Everglades, Florida Bay Restoration Gets Help With Underground 'Curtain Wall' Approval
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The South Florida Water Management District Governing Board has approved the construction of a 2.3-mile stretch of underground wall to keep water in Everglades National Park and mitigate flooding near the 8.5 Square Mile Area, known as Las Palmas in unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
The Las Palmas neighborhood is a small community made of up ranches and nurseries, which is often flooded as more water flows to Everglades National Park due to two new bridges over Tamiami Trail and other restoration work.
The underground wall, known as a curtain wall, will help prevent seepage of water away from Everglades National Park, support ongoing Everglades restoration goals and support the increase of the flow of water south.
Part of the massive Everglades restoration effort is getting the water flow south, out of the central Everglades, underneath the Tamiami Trail bridges through Shark River Slough and into Everglades National Park, eventually arriving into Florida Bay.
The curtain wall, 2.3-miles long, 26-inches wide and around 60 to 65 feet deep, is designed to protect Las Palmas from flooding and allow the water to finally flow unimpeded to replenish the park and revive Florida Bay.
Subject to future years' funding and approval from the Governing Board, the District may expand the wall after its completion.
Construction is expected to take 12-16 months.
