What Do Floridians Really Know About the Threats Facing the Everglades?

A new peer-reviewed study finds that environmental knowledge plays a key role in how people perceive water-related threats to the Everglades. 

June 12, 2026

A new peer-reviewed study surveyed 1,437 Florida residents and found something that matters for the future of the Everglades: the more people understand about environmental science, the more likely they are to perceive water diversion and poor water quality as serious threats to the ecosystem. 

The study, authored by Everglades Foundation Chief Economist Paul Hindsley, PhD, and published in Environmental Management, asked participants to evaluate specific threats to the Everglades — including water diversion and polluted water — and to complete a 16-question environmental knowledge test. The results reveal a clear pattern: higher environmental knowledge is strongly associated with greater perceived impact from water-related threats. 

Why This Matters 

People make decisions based on the risks they see. If you don't think your neighborhood floods, you probably won't buy flood insurance. If you don't realize the Everglades is under threat, you're less likely to support the investments needed to protect it. 

That dynamic is especially important in South Florida, where the Everglades isn't just a famous landscape — it's the backbone of the region's water system. Over the past century, canals, levees, and development have reshaped how water moves across the region, altering its quality, timing, volume, and flow. Large-scale drainage projects have diverted roughly half of the Everglades' historic water flow. Those changes ripple outward, affecting wetlands, wildlife, coastal estuaries, recreation, fishing, and the long-term water management investments communities depend on. 

What the Research Found 

The study measured perceived impact on a scale, asking respondents how much they believe specific threats are harming the Everglades. A key finding: as environmental knowledge increases, so does the perceived impact of water diversion and poor water quality on the health of the Everglades ecosystem. People who understand more about how ecosystems work are more attuned to the practical water threats that Everglades restoration is designed to address. That's a hopeful insight: when it comes to the core water challenges facing the Everglades, science-based knowledge can move the needle. 

The Connection to Restoration 

This finding connects directly to the strategy behind Everglades restoration. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is a multi-decade effort built around practical water goals: improving water quantity, quality, timing, and distribution, often summarized as "getting the water right." 

When public understanding aligns with these water fundamentals, restoration becomes easier to support for the right reasons. Not because of slogans, but because of shared, practical expectations: cleaner water, healthier estuaries, more reliable water management, and a stronger foundation for the region's economy and quality of life. 

Why This Is Good News 

While major infrastructure projects take years to plan and build, public understanding can grow much faster, especially when education focuses on the basics of water. 

Here's what "water literacy" looks like in practice: 

• Water quality is more than "clean vs. dirty." Nutrients and contaminants can shift which plants dominate, affecting wildlife habitat and how the whole system functions. If nutrient-laden water favors one type of vegetation over another, the Everglades can change in ways that are difficult and costly to reverse. 

• Water quantity and timing are more than "more vs. less." The Everglades depends on seasonal patterns and the slow, wide movement of water across the landscape. When water arrives at the wrong time or gets routed away from where it's needed, ecosystems and downstream waters suffer. 

• Connection matters. What happens upstream influences downstream areas, including estuaries and Florida Bay. 

  
  

This is where education becomes a force multiplier for restoration. Programs that build environmental and water knowledge — including The Everglades Foundation's education initiatives — help students, community leaders, and residents connect restoration actions to real-world outcomes. Strong science also keeps restoration accountable: monitoring water quality, tracking flows, and measuring ecological responses so managers can learn and adapt over time. The study also highlights the value of independent scientific assessment, including the National Academies' biennial reviews of Everglades restoration progress. 

The Bottom Line 

Everglades restoration is fundamentally a water project that is designed, built, and evaluated based on water quantity and quality. This research adds a clear, practical lesson: the more people understand environmental science, the more likely they are to perceive the water threats restoration is meant to address. 

And that matters in everyday terms. Improving water literacy strengthens the foundation for long-term decisions about drinking water reliability, flood risk, fisheries, recreation, and the investments needed to manage a complex water system in a growing state. Getting the water right takes engineering and investment. Sustaining it over decades takes something quieter but just as important: a public that understands the water story. 

Want to learn more?

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