Save Florida’s Waters – A 2021 Update from Paul Laura, HIPI's Environmental Officer

Background:

There are a number of initiatives focused on addressing changes to Florida’s federal and state water related regulations.  These changes are urgently needed due to:

1. The significant increase in population and reduced availability of clean drinking water. 

2. Continued building on land that is no longer available to capture water, replenishing our aquafers. Instead, the water is entering our waterways as runoff and exiting into the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. 

3. Our antiquated solid waste treatment plants are overwhelmed and have limited options for handling our solid waste.  You cannot export solid waste out of state.  

4. Solid waste is spread on farmland. Eventually due to rain runoff, this waste allows phosphorus, nitrogen, herbicides, pharmaceuticals and other materials find their way back into our local waterways.  Nitrogen and phosphorous compounds are a food source for bacteria and algae resulting in large blooms every summer due to the increased sunshine and higher water temperatures. 

5. Large algal blooms such as “red tide” and blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) which occur in our waters create health hazards to marine life (large die-off), pets (e.g., dogs) and us.  We do not understand the long-term effects due to exposure. The blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) can be seen, for example, by satellites to cover large parts of Lake Okeechobee.

6. We urgently need to control the above harmful elements of phosphorus, nitrogen, pharma and herbicides entering our waterways.

7. Additionally, especially during the wet season, we need to control the large amount of water that flows from the northern part of Florida into Lake Okeechobee.  The Army Corps of Engineers regulates the Lake O water level and, under current federal regulations, maintains the safety of the Lake Okeechobee dike system.  Because federal laws, the Lake Okeechobee Operating System (LORS), define the maximum and minimum lake water levels, billions of gallons of water often are discharged every year to the St. Lucie River and the Caloosahatchee River to maintain these levels.

8. These discharges to the east to the St. Lucie River and to the west to the Caloosahatchee River  are responsible for the significant loss of seagrass vital to marine life, especially manatees, and for bringing the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), phosphorus, nitrogen compounds, pharmaceuticals and remnants of herbicides into our waters. 

Latest Developments:

• The Army Corps is updating the LORS water regulation and is called LOSOM (Lake Okeechobee Service Operation Manual). It is to be completed in late 2022

• After more than two years of meetings, modeling, debates and advocacy, the Corps whittled down the list of potential new “playbooks” to manage Lake Okeechobee (Lake O) to plan CC.  This plan will be further refined/optimized over the next few months. 

• Plan CC will reduce discharges to the St. Lucie River by 50%; subject to change.  

• Problem:  To reduce discharges, the Army Corp must send more water south of the lake!! But there is not enough capacity to handle water south of the lake. One solution is building of an EAA Reservoir which has begun construction. 

• South Florida Water Management is collaborating with the Army Corps to make more storm treatment areas (STA’s) available south of the lake to clean water for discharge into the Everglades which badly needs more water and must meet the 10 parts per billion max nutrient limits.  They are also needed to clean water when the EAA reservoir is completed. Currently, there is not enough capacity. 

• North of the lake, the Army Corps has announced completion of the Kissimmee River project which entailed return of the winding river configuration to allow it to slow down the flow and allow for some reduction of the nitrogen and phosphorus contained in the water. 

• The Army Corps has also been charged with finding a solution to reduce the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms. We are still in the early stages. 

• The State of Florida is working to develop a model to control nitrogen/phosphorous levels in our waters, the foodstuff for algae and bacteria.

• Martin County and South Florida Water Management have partnered on a new reservoir to readied by end of 2021 that will be used to clean water from Lake O and local runoff.  This will further reduce the harmful effects of Lake O discharges. 

• Martin County is also reviewing purchase of more land to hold additional water for cleaning before it gets to the Indian River Lagoon/St. Lucie River. 

• Martin County is applying for grants to provide for oysters and seagrass to be added to the St. Lucie and Indian River Lagoon.  Seagrass is essential if the St. Lucie and Indian River Lagoon are to be returned to their prior pristine state.

• Local federal Representative have been petitioned requesting for the EPA and Federal Wildlife Dept to provide grants for increasing oyster beds and seagrass plantings.