FLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) — Excessive minerals affecting the waters of Florida Bay is bringing concern to fishermen and ecologists near the Everglades.
The Florida Bay is one of the most beautiful and pristine parts of our state and is just below the Everglades, along the Florida Keys. "This is one of the most beautiful habitats in the world to me," said fisherman Xavier Figueredo.
Figueredo knows this water like the back of his hand, and he’s seen the changes. "Oh, it is just a horrible situation," he said. "It’s a situation that could have probably been prevented."
Healthy sea grass that once grew in the bay is now dead. According to scientists, grass that feeds fish has been killed by huge amounts of salt in the water. "So up ahead, the dark colored water there, that is all sea grass," said ecologist Steve Davis with the Everglades Foundation.
The deflated growth has Davis worried. "My biggest concern is that we have nearly 50,000 acres of dead sea grass in Florida Bay," he said.
The Florida Bay needs fresh water to balance out the salt water that has done so much damage. The fresh water should naturally flow from Lake Okeechobee, but development and farming get in the way. The critically needed fresh water is pumped to the east and west instead of south. "The sea grass habitat is really what makes the Florida Keys the fishing capital of the world," Davis said.
Everglades restoration projects must happen soon or the damage will get much worse. "I have a lot of hope this is reversible," Figueredo said. "The cycle has started this particular time, but hopefully we can prevent it from happening again."
Real hope for the Florida Bay is still 10 to 20 years away. Scientists said they have the funding they need, but it will take political willpower to start sending the fresh water south.