Human Impacts

Human activities have seriously altered the state of the Everglades. As the population in the southern portion of Florida has grown, so has the demand for fresh water. Consequently, this water is pumped from the surface of the Everglades, which eliminates the flow of nutrient rich runoffs to many portions of the area. Thousands of acres of swampland have been used for residential and agricultural use, continually reducing water flow.

            Along with the need for fresh water, humans are building residential areas throughout the Everglades. If the current trend continues, the Everglades will no longer exist. As more residential areas continue to pop up, pollution of the water increases as runoff from farms and urban areas flows into the Everglades. Due to this the drainage patterns throughout the area have been altered, wildlife has been destroyed, and          

systems have been affected. 

                           http://wastedenergy.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/everglades_sprawl.jpgnatural filtration

 As you can see from this graph, surface water depths are decreasing.