The St Lucie River-2018 to 2020. Like night and day.
The waters were fluorescent green-brown, and now they are clear.
It has been an amazing year. Even I have been surprised by the recent clarity of the St Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. And what is really amazing, is that even the “worst of the worst” toxic areas of 2013, 2016, and 2018 now look “pretty good,” and life is returning.
One of these areas is the Harborage Marina in Stuart under the Roosevelt Bridge. I recently took these photos as I felt even at night the reflection of the bridge shone brighter.
How things can change!
~Like night and day; like day and night…
As we enjoy the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon’s beautiful waters this year, we must not forget what we have gone through in 2013, 2016, and 2018. We can never take clean water for granted, we must continue the fight.
Like Night and Day, Reflections on a Once Toxic Marina
ROOSEVELT BRIDGE SOUTH DAY/NIGHT, APRIL 2020, JTL 
ROOSEVELT BRIDGE NORTH DAY/NIGHT APRIL 2020
WATER OF HARBORAGE MARINA APRIL 2020, OYSTERS COMING BACK. WATERS MUCH CLEARER. 
THESE PICTURES BELOW ARE FROM 2018 SHOWING SEAWALL AND ROOSEVELT BRIDGE AREA DURING TOXIC OUTBREAK. SAME PLACE DIFFERENT YEARS; DIFFERENT WATER MANAGEMENT. DAY CAN TURN TO NIGHT VERY QUICKLY SO PLEASE KEEP UP THE FIGHT.
MOVIE TOXIC ALGAE 2018 SLR HARBORAGE MARINA~IMG_4161
The algae was just a symptom. The real problem is the decades of discharges and deposits on the bottom which have killed all the seagrass and created a permanently toxic environment where algae can easily grow; not the septic tanks; they are an easy target for sold out politicians. Don’t let this temporary respite make you think the inadequate reservoir and lack of adequate funding will do much. It will take 20 years of no discharges for our ecosystem to recover. We could completely buy the necessary land and build an adequate flowway to Florida Bay for one week of the current Federal unemployment checks, and the effect on Florida’s economy would be a billion times greater and create a long term sustainable economy with better recreational water and limitless drinking water. The Everglades was a natural miracle flowing fresh water down the middle of a peninsula surrounded by salt water. Let’s take the word “management” out of SFWMD and make it “maintenance.” Restore the natural flow and tear out the ditches, dikes, and pumps. The dike is what killed the people in 1928. It was only 12 feet high then, but it created an inland tsumami which allowed the water to rise and come upon the people, cattle, and houses so fast they could not get away. A gradual water rise would have been survivable. So what did they do? Build a bigger dike and kill the Everglades. Please work tirelessly to send all the water south and west where it is supposed to go and none into C-44. Then we can dredge out the 60 years of muck and send it back to the farmers who have used it up. This is such an obvious solution, and it should be part of the funding to help us recover from this pandemic.
Best regards,
Mac Stuckey
Dear Mac, Thank you for your words. As a lifelong resident of Martin County you speak for so many. I am listening and will take to heart.
Mac you are the hard truth. 💙
A stunning compare and contrast. One may wonder why any governmental body would sustain and overlook what was happening in those years. Additionally, many should be grateful for your input and leadership to help reverse this scourge. Lesson learned is that what is right is worth the fight and now it is up to all of us help maintain the irreplaceable beauty that is the St Lucie river and the IRL.
Thank you Jackie
Thank you Mark. I so appreciate your comment.
Thank you so much for this comment Mark. I have such a week. All good to you! You are right the beauty of SLR-irl is irreplaceable.
Thank you Jacqui for all your effort on the SFWMD as well as this blog to remind people what 2013, 2016 & 2018 were like on the East Coast and the natural healing from no Lake O. discharges. Keep reminding everyone on the SFWMD that the East Coast needs no discharge from Lake O. and we need 750 CFM from Lake O. only during the dry season here on the West Coast. Wet Season discharges need only go South…
Mike thanks so much for your comment. I totally agree with your water observations!
Beautiful, poignant, invaluable – thank you Jacqui.
Thanks for your comment Gary and for all you have done for our present cleaner river!