Without the Everglades, Florida Cannot Survive
This post started in kind of an unexpected way. I was looking into the immigrant detention facility in the Everglades — nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” — that a judge just ordered shut down because Florida skipped the required environmental reviews (Miami Herald, Associated Press). Josh and I had been talking about it, and the more I read, the more I realized: this isn’t just about one detention camp. It’s about how Florida treats the Everglades as disposable land. And that got me thinking — what would happen if we actually lost the Everglades?
I lived in Florida for nine years, though in the Tampa area, not South Florida. My fiancé’s family lives in Sarasota, which isn’t in the Everglades. But the truth is, this isn’t just a South Florida issue. If the Everglades collapses, the whole state feels it — from water shortages to storms to the economy. Even from a distance, I’ve always understood how fragile that ecosystem is. It isn’t really a place meant for human development — too delicate, too essential. To stick people in cages out there, for no reason other than cruelty, isn’t just wrong. It’s also reckless. Because cruelty for cruelty’s sake destroys not just people, but the land itself.
And if the Everglades collapses, Florida collapses with it.
The Everglades as Florida’s Water Supply
Nearly nine million Floridians rely on the Everglades for fresh drinking water. It’s the natural reservoir that filters and stores water for Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach. If saltwater intrusion ruins it — as rising seas and bad planning already threaten to do — the taps run dry. Without the Everglades, South Florida becomes unlivable (South Florida Water Management District).
The Hurricane Buffer
The Everglades also serve as a storm shield. Wetlands soak up storm surge and slow it down before it hits homes and cities. If those wetlands are drained or paved over, Miami, Naples, and Fort Lauderdale lose their buffer. The result: storms like Andrew or Ian hit harder, flooding deeper, destroying more (NOAA).
Biodiversity and Culture
This ecosystem is one of a kind. It’s the only place where alligators and crocodiles live side by side. It’s home to endangered panthers, manatees, and hundreds of bird species (National Park Service). And it carries deep cultural meaning for Indigenous tribes like the Seminole and Miccosukee, who have fought for generations to protect it. To destroy the Everglades is not just an ecological loss — it’s an attack on culture and heritage.
The Economy Angle
Florida’s economy also depends on the Everglades. Tourism, fishing, real estate — all tied to its health (Florida DEP). People don’t move to Florida for a wasteland; they move for water, wildlife, and beauty. Bulldoze the Everglades, and you bulldoze Florida’s economy with it.
Political Negligence
And yet, leaders act like the Everglades is expendable. From detention camps to oil drilling to highway projects, politicians push development while skipping environmental reviews and dodging laws they find inconvenient. Whether it’s DeSantis, Trump, or state lawmakers, the story repeats: treat the Everglades as disposable, and hope it holds up anyway.
Conclusion
The Everglades is not expendable. Without it, Florida as we know it cannot survive — not its water, not its safety, not its economy, not its culture. “Alligator Alcatraz” was a cruel, reckless idea that put both people and land at risk. But it’s just one example of a larger problem: leaders willing to gamble Florida’s future for politics or profit. The truth is simple: the Everglades is Florida’s lifeline. And once it’s gone, there’s no getting it back.
Notes from the edge of the system 