the 

Everglades has been reduced to half its original size and the ecosystem 

continues to deteriorate because of the alteration of the water flow, 

impacts of agricultural and industrial activities, and increasing 

urbanization. 

In response to growing signs of ecosystem deterioration, federal agencies 

established the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force in 1993 

to coordinate ongoing federal restoration activities. The Water Resources 

Development Act of 1996 formalized the Task Force and expanded its 

membership to include state, local, and tribal representatives, and charged 

it with coordinating and facilitating efforts to restore the ecosystem. The 

Task Force, which is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of the 

Interior, consists of 14 members representing 7 federal agencies, 2 

American Indian tribes, and 5 state or local governments.2

To accomplish the restoration, the Task Force established the following 

three goals:

• Get the water right. The purpose of this goal is to deliver the right 

amount of water, of the right quality, to the right places, at the right 

times. However, restoring a more natural water flow to the ecosystem 

while providing adequate water supplies and controlling floods will 

require efforts to expand the ecosystem’s freshwater supply and 

improve the delivery of water to natural areas. Natural areas of the 

ecosystem are made up of federal and state lands, and coastal waters, 

estuaries, bays, and islands. 

• Restore, preserve, and protect natural habitats and species. To restore 

lost and altered habitats and recover the endangered or threatened 

 2

Representatives from the state’s major industries, environmental groups, and other 

stakeholders provide comments to the Task Force through public meetings and forums. 

Page 4 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

species native to these habitats, the federal and state governments will 

have to acquire lands and reconnect natural habitats that have become 

disconnected through growth and development, and halt the spread of 

invasive species. 

• Foster compatibility of the built and natural systems. To achieve the 

long-term sustainability of the ecosystem, the restoration effort has the 

goal of maintaining the quality of life in urban areas while ensuring that 

(1) development practices limit habitat fragmentation and support 

conservation and (2) traditional industries, such as agriculture, fishing, 

and manufacturing, continue to be supported and do not damage the 

ecosystem. 

The centerpiece for achieving the goal to get the water right is the 

Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), approved by the 

Congress in the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (WRDA 2000). 

CERP is one of the most ambitious restoration efforts the federal 

government has ever undertaken. It currently encompasses 60 individual 

projects that will be designed and implemented over approximately 40 

years.3

 These projects are intended to increase the water available for the 

natural areas by capturing much of the water that is currently being 

diverted, storing the water in many different reservoirs and storage wells, 

and releasing it when it is needed. The cost of implementing CERP will be

shared equally between the federal government and the state of Florida 

and will be carried out primarily by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the 

Corps) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), 

which is the state authority that manages water resources for South 

Florida.4

 After the Corps and SFWMD complete the initial planning and 

design for individual CERP projects, they must submit the proposed 

projects to the Congress to obtain authorization and funding for 

construction. 

 3

The original number of individual projects in CERP was 68. In addition to these 68, CERP 

included 6 pilot projects and 3 proposed feasibility studies. Since CERP’s approval in 2000, 

the Corps and the South Florida Water Management District have reorganized the projects 

to group those that are logically connected into broader projects. For example, several 

projects around Lake Okeechobee have been combined into one project. At the time of our 

report, CERP consisted of 60 projects, but the total number of projects that make up CERP

may continue to change as implementation progresses and projects are added, combined, 

divided into multiple parts or phases, or deleted. 

4

Although SFWMD is CERP’s primary nonfederal sponsor, the Florida Department of

Environmental Protection as well as three county governments and two American Indian

tribes also serve as nonfederal sponsors for portions of the plan. 

Page 5 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

In addition to the CERP projects, another 162 projects are also part of the 

overall restoration effort. Twenty-eight of these projects, when completed,

will serve as the foundation for many of the CERP projects and are 

intended to restore a more natural water flow to Everglades National Park

and improve water quality in the ecosystem. Nearly all of these “CERPrelated” projects were already being designed or implemented by federal 

and state agencies, such as the Department of the Interior and SFWMD, in 

2000 when the Congress approved CERP. The remaining 134 projects 

include a variety of efforts that will, among other things, expand wildlife 

refuges, eradicate invasive species, and restore wildlife habitat, and are 

being implemented by a number of federal, state, and tribal agencies, such

as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Department of 

Environmental Protection (FDEP), and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. 

Because these projects were not authorized as part of CERP and do not 

serve as CERP’s foundation, we refer to them as “non-CERP” projects. 

Success in completing the restoration effort and achieving the expected 

benefits for the ecosystem as quickly as possible and in the most costeffective manner depends on the order, or sequencing, in which many of 

the 222 projects will be designed and completed. Appropriate sequencing 

is also important to ensure that interdependencies among restoration 

projects are not ignored. For example, projects that will construct water 

storage facilities and stormwater treatment areas need to be completed 

before undertaking projects that remove levees and restore a more natural 

water flow to the ecosystem. 

Recognizing the threats that Everglades National Park was facing, in 1993,

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHC) included the Park on its List 

of World Heritage in Danger. This list includes cultural or natural 

properties that are facing serious and specific threats such as those caused 

by large-scale public or private projects or rapid urbanization; the 

outbreak or the threat of an armed conflict; calamities and cataclysms; and 

changes in water levels, floods, and tidal waves. The Park’s inclusion on 

the list resulted from five specific threats: (1) urban encroachment; (2) 

agricultural fertilizer pollution; (3) mercury contamination of fish and 

wildlife; (4) lowered water levels due to flood control measures; and (5) 

damage from Hurricane Andrew, which struck the south Florida peninsula

in 1992 with winds exceeding 164 miles per hour. In 2006, WHC adopted a 

set of benchmarks that, when met, would lead to the Park’s removal from 

the list. According to Park and WHC documents, nine projects that are 

part of the overall restoration effort will contribute to the achievement of

these benchmarks. 

Page 6 GAO-07-1250T 
Forty-three of the 222 projects that constitute the South Florida ecosystem 

restoration effort have been completed, while the remaining projects are 

currently being implemented or are either in design, being planned, or 

have not yet started. Table 1 shows the status of the 222 restoration 

projects. 

Table 1: Status of the 222 Restoration Projects by Project Group 

Not yet implemented

Completed

In 

implementation Planning/design 

Not yet 

started Total

CERP 0 7 21 32 60

CERPrelated15 10 3 0 28

Non-CERP 28 90 2 14 134

Total 43 107 26 46 222

Although Many 

Restoration Projects 

Have Been Completed 

or Are Ongoing, Key 

Restoration Benefits 

Are Expected to 

Come From Projects 

Not Yet Implemented 

Source: GAO analysis of documents provided by Task Force and participating agencies. 

Completed Restoration Projects — Although 43 of the 222 projects have 

been completed since the beginning of the restoration effort, this total is 

far short of the 91 projects that the agencies reported would be completed

by 2006.5

 Nine projects were completed before 2000 when the strategy to

restore the ecosystem was set. These projects are expected to provide 

benefits primarily in the area of habitat acquisition and improvement. 

Thirty-four projects were completed between 2000 and 2006. The primary 

purposes of these projects range from the construction of stormwater 

treatment areas, to the acquisition or improvement of land for habitat, to 

the drafting of water supply plans. 

Ongoing Restoration Projects — Of the 107 projects currently being

implemented,6 7 are CERP projects, 10 are CERP-related projects, and 90 

are non-CERP projects. Five of the seven CERP projects are being built by 

the state in advance of the Corps’ completion of the necessary project 

implementation reports and submission of them to the Congress for 

authorization and appropriations. Nonetheless, some of the CERP projects 

 5

South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, Coordinating Success: Strategy for 

Restoration of the South Florida Ecosystem, Volume 2 (Miami, Fla.: July 31, 2000). 

6

Some projects have multiple components, and while the entire project cannot be counted

as completed, important components of it may be finished. Unless all components of the

project were complete, we counted these projects as being implemented. 

Page 7 GAO-07-1250T South Florida Ecosystem Restoration
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

currently in implementation are significantly behind schedule. For 

example, four of the seven CERP projects in implementation were 

originally scheduled for completion between November 2002 and 

September 2006, but instead will be completed up to 6 years behind their 

original schedule because it has taken the Corps longer than originally 

anticipated to design and obtain approval for these projects. Overall, 19 of 

the 107 projects currently being implemented have expected completion 

dates by 2010. Most of the remaining 88 projects are non-CERP habitat 

acquisition and improvement projects that have no firm end date because

the land will be acquired from willing sellers as it becomes available. 

Projects Not Yet Implemented — Of the 72 restoration projects not yet 

implemented—in design, in planning, or not yet started—53 are CERP 

projects that are expected to be completed over the next 30 years and will 

provide important benefits such as improved water flow, additional water 

for restoration as well as other water-related needs. In contrast, the other 

19 projects include 3 CERP-related and 16 non-CERP projects, which are 

expected to be completed by or before 2013. Consequently, the full 

environmental benefits for the South Florida ecosystem restoration that 

the CERP projects were intended to provide will not be realized for 

several decades. Several of the CERP projects in design, in planning, or 

not yet begun, were originally planned for completion between December 

2001 and December 2005, but instead will be completed from 2 to 6 years 

behind their original schedule. According to agency officials CERP project 

delays have occurred for the following reasons: 

• It took longer than expected to develop the appropriate policy, 

guidance, and regulations that WRDA 2000 requires for the CERP 

effort. 

• Some delays were caused by the need to modify the conceptual design 

of some projects to comply with the requirements of WRDA 2000’s 

savings clause. According to this clause, CERP projects cannot transfer 

or eliminate existing sources of water unless an alternate source of 

comparable quantity and quality is provided, and they cannot reduce 

existing levels of flood protection.7

 7

The sources of water and levels of flood protection that must be protected are those that 

were in existence on the date of WRDA 2000’s enactment—December 11, 2000. 

Page 8 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

• Progress was limited by the availability of less federal funding than 

expected and a lack of congressional authorization for some of the 

projects. 

• The extensive modeling that accompanies the design and 

implementation of each project in addition to the “cumbersome” 

project review process may have also contributed to delays, as well as 

stakeholder comment, dispute resolution, and consensus-building that 

occurs at each stage of a project. 

• Delays have occurred in completing the CERP-related Modified Water 

Deliveries to Everglades National Park (Mod Waters) project, which is 

a major building block for CERP. These delays, in turn, have delayed 

CERP implementation. 

Given the continuing delays in implementing critical CERP projects, the 

state has begun expediting the design and construction of some of these 

projects with its own resources. The state’s effort, known as Acceler8, 

includes most of the CERP projects that were among WRDA 2000’s 10 

initially authorized projects, whose costs were to be shared by the federal

government and the state. According to Florida officials, by advancing the 

design and construction of these projects with its own funds, the state 

hopes to more quickly realize restoration benefits for both the natural and 

human environments and to jump-start the overall CERP effort once the 

Congress begins to authorize individual projects. The Acceler8 projects 

include seven that are affiliated with CERP and an eighth that expands 

existing stormwater treatment areas. The state expects to spend more 

than $1.5 billion to design and construct these projects by 2011. 

Most of the restoration projects that would help Everglades National Park

achieve the WHC’s benchmarks for removing the Park from its list of 

world heritage sites in danger have not been completed. According to 

Park and WHC documents, nine restoration projects were key to meeting 

these benchmarks. Table 2 lists the nine projects, the type of project, 

implementation status, and expected completion date. 

Restoration Projects 

That Would Help 

Achieve the World 

Heritage Committee’s

Benchmarks Will Not 

Be Completed for 

Many Years 

Page 9 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

Table 2: Status of Nine Restoration Projects Key to Achieving the World Heritage Committee’s Benchmarks 

Project Type Purpose Stage Completion Date

Storm Water Treatment Areas 3/4 CERP-related Water Quality Completed 2005

East Everglades Addition to Everglades 

National Park 

Non-CERP Habitat Acquisition and 

Improvement 

Ongoing TBD

Everglades Agriculture Area Storm Water 

Treatment Areas Expansion 

CERP-related Water Quality Ongoing 2010

Modified Water Deliveries CERP-related Water Storage and Flow Ongoing 2011

C-111 (South Dade) CERP-related Water Storage and Flow Ongoing 2012

C-111 Spreader Canal CERP Water Quality Not Yet Implemented 2015a

Everglades National Park Seepage 

Management 

CERP Water Storage and Flow Not Yet Implemented 2015

Water Conservation Area 3 —DECOMP CERP Water Storage and Flow Not Yet Implemented 2020

Central Lake Belt Storage CERP Water Storage and Flow Not Yet Implemented 2035

Source: GAO analysis of agency provided data. 

a SFWMD is expediting the design and construction of this project with its own funds in advance of congressional authorization, which

may result in earlier completion. 

As table 2 shows, only one of the nine projects has been completed; four 

projects are ongoing and will not be completed until at least 2012; and 

four projects are still in planning and design and are not expected to be 

completed until some time between 2015 and 2035. 

In February 2007, the United States prepared a status report for the WHC 

on the progress made in achieving the benchmarks that the committee had 

established for the Park in 2006. Based on its review of this progress 

report, at a benchmarks meeting on April 2-3, 2007, the WHC’s draft 

decision was to retain Everglades National Park on the list of world 

heritage sites in danger; to recommend that the United States continue its 

commitment to the restoration and conservation of the Park and provide 

the required financial resources for the full implementation of the 

activities associated with CERP. WHC’s draft decision also requested that

the United States provide an updated report by February 1, 2008 on the 

progress made towards implementation of the corrective measures. 

However, at the WHC session held between June 23 and July 2, 2007, the 

WHC decided to remove the Park from the list of world heritage sites in 

danger and commended the United States for the progress made in 

implementing corrective measures. In its final decision, the WHC 

encouraged the United States to continue its commitment to the 

restoration and provide the required financial resources for the full 

implementation of the activities associated with CERP. It is unclear from 

Page 10 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

the WHC final decision document whether any additional or new 

information was provided to the committee that led to its final decision. 

No overall sequencing criteria guide the implementation of the 222 

projects that comprise the South Florida ecosystem restoration effort. For 

the 60 CERP projects there are clearly defined criteria to be considered in 

determining the scheduling and sequencing of projects. However, the

Corps has not fully applied these criteria when making CERP project 

sequencing decisions, because it lacked key data such as updated 

environmental benefits data and interim goals. As a result the Corps 

primarily relied on technical interdependencies and availability of funding 

as the criteria for making sequencing decisions.8

 The Corps has recently 

started to revisit priorities for CERP projects’ and alter project schedules

that were established in 2005 (this process is referred to as CERP-reset). 

However, because the Corps continues to lack certain key data for making

sequencing decisions, the revised plan, when completed, will also not fully 

adhere to the criteria. 

The Overall 

Restoration Effort 

Has No Sequencing 

Criteria and Criteria 

Established For CERP 

Projects Have Not 

Been Fully Applied 

Although CERP-related projects provide the foundation for many CERP 

projects, there are no established criteria for determining their 

implementation schedule and their estimated start and completion dates 

largely depend upon when and if the implementing agency will have 

sufficient funding to implement the project. For example, the construction 

of the Mod Waters project has been delayed several times since 1997 

because, among other things, Interior did not receive enough funding to 

complete the construction of this project. This project is expected to 

restore natural hydrologic conditions across 190,000 acres of habitat in 

Everglades National Park and assist in the recovery of threatened and

endangered plants and wildlife. The completion date for the Mod Waters 

Project has slipped again and it is now not expected to be completed until 

2011. Because completion of this project is critical to the implementation

of other CERP projects such as the Water Conservation Area 3 

Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement (Decomp) project—

a project that many agency officials consider key to restoring the natural 

system—these delays will have a ripple effect on the completion date of 

this project as well. 

 8

An agreement establishing interim goals was signed by the Departments of the Army and 

the Interior and the state of Florida in late April/early May 2007. 

Page 11 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

Similarly, for non-CERP projects, agencies reported that they do not have 

any sequencing criteria; instead, they decide on the scheduling and timing 

of these projects primarily if and when funding becomes available. For 

example, Florida has a land acquisition program to acquire lands for 

conservation and habitat preservation throughout the state, including for 

some non-CERP projects that are part of the South Florida ecosystem 

restoration effort. State officials have identified lands and added them to a 

list of priority projects proposed for acquisition throughout the state. 

However, whether or not these lands will be acquired for non-CERP 

projects depends on whether there is available funding in the annual 

budget, there are willing sellers, and the land is affordable based on the 

available funding. 

Because of the correct sequencing of CERP projects is essential to the 

overall success of the restoration effort, we recommended that the Corps 

obtain the data that it needs to ensure that all required sequencing criteria

are considered and then comprehensively reassess its sequencing 

decisions to ensure that CERP projects have been appropriately 

sequenced to maximize the achievement of restoration goals. The agency 

agreed with our recommendation. 

From fiscal year 1999 through fiscal year 2006, federal and state agencies 

participating in the restoration of the South Florida ecosystem provided 

$7.1 billion for the effort. Of this total, federal agencies provided $2.3 

billion and Florida provided $4.8 billion. Two agencies—the Corps and 

Interior—provided over 80 percent of the federal contribution. As figure 1 

shows, federal and state agencies allocated the largest portion of the $7.1

billion to non-CERP projects for fiscal years 1999 through 2006. 

Federal Agencies and 

Florida Have 

Provided More Than 

$7 Billion for 

Restoration Activities 

Since 1999, But 

Estimated Costs Have 

Increased and Are 

Likely to Rise 

Page 12 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

Figure 1: Federal and State Funding Provided for CERP, CERP-Related, and NonCERP Projects and Activities, Fiscal Years 1999-2006 

27%

33%

40%

Source: GAO's analysis of federal and state agencies restoration funding data.

$1.9 billion

CERP-Related

$2.3 billion

CERP

$2.8 billion

Non-CERP

Note: Amounts do not total to $7.1 billion due to rounding. The amounts are $1.93 billion for CERPrelated, $2.35 billion for CERP, and $2.80 billion for non-CERP. 

While federal agencies and Florida provided about $2.3 billion during fiscal 

years 1999 through 2006 for CERP projects, this amount was about $1.2 

billion less than they had estimated needing for these projects over this 

period. This was because the federal contribution was $1.4 billion less 

than expected. This shortfall occurred primarily because CERP projects 

did not receive the congressional authorization and appropriations that the 

agencies had expected. In contrast, Florida provided a total of $2 billion

over the period, exceeding its expected contribution to CERP by $250 

million, and therefore making up some of the federal funding shortfall. 

Additionally, between July 31, 2000, and June 30, 2006, the total estimated 

cost for the South Florida ecosystem restoration grew from $15.4 billion to

$19.7 billion, or by 28 percent. A significant part of this increase can be 

attributed to CERP projects; for these projects costs increased from $8.8 

billion to $10.1 billion. This increase represents nearly 31 percent of the 

increase in the total estimated cost for the restoration. Agency officials 

reported that costs have increased for the restoration effort primarily 

because of inflation, increased land and construction costs, and changes in 

the scope of work. Furthermore, the costs of restoring the South Florida 

ecosystem are likely to continue to increase for the following reasons: 

Page 13 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

• Estimated costs for some of the projects are not known or fully known 

because they are still in the design and planning stage. For example, 

the total costs for one project that we examined—the Site 1 

Impoundment project—grew by almost $36 million; from about $46 

million to about $81 million after the design phase was completed. If 

other CERP projects, for which initial planning and design have not yet 

been completed, also experience similar increases in project costs, 

then the estimated total costs of not only CERP but the overall 

restoration effort will grow significantly. 

• The full cost of acquiring land for the restoration effort is not known. 

Land costs for 56 non-CERP land projects, expected to total 862,796 

acres, have not yet been reported. According to state officials, Florida 

land prices are escalating rapidly, owing primarily to development 

pressures. Consequently, future project costs are likely to rise with 

higher land costs. Similarly, while land acquisition costs for CERP 

projects are included as part of the total estimated project costs, thus 

far, the state has acquired only 54 percent of the land needed for CERP 

projects, at a cost of $1.4 billion. An additional 178,000 acres have yet 

to be acquired; the cost of these purchases is not yet known and is 

therefore not fully reflected in the cost of CERP and overall restoration 

costs. 

• The cost of using new technologies for the restoration effort is

unknown. The Congress authorized pilot projects in 1999 and 2000 to 

determine the feasibility of applying certain new technologies for 

storing water, managing seepage, and reusing treated wastewater. 

While the pilot projects have been authorized, the cost to construct or 

implement projects based on the results of the pilot projects is not yet 

known. 

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, our review of the South Florida Ecosystem 

restoration effort shows that the some progress has been made in moving 

the restoration forward. However, the achievement of the overall goals of 

the restoration and ultimately improvements in the ecological condition of 

Everglades National Park depends on the effective implementation of key 

projects that have not progressed as quickly as was expected. Moreover, 

the shortfall in federal funding has contributed to some of these delays 

and at the same time the costs of the restoration continues to increase and 

we believe could rise significantly higher than the current estimate of 

almost $20 billion. In light of these concerns, we believe that restoring the 

South Florida Ecosystem and Everglades National Park, will continue to 

be a significant challenge for the foreseeable future. This concludes our 

Page 14 GAO-07-1250T 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration

prepared statement. We would be happy to respond to any questions you 

may have. 

If you have any questions about this statement, please contact Anu K. 

Mittal @ 202-512-3841 or mittala@gao.gov. Other contributors to this 

statement include Sherry McDonald (Assistant Director) and Kevin Bray.

Page 15 GAO-07-1250T 

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