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Currently there are approximately 258 miles of
canals in Water Conservation Area
2 and 3.
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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) data shows anglers spent and
estimated 1.1 million dollars fishing in just 26
miles of these canals during a six month period.
That's $41,000 per mile!
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The canals in Area 2 and 3 function as deep
water refuge for both game and non-game fish
under low water conditions.
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If these canals are filled in, come the first
drought condition, like ones we have experienced
in the past, there will be a massive fish kill.
That is fact.
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Data from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission show these areas have the highest
catch rates for largemouth bass in the state.
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We believe sheetflow can be restored by simply
removing the levees and retaining the canals. In
fact, the fill could be used to create islands
in these areas to support other wildlife.
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If you leave the canals and structures in place
but do not use them to move water, you can
sheetflow right over them. If you find that in
the future you need to move
water in an emergency (hurricane), at least with
the structures and canals in place you'll be
able to do that.
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Florida anglers have fished these canals for
decades; the canals have become a traditionally
established component of recreational enjoyment
of the Everglades.
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Canals in the WCA's support an important
recreational fishery. It is listed as one of the
top ten (10) in the state on the FWC web site.
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Not all canals are created equal. Plans call
for filling in approximately 240 miles of canals
in the WCA. What makes the canals in the WCA's
so important is that they are directly connected
to the marsh which benefits the fish population.
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Restoring sheetflow can be accomplished by
removing the levees and retaining the canals.
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Although canals are manmade, that does not make
them inherently detrimental to fish and
wildlife. During drought, canals offer a
deepwater refuge for aquatic animals and, in
turn, feeding areas for the birds and animals
that depend on them
for food. Alligators, ospreys, otters, turtles,
herons, egrets, and other animal life all depend
on these canals. Levees are the problem, not
the canals.
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The value that recreational anglers place on
these canals is also important. S.A.F.E.R.
believes that recreational and restoration goals
are NOT incompatible, and that both can be
achieved simultaneously. |
