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16 Agricultural Research/August 2003

n 1947, writer and conservationistMarjory Stoneman Douglas calledattention to the dangers facingFlorida’s Everglades in a bookcalled “The Everglades: River of

Grass.” At that time, many consideredthis unique natural ecosystem to be a vastswamp of limited value. Now, more thanhalf a century later, the EvergladesNational Park and adjacent lands areundergoing a Comprehensive EvergladesRestoration Plan (CERP).

But how will the plan affect the morethan 23,000 people directly involved inSouth Florida agriculture?

“Farmers in the area have taken a keyrole in promoting the need for scientificinvestigation into the possible impact ofthe CERP on the sustainability ofagriculture in South Florida,” says M.Reza Savabi, a hydrologist with the ARSSubtropical Horticulture ResearchStation in Miami, Florida.

With federal and state governmentsupport, CERP is in its third year. TheSouth Florida Water ManagementDistrict and U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers play major roles in the effort.Savabi collaborates with both of theseagencies, as well as the University ofFlorida, Florida International Universi-ty, University of Miami, Florida A&MUniversity-Tallahassee, U.S. GeologicalSurvey, and the South Dade Soil andWater Conservation District. Theseorganizations provide agro-hydrologydata. Savabi and colleagues at the Miamilab provide the knowledge and tech-nology needed to improve water man-agement on agricultural areas whilemaintaining environmental quality inSouth Florida.

Savabi first got involved with theEverglades restoration project 5 yearsago, after local farmers sought help fromARS to address potential water and crop-production issues related to the project.Savabi joined the Miami station andestablished the ARS Everglades Agro-Hydrology Project in 1998.

Everglades Restoration

Agriculture Affected by South Florida Program?

Hydrologist Reza Savabi (right) andhydrologic technician Nicholas Cockshuttmonitor soil moisture fluctuations near theEverglades National Park. Thisinvestigation is part of improving watermanagement on agricultural areas.

Aerial view of the “River of Grass” in theEverglades, South Florida.

In South Florida, Savabi and hiscolleagues monitor soil water balance,climate, and the quality and movementof water in the Biscayne aquifer,checking instrumentation several timesa week. In cooperation with the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers and localfarming groups, he prepares GeographicInformation Systems land-use maps;conducts research on soil water intakeand on improving soil quality by use ofsoil amendments; and works on a modelto predict the amount of water in the soil,quality of water, evaporation, and whereand when flooding and damage to cropsor trees might occur.

The model under development, calledthe Everglades Agro-Hydrology Model,simulates water balance, agrochemicalmovements, soil tillage, irrigation, andcrop growth. It’s aimed at helping farm-ers weigh alternative management orcropping systems to cope with the hy-drologic changes that may result from theEverglades restoration plan.

Savabi has received help with thisvery detailed model from other hydrolo-gists and modelers, including scientistsfrom West Lafayette, Indiana; Temple,Texas; and Tifton, Georgia.

The model is beginning to be testedin Miami-Dade County, where farmersprovide information about yields andwhen they plant, fertilize, and performother agronomic tasks. Once calibrated,the model will be used on South Floridafarms. Savabi hopes to expand its usethroughout Florida, U.S. southeasterncoastal agricultural areas, and abroad.—By Alfredo Flores, ARS.

This research is part of Water Quali-ty and Management, an ARS NationalProgram (#201) described on the WorldWide Web at www.nps.ars.usda.gov.

M. Reza Savabi is with the USDA-ARSSubtropical Horticulture Research Sta-tion, 13601 Old Cutler Rd., Miami, FL33158; phone (305) 254-3633, fax (305)969-6416, e-mail rsavabi@saa.ars.usda.gov. ★

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK (K10605-2)

KEN KONOMI (K10605-1)

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