Specifications

Section 3 Future Without Project Conditions
EAA Storage Reservoirs Revised Draft PIR and EIS February 2006
3-7
fauna tolerant of the disturbed conditions in agricultural production areas.
Some displacement of wildlife could result from expansion of urban or extractive
land cover types within the EAA; however, these changes are not likely to affect
Compartment A.
Regional trends in water quality within the EAA should affect fish, aquatic or
wetland wildlife populations directly or indirectly by affecting prey or forage
used by wetland dependent species. Nutrient loadings to surface water would
generally decrease through the project planning period. Slight declines in
turbidity and suspended solids, sulfate concentrations, pesticides, and specific
conductance in canals should continue. Thus, through the year 2050 under
“without project” conditions, water quality should continue to generally improve.
This will improve fish populations by increasing water clarity and allowing
increased coverage of important fish habitat such as SAV. The general
improvement of water quality within canals should somewhat benefit resident
fish or wildlife directly; however, downstream receiving waters and fauna would
significantly benefit. Although the canals contribute to significant amounts of
open water areas in the EAA and Compartment A, they have low habitat value
due to their construction and management. These can lessen potential benefits
to resident wildlife compared to more natural shallow, open water habitat.
Canals generally lack littoral zones due to steeply sloped sides. These canals
have reduced emergent or submergent vegetation due to vegetation management
used to maintain conveyance capacities and levee integrity. Consequently,
without the Project, wetlands, particularly marshes, should benefit by nutrient
reductions since cattail-dominated freshwater marshes arise in nutrient-rich
conditions, whereas sawgrass is favored in nutrient-poor conditions.
3.1.7.4 Water Conservation Areas
Both water supply and water quality affect fish and wildlife in the WCAs. From
a quantity, timing, and distribution standpoint, the future-without-project
condition may further degrade or improve slightly. The current system does not
allow water managers the flexibility of providing water to the WCAs during the
dry season for ecological needs. This increases the susceptibility of these area to
large freshwater releases related to flood control. Continuation of altered
hydroperiods within the WCAs could have adverse effects on marsh communities
and tree islands as well as the wildlife that depend on them.
Current trends in water quality within the WCAs impact fish, aquatic or
wetland wildlife populations directly and indirectly by affecting prey or forage
used by wetland dependent species. Stormwater Treatment Areas built as part
of the Everglades Construction Project are expected to improve the quality of
water going into the WCAs. Nutrient loadings to surface water will decrease
through the project planning period. Thus, through the year 2050 under