Controlling Phosphorus in the Everglades
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Academic
Stormwater Treatment Areas in the Everglades Agricultural Area Designed to Remove Phosphorus from Urban and Agricultural Runoff
Stormwater treatment area in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) which is one of several designed to remove phosphorus from urban and agricultural runoff. These public works projects are the second point of cleanup for the water, while the farmers are the first point.
The2014 CTIC Conservation in Actiontour spent some time learning about these specially constructed wetlands areas from folks with the South Florida Water Management District on our first stop. Over the past 20 years, phosphorus concentrations in water heading for the Everglades have been reduced from 170 part per billion to less than 20.
SFWMD Water Resources Division Director Terrie Bates gives an overview of the STA system, how it works in conjunction with farmers' best management practices, and how really successful it has been.
SFWMD environmental scientist Delia Ivanhoff explains some of the details of how the STAs actually work to reduce phosphorus from runoff water. One of the points she made was that the STAs process the equivalent of 200 million swimming pools worth of water each year.