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How has drainage affected reclaimed organic soils in the Everglades?
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land reclamation
The Yser River flowing through reclaimed farmland in Belgium.
In the Everglades, drainage projects intended for agricultural development have had a detrimental impact on the region's organic soils, which are composed of peat and muck.123
Under natural conditions, these organic soils remain submerged, which prevents the oxidation, decay, and shrinkage of the material. However, when drainage is implemented to reclaim the land for uses such as agriculture, the resulting improved soil aeration accelerates the rate of oxidation of the organic matter. This process leads to a significant loss of the soil material itself, causing the land surface to undergo subsidenceβin some instances, the ground has sunk by several feet. This subsidence is particularly rapid in the warm climate of Florida.31