By Thea Cimmino

Southern Florida's naturally resourceful ecosystem is recovering from the population's abuse of fresh water sources over the past century.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers publicly released the updated Comprehensive Plan for restoration of the ecosystem April 7. The project will cost $7.8 billion.

The original plan of October 1998 was revised after environmentalists complained that the predicted accomplishment of its goals by 2025 was too long a time period. The new plan predicts project completion by 2020.

The amended plan predicts achieving restoration of natural flows of water, improved water quality, lessening the endangerment of the area's species.

U.S. Army, district engineer, Joe Miller, said water storage goals will be accomplished within a decade. "By 2010, over 860,000 acre-feet of surface water storage areas will be complete," said Miller. "In addition, 28,000 acres of storm-water treatment areas will be completed by 2010 to provide improved water quality."

The goal is to relocate the billions of gallons of fresh water currently flowing into salt water and distribute it among the Everglades and its surrounding settlements.

It must avoid flooding the regional settlements while ensuring a sufficient water supply for South Florida. The plan proposes creating water storage basins by removing 240 miles of levees and canals. The Naples-based director of the National Wildlife Federation's Everglades Project Officer, Kris Thoemke, said he was concerned with the plan's efficiency.

"I don't feel 100 percent confident the corps has guaranteed there will be enough water for the environment," Thoemke said. The National Park Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are in dispute over aspects of the plan. One problem is the acquisition of the privately owned land necessary to accommodate relocating the flow of the fresh water.

There are 8 ½ square miles located in Florida's Miami-Dade County needed to accomplish the project. The land in question is settled and owned by residents and the Miccosukee Tribe. The proposal is a $115 million buyout of the land.

Opposition of the land's residents could postpone completion of the buyout and installation of the plan for over a decade. Some organizations, such as the Florida Sierra Club, said the Comprehensive Plan is inadequate because it does not propose buying sugar cane acreage. Sugar farms are often blamed for polluting the Everglades.

The Everglades co-chairman for the Sierra Club, Rodrick Tirrell, said he is concerned about sugar farmers' silence on the matter.

"Why is sugar so quiet? The happier they are with this plan, that throws a question mark in my mind," Tirrell said. The plan is expected to reach Congress for debate sometime in July.