1845: Florida becomes 27th state. 1881: Real estate developer Hamilton Disston buys 4 million acres and begins efforts to drain the Everglades. 1906: The first dredging project began in South ...

2000: The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, or CERP, is authorized by Congress to restore and protect South Florida's ecosystem. The Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir is approved in this ...