Commissioner Adam Putnam’s Statement Regarding Phosphorous Reduction in Everglades Agricultural Area

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam released the following statement regarding the South Florida Water Management District’s announcement that for the Water Year 2017 monitoring period, the Everglades Water Quality Program achieved a 70-percent phosphorous reduction.
“We continue to make headway in restoring the health of the Everglades, and the Everglades Agricultural Area has, yet again, exceeded state-mandated goals with its phosphorous reduction achievement. This phosphorous reduction is a testament to the fact that Best Management Practices, which are science-based and implemented by farmers throughout Florida, are working and protect the quality and quantity of our water.”
The Everglades Agricultural Area is comprised of 470,000 acres of agricultural land south of Lake Okeechobee.