To reduce nutrient loading to the Everglades, the South Florida Water Management District proposes to convert approximately 14,000 ha (35,000 ac) of agricultural land into wetland treatment systems. These stormwater treatment areas (STAs) will act as nutrient filters. The first and prototype of these systems, the Everglades Nutrient Removal (ENR) Project is scheduled for operation in July 1993. This 1500 ha (3700 ac) system is currently the larges constructed wetlland in the world. The ENR project is designed to utilize macrophyte-dominated marshes for bulk total P removal and a combination of macrophyte and algal/periphyton-dominated wetlands as polishing cells to further reduce total P concentrations and loads.
