Email from VoteWater Also: Army Corps will speak at Stuart meeting on discharges   Tell the Army Corps to stop the discharges! TAKE ACTION: Complete this letter to Col. Brandon Bowman with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; or email Bowman at [email protected] What's going on with the discharges? Find out at this meeting next week Maj. Cory Bell from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be in Stuart at the Rivers Coalition meeting at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, at Stuart City Hall. Bell will talk about “Lake Okeechobee Recovery Operations” (the discharges) and give an update on how long they may last. Come make your voice heard! And if you can’t make it in person, consider tuning in via Zoom; get the link by emailing [email protected]. If Florida takes over Everglades projects will we do them right - or cut corners? Fast is good. But too fast can be reckless. So it was with mixed emotions that we watched the press conference held by Gov. Ron DeSantis in Juno Beach last week, where he announced Florida will ask the federal government to let the state handle Everglades restoration projects. The feds would still pony up money for things like the EAA Reservoir; but Florida would effectively take over the process of vetting, permitting and approving CERP projects. DeSantis said this should include the restoration of state permitting authority under the Clean Water Act, an issue which is currently in litigation. DeSantis reeled off a list of projects completed, dollars spent and promised that his 2025-26 budget will include $805 million for Everglades restoration. We’ve made a ton of progress, he said. Hand the state the reins, he claimed, and we’ll make even more. “Send us the funds, give us the authority, and let us get to work,” DeSantis said. “And we will get this done and move it along very, very quickly.” We’ve little doubt that elbowing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers aside might expedite the process. But some of the things DeSantis sees as hurdles are there for good reason. The state permitting authority under the Clean Water Act is a case in point. The feds gave Florida authority to regulate wetlands permitting during President Trump’s first term, in 2020. Conservation groups filed a lawsuit and a federal judge last February vacated Florida’s program, saying federal agencies involved in the process had violated the Endangered Species Act. Basically, the judge said the agencies didn’t do everything the law required when assessing how endangered species might be affected. In other words, they cut corners. That happens, sometimes, when you’re looking to speed things along. So we’re all about expediting CERP projects, keeping in mind those projects won’t be enough to resolve all the problems that exist. We ultimately need to acquire more land in order to send more clean water south and end discharges to the northern estuaries. But yes, these projects need to done quickly. But more importantly — they need to be done correctly. READ MORE AT VOTEWATER.ORG Algae in Manatee Pocket; and now dead wildlife? As noted last week, an algae bloom recently showed up the Manatee Pocket area of Port Salerno, Martin County. Sampling and testing by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection determined it wasn’t toxic, though the algae present is capable of producing toxins. Then, last Saturday, a dead pelican and two dead fish were spotted near where the original bloom had been. We want to stress that we don’t know if the algae, let alone the Lake Okeechobee discharges that may have contributed to the growth of the algae, had anything to do with this. But the timing is suspect. And if these discharges continue as the weather gets warmer — we’re likely to see a lot more of this. See the reel from our friends at Friends of the Everglades; and make your voice heard via the info at the top of today’s newsletter. WATCH THE REEL P.S.: Floridians DON'T have the right to clean water; but you can change that VoteWater supports the drive to get a right to clean water amendment on the 2026 Florida ballot, and you can too! Sign the petition, make a donation, volunteer your time and help Floridians secure a future with clean and safe water for all. BECOME A MEMBER DONATE NOW     VoteWater | 3727 SE Ocean Blvd. Suite 200A | Stuart, FL 34996 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice