Florida
Everglades restoration would protect Florida Keys while scientists watch drought conditions
ISLAMORADA, Fla. — The Everglades is more than just swamps, fan boats and alligators and restoration efforts impact more than the land between Florida’s east and west coasts.
Florida Bay, a body of water located between the southern end of mainland Florida and the Florida Keys, makes up about a third of Everglades National Park.
High salt levels during dry periods can have fatal consequences for the plants and animals living in the region, though experts are hopeful an early rain season this year will prevent a massive sea grass die-off like those experienced in the past.
Estuary of the Everglades
Steve Davis, chief science officer with The Everglades Foundation, called Florida Bay the estuary of the Everglades, which is actually a giant, slow-moving river starting around Orlando and running toward the southern end of the Florida peninsula.
“What that meant for Florida Bay was that during wet years, there’s enough water getting into the bay to keep the salinities within that optimal salinity range,” Davis said. “But when we run into an average-to-dry year or a drought year, it meant that salinity levels in the bay would get so high that it could be detrimental to the health of the seagrasses and the other species that depend on that habitat.”
Florida Bay doesn’t have particularly strong tides, meaning water can sit in the bay for up to a year. When evaporating seawater isn’t replaced by water from the Everglades, bay salinity levels can double normal ocean salinity, Davis explained.
“And that’s when we really run into some problems with the health of the habitats down here in the bay,” he said.
Everglades Foundation chief economist Paul Hindsley, hands outstretched, speaks with journalists during a media visit to Florida Bay organized by The Everglades Foundation, near Islamorada, Fla., Monday, April 7, 2025. Credit: AP/Rebecca Blackwell
The last major sea grass die-off occurred in 2015. Xavier Figueredo, a recreational boat captain with Bay and Reef Company, said he was working in the area when the massive die-off hit about 40,000 acres (16,000 hectares).
“You can’t see the water. All you see is dead grass floating on top,” Figueredo said. “And it smells like sulfur, like rotting eggs. As the die-off continued, more of the ecosystem was affected, the fish were affected.”
Avoiding Another Sea-Grass Die-Off
Even with more than 40% of Florida under drought conditions, Davis said he is not especially worried yet about another sea-grass die-off. Salt levels in the bay are already comparatively lower this year than they were in 2015.
Davis said that is at least partially thanks to a massive project that elevated more than 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) of the Tamiami Trail, a roadway built in 1928 that runs through the Everglades from Miami to Naples before heading north to Tampa.
A brown pelican hunts for mullet in Florida Bay, part of the Everglades ecosystem, near Islamorada, Fla., during a media visit organized by The Everglades Foundation, Monday, April 7, 2025. Credit: AP/Rebecca Blackwell
The route was essentially a giant dam preventing water from flowing south, but replacing the roadway with two long bridges, completed in 2013 and 2019, unblocked the so-called river of grass.
“Months of inflow across Tamiami Trail have helped to moderate salinities,” Davis said.
The other significant advantage Florida Bay has this year compared to 2015 is the forecast of an early wet season rather than a delayed wet season, Davis said.
Future of Restoration
While elevating Tamiami Trail already has created significant benefit for the Everglades and Florida Bay, scientists are counting on a massive restoration project, the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, to address decades-old water problems throughout Florida.
The $3.9 billion project will create a reservoir and wetland to store and clean polluted water from Lake Okeechobee in central Florida before it’s discharged into the southern Everglades. This also should decrease the amount of polluted water being sent to Florida’s east and west coasts.
Davis called the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir “the game changer for freshwater flow restoration.”
“What we’re seeing right now are just the benefits of the plumbing, the infrastructure that helps to get all that water into the park,” he said. “But once we’re able to flow those larger volumes of water south, we’re going to see system-wide improvement all the way down into Florida Bay.”
Protecting the Economy
Everglades restoration is not only tied to Florida’s ecological future but its economic future, said Paul Hindsley, the Everglades Foundation chief economist.
“For every dollar of investment in restoration, we’re receiving $4 in economic benefits,” Hindsley said.
Economic benefits include adding to the residential and industrial water supply, reducing extreme events from drought such as fires and reducing the risk of flooding from heavy precipitation, Hindsley said.
The Everglades also provide over $5 billion a year in reduced risk for costs associated with National Flood Insurance Program claims. Meanwhile, South Florida’s mangroves and reefs play an important role in reducing the impacts of storm surge.
“Protecting the environment is protecting the wealth of Floridians,” Hindsley said.
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.
See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say
Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.
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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”
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