There was a news event earlier this week that seemed to sail under the radar, but it's something to keep an eye on. A large coalition of groups has come together to lobby for the waters that flow through Everglades National Park, the parks and lakeshores that dot the Great Lakes and touch the Chesapeake Bay, as well as many other watery ecosystems across the country.

It'll be a short ceremony, but when officials gather December 4 to mark the groundbreaking of the Tamiami Trail Bridge, they'll set in motion a construction project that should carry significant benefits for Everglades National Park.

Friends of the Everglades, a National Park Service partner of 40 years standing, is going through some tough times. Plagued by declining membership and budget shortfalls, the iconic NGO must now regroup and rebuild.

In a move that might not go over well with motorboaters, officials at Everglades National Park are thinking of creating a "pole and troll" boating zone in Florida Bay to protect seagrass and marine-life. However, such a zone could prove popular with paddlers, wildlife viewers, and some anglers.