South Florida leaders say rising sea levels already cause flooding in residential areas during high tide, without any help from rain.
They're concerned the region's interior is at risk, too, because of the porous limestone that makes up much of the state.At this weekend's Everglades Coalition conference in Coral Gables, environmental scientists said rising salt water pushes fresh water out from underground and into places where it isn't supposed to be.
Ernie Barnett, director of Everglades policy at the South Florida Water Management District, says that means flooding and contaminated drinking water.
"Fresh water flowing through the Everglades will push the salt water back", Barnett said. "In addition to that the actual land mass will increase in size because the organic soils that are underneath the surface in the Everglades are built up."
Already a seven-county coalition of South Florida public and private stakeholders is working to prepare for climate change and rising sea levels.