JAN
4, 1999
TOM SHIRLEY
5120 S. W. 172 AVE.
FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA. 33331
PH. 954-434-8416
TO WHOM IT MAY
CONCERN:
IN
REVIEWING THE RESTUDY TEAM AND THE ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN ALT D13R CONCERNING THE WATER TABLE DURATION CURVES WITHIN THE
CONSERVATION AREA THREE (3) I FIND THAT IT FAR EXCEEDS THE WATER TABLE
CONDITIONS THAT WERE IN PLACE BEFORE THE MAN MADE STRUCTURES WERE PUT IN THE
EVERGLADES. IT DOES NOT COME ANYWHERE CLOSE TO REPRESENTING THE EVERGLADES ECO
SYSTEM ON A SEASONAL BASIS.
AS I HAVE
MENTIONED BEFORE I HAVE PATROLLED THIS AREA FROM 1949 UNTIL NOW (49 YEARS). IN
THE EARLY YEARS BEFORE THE EVERGLADES WERE EFFECTED BY ALL THE MAN MADE
STRUCTURES IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KNEW WHAT THE WATER TABLE WAS THROUGH
OUT THE AREA. IF WE MADE A MISTAKE
IN JUDGMENT IT COULD RESULT IN A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION, HAVING TO BE STRANDED
FOR SEVERAL DAYS OR MORE. WALKING WAS SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE 10
FOOT TALL SAWGRASS STRANDS WHICH WERE BETWEEN YOU AND THE AIRBOAT LANDING MAYBE
50 OR 60 MILES OUT FROM WHERE YOU DEPARTED. IF YOU TOOK A SHORTCUT TO TRY AND
SAVE FUEL YOU BETTER KNOW WHAT THE WATER CONDITIONS ARE OR THE RESULTS COULD BE
VERY SERIOUS TROUBLE. SPENDING SEVERAL NIGHTS IN THE EVERGLADES WITH THE MOSQUITOES
CAN BE PRETTY ROUGH. AFTER YEARS OF EXPERIENCE YOU CAN LEARN THAT READING THE
WATER TABLE LEVELS AT ONE POINT YOU WOULD KNOW WHAT THE WATER TABLE WOULD BE AT
MOST OTHER AREAS.
I AM FORWARDING A WATER STAGE DURATION CURVE
WHICH BEST REPRESENTS THE EARLY WATER TABLE OF THE EVERGLADES ECO SYSTEM. THE
GRAPH REPRESENTS ONE FULL YEAR FROM MAY TO THE FOLLOWING MAY.
MUCH CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ALL THE
VARIOUS TYPES OF WILDLIFE, BIRDS, REPTILES, FISH, INSECTS AND THE PLANT LIFE.
MAY THE WATER IS APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES UNDER
THE GROUND, TIE GROUND HAS DRIED UP WHICH HAS MADE IT VERY HELPFUL FOR THE ON
COMING SEASON. THE SUN HAS NOW
DRIED THE GROUND AND KILLED THE HARMFUL FUNGUS AND BACTERIA WHICH EFFECT THE
FISH. THE GROUND NOW BECOMES MORE SOLID AFTER THE HIGHER WATER HAS CAUSED IT TO
BE T00 SOFT TO PROPERLY SUPPORT THE VARIOUS TREES AND PLANT LIFE. WHEN THE
WATER RISES AGAIN THE FISH CAN MOVE INTO THE MARSH LANDS TO SPAWN AND LAY THEIR
EGGS WITHOUT THE SILT, BACTERIA AND HARMFUL FUNGUS. THIS IS NATURES WAY TO GIVE
THE SUN A CHANCE TO CLEANSE THE RIVER OF GRASS.
JUNE & JULY THE WATER TABLE NOW BEGINS TO RISE AND THE
GROUND BECOMES WET AGAIN. THE SUMMER LIGHTENING STORMS ARRIVE STARTING MANY
GRASS FIRES THROUGH OUT THE GRASS LANDS. THE CATTAILS HAVE TAKEN OVER MUCH OF
THE GRASS LANDS. THE FIRE BURNS THE CATTAILS AND DESTROYS THEM. THE SAWGRASS NOW REPLACES THE HARMFUL CATTAILS.
AGAIN THIS IS NATURES WAY.
AUG,
SEPT & OCT. THE WATER
TABLE WILL RISE TO ITS HIGH POINT OF 15 INCHES, THIS IS GOOD FOR THE FISH TO
MOVE FARTHER INTO THE MARSH LAND TO SPAWN.
NOV, DEC, JAN, FEB. NOW THE WATER TABLE
IS BEGINNING TO RESIDE. NOW THE STRANDED MAMMALS CAN LEAVE THE HAMMOCKS AND
BEGIN TO FEED IN THEIR NORMAL FASHION. NOW THE SURGE OF MIGRATORY BIRDS FROM CANADA
AND SOUTH AMERICA COME DOWN TO THE EVERGLADES FOOD BASKET OF MANY FISH,
CRAYFISH, SHRIMP, INSECTS, SNAKES, FROGS AND MUCH-MORE. THE FEEDING
CONDITIONS ARE SO GREAT THAT THE BIRDS WILL SURELY COME AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
MARCH, APRIL NOW THE WATER TABLE HAS BEEN GETTING VERY LOW AND
THE FISH AND OTHER FOODS ARE GETTING STRANDED IN SHALLOW BODIES OF WATER IN THE
SLOUGHS. NOW THE FOOD IS ABUNDANT FOR THE BIRDS, RACCOONS, OTTERS, PANTHERS AND
THE ALLIGATORS. THE FOOD IS SO ABUNDANT THAT THE ALLIGATORS HAVE ENOUGH FOOD TO
BUILD UP ENOUGH FAT WITHIN HIS BODY TO LAST HIM UNTIL THE NEXT DROUGHT PERIOD.
THE ALLIGATOR WILL NOT HAVE TO EAT OTHER ALLIGATORS TO FULFILL HIS HUNGER. THE
CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN SO FAVORABLE FOR THE WOOD STORKS, IBIS HERONS AND MANY
OTHER BIRDS. THE EVERGLADES IS NOW FAVORABLE AND CAN NOW HAVE THEIR ROOKERIES AND NESTING AREAS FOR THEIR
YOUNG. THE MANY REPTILES TURTLES AND INSECTS CAN HAVE THE DRY GROUND TO LAY
THEIR EGGS. THE ALLIGATOR CAN
NOW BEGIN TO LOOK FOR THE AREA IN WHICH TO BUILD ITS NEST. THE FOOD CHAIN FOR THE WILDLIFE,
FISH AND PLANT LIFE HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THE FOLLOWING YEAR WILL BE MUCH MORE
PRODUCTIVE, AS THE ADULT AND JUVENILE BIRDS WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO RETURN TO THE
EVERGLADES GREAT FEEDING AREA.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE BEST OF THE COMPUTERS HAS
MORE KNOWLEDGE THAN THE DIRECT EXPERIENCE. ONE GREAT ADVANTAGE IT DOES HAVE ,
IF SOMETHING TURNS OUT WRONG, THE COMPUTER CAN BE CALLED TO BLAME BUT THEN IT
WILL BE TO LATE TO BRING LIFE BACK INTO THE EVERGLADES.
I DO NOT BELIEVE
THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO DESTROY ANOTHER LARGE SECTION OF THE EVERGLADES TO SAVE
ANOTHER PORTION.
IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO FLOOD THE AREA NORTH TO PUSH WATER SOUTHWARD
TO THE EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK. WE
MUST REMEMBER THAT IT IS ONE ECOSYSTEM AND MUST BE TREATED AS SUCH.
AFTER THE 1947 HURRICANE AND THE FLOOD CONTROL WAS FORMULATED THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT HAD WRITTEN LAWS VERY SPECIFIC CONCERNING THE
PROTECTION OF THE ECOLOGY AND THE WILDLIFE. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THERE WERE NO
LAW ENFORCEMENT TO STEP FORWARD TO FILE CHARGES. NOW THE POLITICIANS HAVE
GAINED POWER AND CONTROL AND NOW ARE JUST BEFORE DESTROYING ALL OF THE
EVERGLADES NORTH OF HIGHWAY 41.
IF THE CORP OF ENGINEERS AND
THE WATER MANAGERS WATER SCHEDULES ARE APPROVED BY CONGRESS THIS WILL MEAN THAT
CONGRESS HAS SIGNED A 7.8 BILLION CONTRACT TO KILL THE EVERGLADES ECOSYSTEM. THIS
IS THE ONLY EVERGLADES IN THE WORLD
LET US KEEP IT.
THE FLA. GAME AND FRESH WATER FISH COMMISSION
IS
CHIEF CUSTODIAN OF OUR FISH AND WILDLIFE AND WE TRUST THAT THEY WILL HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND COURAGE -TO NOT LET SUCH A
DESTRUCTION OF OUR EVERGLADES TAKE PLACE.
I REMAIN, TOM
SHIRLEY
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