A Floridian Perspective on Wisconsin Public Affairs
(Opinion by Public Affairs Chairman, Gregory Schroeder, P.E.)
It is May in Wisconsin, and the beautiful days are finally outnumbering the not so beautiful; however, today I find myself in hot, humid south Florida caring for my elderly parents. While I was doing just that my wife found out about an event sponsored by the local press called "Save Our Water." It was a collaboration of conservationists, the press, and agribusiness. While there was participation by the Army Corp of Engineers, there was no other mention of engineers, or involvement by ASCE (which would have been awesome). We decided to attend.
At the event we learned about federal, state and local cooperation to bring many huge projects to fruition. We also learned about the impact of those projects on the environment of the Everglades and the coastal communities. Because so many of your federal tax dollars are being spent there, I will share a bit more with you.
Problems in Florida began after eighty years of draining the land, first for agriculture and later for development. Drainage blocked the flow of water to and through the Everglades. As far north as Orlando, the Kissimmee River was straightened into a thirty foot deep canal. The Tamiami Trail across south Florida was built like a dike, with water routed to more canals. The negative impacts on the environment have been worsening ever since, especially with the population growth in Florida, which is now at a rate of approximately 5000 people per day. Water quality has deteriorated, and algal blooms have become frequent.
President Clinton signed the Everglades restoration bill, but funding of that bill from eighteen years ago has fluctuated, causing delays. In 2016, releases of nutrient rich water from Lake Okeechobee caused algal blooms in the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie river systems that flowed to both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The algae fouled beaches and caused great economic and environmental harm. At the same time, a lack of water flowing through the Everglades caused 40,000 acres of marshes to die from salt water intrusion. Since the events of 2016, many millions of dollars of large scale infrastructure projects have been expedited.
What does this have to do with the Wisconsin section ASCE? Florida and Wisconsin both have amazing natural resources. Events like "Save our Water" can be an example for future collaboration. Like Florida, Wisconsin also has environmental issues. For example, how will we control the invasive species in the Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and other bodies of water?
When there are discussions and events related to our natural resources, let's make certain that engineers are at the table. We can also be the ones to identify emerging issues for both natural resources and infrastructure, and then support appropriate action. What are our issues? We can all participate in identifying issues. Then we can begin discussions on ASCE Collaborate. I am also hopeful that the Wisconsin Section will have enough energy and participation to move forward with updating the Wisconsin infrastructure report card. The report card is the key to our greatest influence in Madison and throughout the state.
If you have topics for discussion, feel free to email me at gregory.schroeder@... or make a post on ASCE Collaborate on the Wisconsin Section community page.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author only, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Wisconsin Section or ASCE.
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Gregory Schroeder P.E., M.ASCE
Senior Engineer
Lake Geneva WI
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