United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2000-09-14 monographic deposited born digital 54 p. GA 1.13:RCED-00-235 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-235 P0b002ee180389681 f:rc00235 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-235 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-235 RCED-00-235 Environmental policies Federal aid to states Federal/state relations Strategic planning Water resources conservation Water pollution control South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Initiative Everglades National Park (FL) Army Corps of Engineers Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Lake Okeechobee (FL) South Florida Water Quality Protection Program Letter Report RCED

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Army Corps of Engineers' Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.<p/>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. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-235/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-235.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-235/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-235.pdf GAO/RCED-00-235 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-235 Letter Report GAO/RCED-00-235; Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan: Additional; Environmental policies Federal aid to states Federal/state relations Strategic planning Water resources conservation Water pollution control South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Initiative Everglades National Park (FL) Army Corps of Engineers Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Lake Okeechobee (FL) South Florida Water Quality Protection Program Title 33 Section 1251-1387 33 U.S.C. 1251-1387