Naples Camera Club - Members In Motion

Members In Motion

This page is dedicated to showcasing Naples Camera Club members who volunteer their photographic services to helping to better our communities on a local, regional, national, and global basis. These efforts embody our purpose to

Create. Connect. Inspire.

Our Photographer Volunteers at Big Cypress National Preserve

BICY Southward

Photo By Wes Bloemker

A small group of NCC volunteer as photographers with the National Park Service at Big Cypress National Preserve. The group is composed of Gretchen Anderson, Bart Anderson, and Wes Bloemker. The purpose of the work is to document the ongoing changes in the preserve's habitat in order to determine the level of positive and negative changes. An example of which is water diversion.

Water diversion refers to the redirection of natural water flow through man-made structures like canals, levees, and pumps, primarily for agricultural, urban, or flood control purposes. In Florida, particularly within the Everglades ecosystem, large-scale water diversion projects have been implemented to control flooding and provide water to urban and agricultural areas. These interventions have significantly altered the natural hydrology of the region.

One of the major consequences of this diversion is saltwater intrusion—the process where saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean encroaches into freshwater areas. This occurs when the reduced freshwater flow from the Everglades to the coasts decreases the pressure needed to keep saltwater at bay, allowing it to seep inland.

This intrusion of saltwater into the Everglades threatens the delicate balance of the ecosystem, leading to the degradation of freshwater habitats, the loss of biodiversity, and the alteration of plant and animal communities. Moreover, it impacts the availability of fresh drinking water for South Florida's population, as well as the health of agricultural lands that rely on freshwater.

Addressing this issue requires a comprehensive approach to water management that balances human needs with the protection of the natural environment.

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