Everglades restoration efforts are entering a critical moment, with growing emphasis on smarter science, transparency, and balanced solutions. State and federal agencies are facing increased calls to protect wildlife and communities while restoring natural water flow—signaling a shift toward approaches that heal the Everglades without causing new harm.
Guided by the families who have lived, worked, and protected this land for nearly a century.
Long before modern maps, models, or restoration plans existed, this land quietly followed its own natural rhythm. Historical surveys from the late 1800s and early to mid-1900s tell a consistent and powerful story—one that has been overlooked in today’s planning process.
These surveys show that the West Everglades region was never a major river of flowing water. Instead, it functioned as an isolated rain basin, slowly filling during the wet season and gradually releasing water over time. The land absorbed rainfall naturally, supporting cypress swamps, upland islands, and the wildlife that depends on them. This balance existed for generations without the need for artificial intervention.
When water did move across the landscape, it came from the north and northeast, following subtle natural sloughs and lowlands toward the Reservation. Those historic flow paths were altered and ultimately cut off decades ago by large-scale infrastructure—government-built canals, levees, and fences designed for flood control and development, not restoration.
What’s critical to understand is this: the land didn’t change its nature. The infrastructure around it did. Treating this basin as a lost “natural flowway” ignores its documented history and risks forcing water where it never belonged. True restoration begins by listening to the land itself—and the historical record shows it has always known exactly how to hold water, not channel it.
The West Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) is a large government-led effort designed to restore water flow in the western Everglades and improve the health of the ecosystem. The project focuses on changing how water moves through canals, wetlands, and natural areas so it more closely resembles historic conditions.
In theory, WERP is meant to help the Everglades. In practice, the currently proposed plan would redirect large volumes of water into areas that were never meant to hold it—putting private homes, ancient forests, and critical wildlife habitat at risk of flooding. WERP affects thousands of acres, multiple communities, and some of the most important remaining panther habitat in Florida.
We believe restoration should be guided by science, history, and local knowledge—so the Everglades can be restored without sacrificing the land, wildlife, and families that still depend on it today.
As a plan the state is already embracing, the South Florida Water Management District has recognized the landowners’ concerns and is working on a plan that mirrors their alternative. That alone shows the strength and credibility behind this community-driven solution.
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By keeping the Wingate Mill and Lard Can canals in place, panther habitat stays dry and safe, homes and ranches avoid catastrophic flooding and drainage rights remain intact.
Closing gates under Kissimmee Billy Road would create a man-made disaster zone. Removing this risky design keeps families, wildlife, and ancient ecosystems safe.
Instead of forcing water into the pristine Kissimmee Billy Strand, the alternative directs water into the West Feeder Canal, which historically carried flow toward the Tribe’s Native Area.
By only backfilling the L-28 Interceptor south of I-75, the plan eliminates the dangerous “bathtub effect” that would push water into homes and communities.
With improved water treatment upstream—through step-down weirs and phosphorus removal systems—the quality of water entering the Native Area becomes safer and more natural.
Our supporters include families, conservationists, scientists, and community members who believe Everglades restoration should protect wildlife, respect local knowledge, and do no harm to the land or the people who depend on it.
Federal and state surveys document the West Everglades as an isolated rain basin, with seasonal wetness and limited natural flow. Water movement into the Reservation is shown coming primarily from the north and northeast.
The Kissimmee Billy Pond and surrounding strand are mapped nearly identical to how they appear today—confirming the area never carried large volumes of flowing water.
Local families, including the Shoults family, purchase and begin managing large portions of the land, developing decades of firsthand knowledge about water levels, wildlife, and vegetation.
Kissimmee Billy Road (KBR) is constructed with equalizer culverts to allow natural water movement—years before major drainage canals exist.
The West Feeder Canal, Wingate Mill Canal, and Lard Can Canal are completed. These structures permanently alter regional hydrology and block historic northern flow paths.
FWC mapping identifies key panther travel and breeding corridors running directly through what would later become the WERP footprint.
USACE identifies private lands for potential acquisition and flooding, but landowners are not notified.
Private landowners learn their properties are targeted under the federally preferred WERP plan (ALT HNFR). Unified opposition begins.
After landowner intervention, modeling shows that proposed culvert closures could flood up to 30,000 acres of land and wildlife habitat.
Florida panther kittens are documented on private land within the WERP footprint—highlighting the ecological importance of the area.
Landowners design and present a science-based alternative that:
Protects existing canals
Prevents catastrophic flooding
Respects Tribal needs
Restores water along historic flow paths
The South Florida Water Management District begins working on an alternative closely aligned with this approach.
The future of WERP remains undecided. The choice now is clear: continue down a flawed path—or embrace a smarter, fairer restoration plan that protects the Everglades and the people and wildlife who call it home.
Everglades restoration efforts are entering a critical moment, with growing emphasis on smarter science, transparency, and balanced solutions. State and federal agencies are facing increased calls to protect wildlife and communities while restoring natural water flow—signaling a shift toward approaches that heal the Everglades without causing new harm.
The future of the Everglades is being decided right now—and your voice matters. Join the families, conservation advocates, and community members standing up for a smarter, more balanced path forward. Sign up to receive updates, learn how you can help, and be part of the movement to restore the Everglades without sacrificing the land, wildlife, and communities that depend on it.
We are local families and conservation advocates working to protect the Forgotten Everglades through restoration that respects the land, wildlife, and generations of stewardship.
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