Fires in the Everglades Remind us that Restoration Is the Path to Resilience
- Begoñe Cazalis
- May 14
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
May 14, 2025
As wildfires sweep across parched portions of the Everglades, we are reminded of a fundamental truth: Everglades restoration is not just about protecting nature — it’s about protecting our communities and our economy.
On May 8, recent fires, fueled by an unrelenting drought, forced the closure of Card Sound Road and U.S. 1 — two of the roads connecting mainland South Florida to the Florida Keys. Tourists and residents were affected, and communities were reminded that our connection to the environment is not abstract. It’s real and often measured in dollars and disruption.
As of early May, more than 84 percent of the state was experiencing some form of drought. More alarmingly, over a quarter of Florida is now facing extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Since the start of the year, over 1,600 wildfires have scorched nearly 75,000 acres across the state, according to data from the Florida Forest Service.
In the Everglades, wildfires are a natural part of the ecosystem during the dry season. But their intensity and frequency this season can be connected to the lack of freshwater flowing south. The freshwater flow that once kept the southern Everglades hydrated — particularly from Lake Okeechobee — has been severely restricted for decades.
A Path Forward Through Restoration
Fortunately, solutions are within reach. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) — the largest ecosystem restoration project in the world — is actively working to reestablish freshwater flows through a suite of infrastructure projects designed to move, store, and clean water. Signed into law in 2000, CERP’s 68 components are helping to modernize Florida’s aging water infrastructure and build resilience to drought, wildfire, sea level rise, and climate change.
One of the efforts currently being planned is the Biscayne Bay and Southeastern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (BBSEER) project, which targets the very region recently impacted by fires in southern Miami-Dade County. BBSEER will hydrate parched wetlands spanning Card Sound Road and US-1 near Everglades National Park and Key Largo, improving seagrass and mangrove habitats and reducing the risk of severe wildfires.
The Everglades Foundation's Science Team has been evaluating and providing technical input on this project for the past five years, and they recently secured a major win. The tentatively selected BBSEER plan will now include complete backfill of the lower C-111 canal from just south of the entrance of Everglades National Park eastward to US-1. This critical action is necessary to restore freshwater flows into Florida Bay, and a new “spreader” feature will take C-111 water that is currently dumped out the S-197 into Manatee Bay and instead distribute it in more natural manner through marshes and mangroves in southern Miami-Dade.
A Race Against Time
While recent rain and evidence of the wet season beginning offers some relief from additional severe wildfire, droughts in South Florida are no longer rare events. As our climate grows hotter and drier, restoration is our best defense — helping us not only store and clean water, but move it where and when it's needed most, including during dry spells like the one we’re currently experiencing.
Without the ability to control and send water south — to hydrate wetlands, protect estuaries, and reduce severe fire risk — we leave our communities vulnerable. Everglades restoration is how we build a more resilient South Florida. It’s not just an environmental imperative. It’s an economic one, too.
Listen to our Chief Science Officer, Dr. Steve Davis, discuss the latest fires and the importance of Everglades restoration on Keys Talk Radio:
Watch Dr. Davis' video interview with NBC 6 about the March 2025 Everglades fires:
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