In 1948 Congress answered the outcry of Florida residents for both flood protection and a more reliable drinking water supply by authorizing the Central and Southern Flood Control Project, otherwise known as the C&SF Project. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction on one of the nation's largest infrastructure projects. While the project served its intended purposes far better than ever anticipated, it also caused extensive damage to the naturally occurring ecosystems of south Florida, including the Everglades ecosystem located within and beyond Everglades National Park. "River of Interests: Water Management in South Florida and the Everglades, 1948-2000," is a history of the construction of the C&SF Project and the project's unintended impacts on the environment, and the evolution of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).