DENVER, CO, March 14, 2014 -- CH2M HILL, a consulting, design, construction, and operations firm, has been awarded a contract by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to provide professional engineering services as part of an $880-million plan to restore the Everglades. Under this contract, CH2M HILL will work in tandem with SFWMD to help enhance the natural region of tropical wetlands in Florida.
The Everglades, which once covered nearly 11,000 square miles of South Florida, is one of the largest U.S. freshwater wetland systems and is home to dozens of threatened and endangered species. Efforts to drain the marshland for agriculture, development and flood control have reduced the Everglades to half the size it was a century ago.
"SFWMD's mission is to protect water resources and restore the Everglades' ecosystem," said Chris Niforatos, CH2M HILL's Program Manager. "We look forward to contributing our expertise in design and construction management services for large-scale earthworks and conveyance projects to help SFWMD manage and protect this precious wetland system."
CH2M HILL is also working with the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) on its Watershed Management Program -- a multifaceted program to develop flood risk information for watersheds throughout west-central Florida. In February, SWFWMD awarded CH2M HILL four contracts, including two general engineering contracts for conveyance and natural systems, as well as contracts for the Watershed Management Program and a Hydrogeological Investigation of the Lower Floridan Aquifer, to help SWFWMD manage water and water-related resources in southwest Florida.
"SWFWMD's watershed approach is critical to ensuring Florida's current and future water needs are met," continued Niforatos, who is serving as the program manager. "Working closely with SWFWMD, we are helping protect, enhance, and restore the water quality and natural systems for the District."
See also:
"Obama administration releases report on Everglade restoration efforts"
"Focusing on water for central Everglades essential to reversing whole ecosystem's continuing decline"
About CH2M HILL
Headquartered near Denver, Colorado, USA, employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations, and program management for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. The firm’s work is concentrated in the areas of water, transportation, environment, energy, and facilities. For more information, visit www.ch2mhill.com.
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