Hunters and anglers benefit from long-term Everglades restoration efforts; TRCP’s Senior Scientist Jamelle Ellis summarizes the current state of the system, how restoration efforts will improve it, and details on an upcoming presentation where you can learn more

For hunters and anglers, the Everglades is more than a map feature in South Florida. It’s a living system that supports world-class fishing, migratory birds, healthy wetlands, and the flow of clean water, which sustains habitat and wildlife from north of Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. Restoring the Everglades isn’t just a conservation ambition; it’s a science-driven effort to rebuild the ecological processes that fish and wildlife depend on.

At its core, Everglades restoration is all about water: How much? When does it move? Where does it go? What’s in it (what forms of pollution)? Historically, the Everglades functioned as a slow-moving “river of grass,” with seasonal flows that shaped habitats for wading birds, waterfowl, deer, turkeys, and fisheries. Decades of drainage and flood-control infrastructure disrupted those patterns, altering salinity in estuaries, fragmenting habitat, and changing nutrient dynamics across the system. Today, restoration scientists are working to reverse those impacts through large-scale projects that reconnect flow paths and restore timing closer to natural conditions. Larger projects like the Central Everglades Planning Project and component projects like the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir are designed to move more water south toward Florida Bay during the dry season. They are critical for maintaining wetland habitats and supporting prey species that sportfish and game birds rely on.

On March 3 at 1 p.m. EST, TRCP will host the chief science officer for the Everglades Foundation and a past president of the Florida Wildlife Federation for our Conservation Science Speaker Series, with a focus on the science behind Everglades restoration and how it benefits hunters and anglers. Click here to learn more or sign up for this online presentation.

But quantity alone isn’t enough. Everglades ecology evolved under extremely low phosphorus conditions, meaning that the environment and water supply held far less than other North American wetland environments. So even small increases can shift plant communities, reduce habitat quality, and ripple through the food web. That’s why Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) are a foundational piece of restoration. STAs are constructed wetlands that use vegetation to remove excess nutrients like phosphorus. Ongoing scientific monitoring and adaptive management are essential to ensure these systems are functioning as intended and that restored flows don’t unintentionally harm downstream habitats.

Importantly, Everglades restoration has always acknowledged uncertainty. Scientists and managers are learning in real time how water quality, flow restoration, and climate variability interact. Rather than slowing progress, this adaptive, science-first approach allows projects to move forward while continually improving outcomes based on the best available data.

For the hunt-fish community, this work matters because healthy hydrology underpins healthy wildlife populations. Strong wading bird numbers signal productive wetlands. Balanced salinity supports fisheries in Florida Bay and inshore waters downstream of the Saint Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers. Resilient habitats mean better opportunities in the field and on the water.

To dig deeper into the science behind Everglades restoration, TRCP is proud to host a presentation on March 3 at 1 p.m. ET. You can learn more or sign up here. Experts will help connect cutting-edge science to the real-world outcomes hunters and anglers care about most… more fish, healthier wildlife populations, and viable outdoor recreation opportunities in South Florida.

All images courtesy Pat Ford Photography