These aerial photos over the St Lucie Inlet were taken by my husband, Ed Lippisch, Sunday, October 29, 2017, at 1:45pm.
The number one issue here is the polluted waters of Lake Okeechobee being forced into the SLR/IRL because they are blocked by the Everglades Agricultural Area from going south.
The ACOE has been discharging Lake O waters into the St Lucie since mid-September. These over-nutrified and sediment filled waters continue to destroy our economy and ecology on top of all the channelized agricultural and development waters of C-23, C-24 and C-25. Stormwater from our yards and streets also adds to this filthy cocktail.
Near shore reefs, sea grasses, oysters, fish? A human being? Better not have a cut on your hand…Not even a crab has an easy time living in this.
We move forward pushing the SFWMD and ACOE for the EAA Reservoir with these sad photos and the fact that our waters are putrid at the most beautiful time of year as motivation. We will prevail. One foot in front of the other.
Save the St Lucie! Save the Indian River Lagoon!
Links to ACOE website: See S-80 & S-308, others intesting too. Northern waters should also be cleaned! http://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/reports.htm
I have told the city of Stuart how to fix this and they refuse to do it. Please run for the commission to change that. Politicians are not going to create an adequate southerly flowway, until forced by the courts. The reservoir they passed is so small it will have minimal effect. Rick Scott cannot be our senator, and Adam Putnam cannot be the next governor, and we need to get rid of Rubio.
Here is a little lagoon trivia—ever wonder how the lagoon all of the sudden clears up? Calcium is a alkalie metal. It has a high ph. What clouds up the water in the lagoon is when the calcium sticks to and reacts with the organic material that all has a low ph. This reaction creates little microbubles that make it boyant. Right now our lagoon is about to clear up. What will cause this is this cold front will cool the water down and slow the reaction between the calcium and organic material makeing the suspended material sink. The filter feeding menhaden have timed this event for their migration out to sea while the bottom feeding shrimp have also timed this event for their migration into the lagoon. Thank you Jacqui for letting me tell it like it is.
Good, Jacqui! You’ve earned a quiet lunch at Cuban Bistro or such….
Plankton feed on this calcium and organic material. Plankton is the bottom of the food chain. Bring back the plankton and you can feed the world. BW
This is unacceptable and we will be reviewing it on our FM radio show (Sweet Science) syndicated into cities here in Alabama (Birmingham Mountain radio 107.3 FM BHM and 97.5 Tuscaloosa).
We are responsible for protecting clean water.
Thank you!
I lived and worked near Muscle Shoals Alabama. I remember how the water would burn my eyes when I swam on the Mississippi side of Pickwick Lake dam. Clean drinking water is more inportant than most people realize EVERYWHERE. Unburnt gasoline is also running into the water everywhere .—being preserved in a zero oxygen environment. I remember seeing a big radio station there not far from the Natchez Trace.
In your 3rd edition river kidz workbook on page 38 a Heath Samples wrote that they feel the river is their best friend and you have to protect your best friend from a bully. Just how can you protect the river from big bullies? I just watched the movie—an ocean of plastic. At our lagoon house they have been makeing oyster matts out of plastic for years now.Allmost everyone involved gets a paycheck from the state of Florida. If i went and bought 200 3/4 mesh cast nets and throwed them everywhere in the water it would look the same as their 3/4 mesh plastic bags full of oyster shells. I have told them this is bad and ileagle for years but our big bully state government makes all the rules for you–not them. They also take all your money and do bad things with it. Maby the river kids can write miss Lisa Desoto at the Marine Resource Council and tell them what they are doing is very very bad and will kill the creatures for many years to come
A FL native I was out of the state for years. What happened to the Bush deal to buy out the sugar companies? Is that agreement lapsed and dead or could it be reactivated?
Also, is there a lawsuit and/or any organized effort to make the legislature appropriately spend the fees 75% of voted for on the intended land acquisition?
I am not sure where the pollution starts but if the water could run through some mushrooms that absorb and live on nutrients like ferterlizer. Also water hyacynths that are already here are the fastest growing water plant and absorb chemicals and such from the water. They can be used as mulch. A series of natural filters. The mushrooms can be a barrier on land between the pollution and the water. PS get the army corps of engineers to do it.