Fire & Aviation Management Partners with South Florida National Parks Trust

Aerial View of Shark River Slough Fire Regime Restoration - River of Grass Rx

NPS

Everglades Fire & Aviation Management Partners with South Florida National Parks Trust and the Shark Valley Stewardship Fund in Water Restoration Project

In June of 2017, South Florida National Parks Trust and the Shark Valley Stewardship Fund approved a grant for Everglades Fire Management to burn the Shark River Slough Fire Regime Restoration-River of Grass Unit. This 9,898 acre unit falling just south of Shark Valley tower is part of the much larger River of Grass fie management unit (390,521 acres). Prescribed fire operations are expected to help restore the fire regime and to increase the velocity of fresh water sheet flow within Shark Slough and into Florida Bay.

On June 19, 2017, Everglades Fire & Aviation Management initiated the prescribed burn. With recent rains, Shark River Slough was retaining water, but with the winds and drying pattern, fire moved intermittently through the area. Over the course of the next few days, the fire burned in the areas with the most fuel density, ultimately burning 27,074 acres, exceeding the projected goal, which would not have been possible without the assistance of the Trust. With continued burning, Everglades Fire & Aviation Management hopes to see the reduction of fuels is creating the anticipated effect on water flow through the area.