Water managers revitalize treatment wetlands critical to Everglades restoration

During a three-day airlift, the South Florida Water Management District this week began transplanting 23 tons of water-loving plants to revitalize Florida's stormwater treatment areas (STAs). The constructed treatment wetlands use 'green technology' to absorb harmful nutrients and improve the quality of water flowing into America's Everglades. The large-scale transplanting is revitalizing specific areas within the 6,700-acre STA 1-west, the 9,000-acre STA 2 and STA 3/4, which at nearly 17,000...

Aug. 1, 2007

2 min read

• Helicopter airdrops refresh constructed wetlands with plant life

July 31, 2007 -- During a three-day airlift, the South Florida Water Management District this week began transplanting 23 tons of water-loving plants to revitalize Florida's stormwater treatment areas (STAs). The constructed treatment wetlands use 'green technology' to absorb harmful nutrients and improve the quality of water flowing into America's Everglades.

The large-scale transplanting is revitalizing specific areas within the 6,700-acre STA 1-west, the 9,000-acre STA 2 and STA 3/4, which at nearly 17,000 acres is the largest constructed wetland in the world. As part of the $30,000 operation, water managers are harvesting healthy batches of Southern Naiad, commonly referred to as pondweed, from within the STAs and moving the plants to areas where old plant life has died, or construction and maintenance work was recently finished.

After the pondweed is harvested, it is loaded into a large cargo net and carried by helicopter to a drop spot targeted with global positioning system technology. Hovering at about 500 feet, the helicopter pilot releases the load into very shallow waters. Known as submerged aquatic vegetation because it grows at or below the water's surface, pondweed quickly re-establishes itself and begins removing phosphorus from water flowing into the treatment areas.

District scientists and engineers work constantly to maintain the appropriate balance of plant life in the STAs, so the systems can continue removing excess nutrients from water found in stormwater runoff. These nutrients, including phosphorus, flow from farms, lawns, roadways and other developed areas. STAs help remove these nutrients by channeling water through a system of treatment cells filled with wetland vegetation.

As part of its intensive schedule to improve water quality in the Everglades, the State of Florida is operating more than 41,000 acres of constructed wetlands. Last year, the STAs combined treated nearly 1.5 million acre-feet of water and prevented 176 metric tons of phosphorus from reaching the Everglades.

Stormwater treatment areas have also become prime locations for native wildlife. Their vast, shallow waters and rich plant life attract a wide variety of birds and fish, as well as alligators, wild hogs and deer. For more information on Everglades restoration, visit www.evergladesnow.org.

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