One-half of the original Everglades have been lost to urban and agricultural development, and the remaining ecosystem has been separated, or compartmentalized, by 1400 miles of canals and levees. The Everglades are dying at a rate of 3 to 5 acres per day. There has been a 90 percent decline in wading bird populations and 68 species are currently threatened or endangered. The current water management system is pumping so much freshwater to tide that it has essentially become a pollutant, devastating South Florida's inshore fisheries. Abnormal water levels caused by the CSFP lead to saltwater intrusion, threatening the supply of potable water.
Water flowing in from nearby farms and developments is polluted with fertilizers.
More than a dozen species are endangered, including the Florida panther, the American crocodile, wood stork, and snail kite.