National Parks Traveler

A series of culverts has helped open up water flow through Taylor Slough in Everglades National Park/SFWMD

Op-Ed | More Water Flows Through Taylor Slough Into Florida Bay 

By Kelly Cox, Director of Everglades Policy, Audubon Florida

Editor's note: This is an article in a partnership series by Audubon Florida, connecting National Parks Traveler readers with avian stories from the Sunshine state's national park sites.

Florida’s national parks are a critical component of the statewide effort to restore the Everglades after draining and ditching nearly destroyed this ecosystem in the 20th century. In May, Audubon Florida staff celebrated the ribbon cutting for the Taylor Slough Improvement Project just four months after standing in the same spot with shovels to kickstart the initiative’s groundbreaking. To see a step forward in Everglades restoration go from start to finish in record time is a testament to the collaboration among many partners. Located within Everglades National Park, the improvement project was completed so quickly thanks to both efforts from both the South Florida Water Management District team and the Army Corps of Engineers. 

The Taylor Slough initiative will improve freshwater flows to Florida Bay. Located on the east side of the southern Everglades, Taylor Slough is one of two major freshwater sloughs in Everglades National Park. Due to both the infrastructure of the Central and Southern Florida System and the construction of Old Ingraham Highway, the latter of which inadvertently acted as a dam, water flow to Taylor Slough was cut off significantly. The project restores water connectivity through the installation of 18 culverts in nine different locations along Ingraham Highway as well as plugging several canals that had diverted water from the Slough. These steps will redirect fresh water to its rightful path while also restoring natural plant communities in the area. 

At Audubon, we have been studying the health of the Everglades and its iconic bird species — and Taylor Slough in particular — for almost 100 years. Jerry Lorenz, PhD, State Research Director, has been the scientific force behind this work for more than three decades. Because of our longstanding history here on Florida Bay, we know that this additional connectivity into Taylor Slough from this project will reduce damaging water salinity spikes in this area and support habitat and wildlife. We look forward to continuing to monitor Taylor Slough and sharing the results of this project as the benefits are realized. 

Everglades restoration may be the most important resilience investment we can make in South Florida. Whether for flood control, water supply, or water quality protection for Florida and Biscayne bays, we need Everglades restoration to help South Florida's human and wildlife inhabitants adjust to our changing climate. This is also why the ongoing monitoring science that Audubon does in Florida Bay is so very critical – Everglades restoration projects aren't static, they are operated within parameters – gates are opened and closed, water is maintained at certain levels in certain seasons, all of which provides flexibility to adjust based on the needs prescribed by science.

Audubon applauds these positive steps forward in improving Everglades health, showcasing the efficient work that many of our partners and collaborators are capable of to achieve shared goals. Everglades National Park is a treasure and should be protected and restored for wildlife as well as for future generations of visitors.