Alternative Text Description for CERP Project Boundaries

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the boundaries of projects within the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) across southern Florida. The CERP Project Boundaries layer shows the geographic extent of 67 different environmental restoration projects that are part of this massive, coordinated effort to restore the Everglades ecosystem. The map provides a spatial reference for understanding where individual CERP projects are located and how they relate to one another across the region.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the southern portion of Florida, extending from the northern Everglades region near Lake Okeechobee southward through the Florida peninsula to the Florida Keys. Major cities labeled on the map include Miami, Hollywood, Coral Springs, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie on the east coast, and Port Charlotte, Cape Coral, and Naples on the west coast. Lake Okeechobee is prominently visible in the north-central portion of the map. Notable natural features and management areas shown include Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area in the north, and the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail in the south. Interstate 95 runs along the eastern coast. The Atlantic Ocean borders the east, and the Gulf of America borders the west and south.

KEY INSIGHTS

CERP project boundaries are concentrated in three main geographic clusters. The largest concentration forms a vast area encompassing the northern Everglades and Lake Okeechobee region, with project boundaries covering much of the area from the lake's western and northern shores through the Everglades Headwaters. A second significant cluster of smaller, more fragmented project areas is located in central southern Florida between Lake Okeechobee and the metropolitan areas of the east coast, including areas around Immokalee and the Fades and J.S Taylor Wildlife Management Area. A third concentration appears in the southernmost portion of the peninsula, including areas around Homestead and extending into the northern Florida Keys. The eastern coastal urban corridor from West Palm Beach through Miami shows relatively few project boundaries, indicating that CERP projects are primarily focused on natural and agricultural areas rather than urbanized zones.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

CERP Project Boundaries

This layer represents the geographic extents of the 67 individual projects that comprise the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.

Project Boundary Areas (olive-yellow polygons)

Appearance:

Project boundaries are depicted as olive-yellow or tan-colored polygons with darker outlines that define the geographic extent of each individual CERP project.

Distribution:

Project boundaries are distributed throughout southern Florida, with the heaviest concentration in the Lake Okeechobee and northern Everglades region, moderate distribution in the central agricultural areas of southern Florida, scattered boundaries in southwestern Florida around Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park, and additional boundaries in the Homestead area and upper Florida Keys.

Notable locations:

The most extensive contiguous project area surrounds Lake Okeechobee, encompassing the Everglades Headwaters and extending southward. Multiple rectangular project boundaries appear east and southeast of Lake Okeechobee in what appears to be the Everglades Agricultural Area. A cluster of project boundaries is visible in the Immokalee region. Southern project areas include locations near Homestead and portions of the upper Florida Keys.

Spatial patterns:

Project boundaries vary significantly in size and shape, from large irregular polygons covering hundreds of square miles to smaller rectangular parcels. The larger projects tend to follow natural hydrologic features and watershed boundaries, while some smaller projects appear to follow property or management unit boundaries. There is minimal overlap between project boundaries, suggesting coordinated spatial planning to avoid duplication of effort across the 67 projects.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map serves as an official coordination tool for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, which involves many organizations working on environmental restoration across southern Florida. The visualization of project boundaries helps researchers, managers, and collaborators understand the spatial relationships between different projects and coordinate their restoration efforts. While the map shows the boundaries of all 67 CERP projects, it does not display the individual project names, key contacts, or other detailed attribution information that is available in the underlying GIS data. Additional project information and details about the various programs involved in CERP are available at www.evergladesrestoration.gov. This map represents a snapshot of project boundaries and is intended to show the overall geographic distribution and scope of restoration efforts rather than detailed project-specific information.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data is maintained by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Land Acquisition Program on an Oracle SDE server. The layer represents the official boundaries of Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan projects, including Expedited projects, and is intended for use by all researchers and collaborators in the CERP process. The data source layer name is SFWMD_CERP_AREA_AUG22, and the official layer name in the SFWMD's GIS library is 'bdwmdcrp', located in the SFWBNDS feature dataset as the CERPBnds feature class.

Definition Query:

No definition query or filter criteria was applied to this map view.

Scale Information:

The map displays a regional view of southern Florida, showing an area spanning approximately 150 miles from north to south and covering the entire width of the southern Florida peninsula. This scale is appropriate for understanding the overall distribution of CERP projects across the region and their spatial relationships to major geographic features and urban areas.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The data layer name indicates the content is current as of August 2022 (AUG22).

Limitations:

This map displays only the geographic boundaries of CERP projects and does not show detailed project information such as project names, status, contacts, or specific restoration activities. The boundaries represent planning and coordination areas and may not reflect the exact footprint of on-the-ground restoration activities. Users requiring detailed project information should consult the attribution data in the GIS layer or visit www.evergladesrestoration.gov.

Map Coverage:

The map extent covers southern Florida from approximately the northern Everglades and Lake Okeechobee region southward through the entire Florida peninsula to the Florida Keys, and from the Gulf of America on the west to the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The map includes portions of both coastal areas for geographic context, though CERP project boundaries are concentrated in inland and natural areas.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.