Email from VoteWater Also: How we can Rescue the River of Grass - and the northern estuaries   Keep up the pressure: 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] Keeping an eye on the Legislature Legislative session 2025: What can we expect this year? When the Florida Legislature convenes March 4 for its 60-day session, there’s a lot on the menu — including legislation that may (or may not!) save our state parks from inappropriate development, along with a bill that could ultimately limit funding for Everglades restoration. Join our friends at Friends of the Everglades for a livestream legislative preview with Executive Director Eve Samples and Policy Director Gil Smart on Friday, Feb. 28, at noon. Register at the link below. REGISTER NOW FOR THE LIVESTREAM “This water is so muddy, so dirty, so opaque that it’s killing our seagrasses and our aquatic vegetation.” That’s Jim Moir, Indian Riverkeeper, talking about the impact of discharges from Lake Okeechobee on the St. Lucie River — and the need to “Rescue the River of Grass.” The proposal from our friends at Friends of the Everglades — and supported by VoteWater, Indian Riverkeeper and more than 100 other organizations across Florida — would be a game-changer. Water now flushed to the St. Lucie, Caloosahatchee and Lake Worth Lagoon would instead be stored, cleaned and sent south. Harmful algal blooms would be minimized; the Everglades and Florida Bay would be restored. The funding is available and the time is now. Help us Rescue the River of Grass by clicking the button below to sign the petition and learn more. LEARN MORE AND SIGN THE PETITION Make waves and help us protect our waterways As the Florida Legislature convenes for the 2025 session, several bills have been filed that could make our water problems worse. It’s another “session of sprawl” with new proposals to make it even easier to bulldoze natural Florida and dump more urban runoff into our waterways. Friendly legislators have filed bills that would help phosphate mining giant Mosaic avoid lawsuits. And who knows what Big Sugar and its legislative minions have up their sleeves? Why do we have to put up with this year after year? Actually, we don’t. But if we want change, we have to make waves. And that’s where WaveMakers come in. Our WaveMaker membership program is for those who recognize the urgency of the moment and want to help us make a bigger impact. Your $1,200 membership includes our weekly newsletter, exclusive briefings with Executive Director Gil Smart and the opportunity to help VoteWater assess political candidates in your area. Help VoteWater make waves — and make change — by clicking the button below. BECOME A WAVEMAKER 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