Monthly Archives: February 2022

The Incredible Wildlife, C-44 Reservoir/STA

-Road to the C-44 Reservoir pump station, speed limit is 25 miles per hour.Keeping you up to date…

I’ve had the chance to go back out to the C-44 Reservoir/Storm Water Treatment area on February 19, 2022, and it is a sight to see! The wildlife! I shared many of these photos on Facebook; I am posting on my blog for posterity. I hope you enjoy.

C-44 R/STA Wildlife video SFMWD

C-44 Reservoir Filling Up

SFWMD Press Release CERP C-44 R/STA ribbon-cutting, Dec.6, 2021

-Empty apple snail found at C-44 R/STA evidence of Snail Kites!WHITE PELICANS

The drive to the Reservoir from Citrus Boulevard is long and slow; on your way you pass the Storm Water Treatment Area that consists of six cells. During an earlier visit, I saw numerous endangered Everglades’ Snail Kites flying over looking for apple snails. I learned at SFWMD Governing Board meetings that the birds had many successful nest here.

When I visited just last week, I saw a large flock of white pelicans! What a treat, I have never really seen them before. Maybe once in Sebastian. They are huge and I noticed they have black markings under their wings. They were flying around in groups overhead, like modern-day pterodactyls. So cool.

DEER

Almost immediately after seeing the white pelicans, I saw deer. I was careful to stay my distance and could see them running along the storm water treatment of Cell 2. They looked healthy and happy as there is plenty to eat and there is no hunting allowed at the Reservoir/STA.

INDIGO SNAKES

One of the main reasons you have to go slow is the federally threatened Eastern Indigo Snake. Snakes often warm themselves on the pavement. As a kid there were many indigo snakes in St Lucie Estates in Stuart. They are docile, large, and a striking blue/black in color, just beautiful. My mother used to bring them to my brother, sister and I to look at. Today there are hardly any. I saw no indigos during my C-44 Reservoir/STA visit but I did see a friendly black racer. He or she was warming right at the base of the pump station at the reservoir.-Panoramic view of the giant C-44 Reservoir. About two and a half miles across in every direction.

ALLIGATORS

Alligators are also in on the new real estate and can been seen warming themselves along the edge of the Reservoir. This photo is by Sean Cooley, SFWMD Communications Director who I was with this day. These alligators must have walked up a thirty foot berm and then down into the reservoir! “Build and they will come!” Love it!

-The ACOE is filling up the C-44 Reservoir to its second level. Five feet each time, for three times, to reach fifteen feet. The reservoir will be monitored for safety and integrity throughout 2022.

-Pump Station S-401 brings water in from C-44 Canal-A view from the top of reservoir’s edge looking east over pump station confectioning canal, and STAs in distance -Sean Cooley and I at the reservoir as it fills up. Sean is communications director for SFWMD and previously worked for Audubon.Evening falls…the alligators fall into sleep to awake for a new and wonderful day at C-44 Reservoir/STA.

WATCH THIS GREAT SFWMD YouTube Wildlife Video of C-44R/STA

Together with the ACOE, C-23/24 STA

-Selfie with ACOE Col. Jamie Booth, courtesy of Brigida I. Sanchez, USACOE Public Affairs.-Rounding an oxbow of the North Fork of the St Lucie River, tour with ACOE, February 18, 2022.The St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon had a great day, February 18, 2022. The C-23/24 Storm Water Treatment Area for CERP‘s “Indian River Lagoon South” broke ground in St Lucie County. In this case, the SFWMD bought the land and the ACOE builds the projects. As they have since 2000, when CERP was first authorized, the ACOE & SFWMD work together. Component C-23/24 was first authorized by Congress in 2007; this project has waited patiently for its debut.

I noticed right off the bat that the Army Corp’s words spoken at the ceremony were more personal, more empathetic than I had ever heard before.Lt. Col. Todd Polk:

“I can already see the eelgrass in the lagoon. I see the healthy wetland. I can see the birds and fish. I see our neighbors in St. Lucie and Martin counties making a living, enjoying and recreating in the restored environment.”

Col. Jamie Booth:

“This feels like a watershed moment….”

For entire ACOE presentation click here.

~It was quite windy and the outstanding educational project posters the ACOE had created were blown down. I asked I they would send me a PDF of the posters so I could share them.

Thank to the ACOE for methodically moving forward with with a modern mission to heal our waters. Together, we will get there!

SEE LARGE PDF BY CLICKING LINK BELOW IMAGE.

POSTER_C-23_24_020822

IRL_S_OVERVIEW

IRL_S_FUTURE_BENEFITS

IRL_S_C44

-SFWMD Comm. Dir, JTL, H.M. Ridgley, Evan’s Properties, courtesy of Brigida I. Sanchez, USACOE Public Affairs.

PHOTOS FROM RIBION CUTTING AND TOUR OF NORTH FORK OF ST LUCIE RIVER THAT FOLLOWED GROUNDBREAKING.

“Smile!”press release acoe & sfwmd “Chairman SFWMD Governing Board, Chauncey Goss, wears his ACOE/SFWMD cap!” Thank you for driving from Sanibel to speak Chauncey! Thank you to City of Stuart’s Mayor Merritt Matheson who arranged for the boat tour with help from Captains for Clean Water & Indian Riverkeeper. After the groundbreaking, officials toured the C-24 Canal and North Fork of the St Lucie River – filling three crafts. It is priceless for the agencies to witness on the ground/on the water the waterbodies we are working to restore!

-My boat was captained by Mike Holiday, Captains for Clean Water. Passengers left to right St Lucie County Commissioner Frannie Hutchinson who is credited along with St Lucie County Commission for keeping this project alive for 20 years and then getting it to groundbreaking, no simple task; ACOE Col. Jamie Booth; Captain Mike Holiday; Stuart Mayor, Merritt Matheson; and Exec. Dir SFWMD Drew Bartlett.

It was so exciting to show the Col. Booth the remaining beautiful North Fork of the St Lucie River that is designated a state designated aquatic preserve. See video below!

Amendment to Senate Bill 2508

The Florida Senate passed an amendment to Senate Bill 2508 just about an hour ago. Some changes are certainly better than in the original SB 2508, but bitter pills remain.

I wanted to share the amendment so you can read it for yourself. Changes are in a toxic algae green. Certainly we will all be talking about this in the coming days as we try to figure out in full the amendment’s repercussions, and most important, what the Governor thinks.

Amendment to SB 2508

Senate Bill 2508 in Black, White and Toxic Algae Green

Toxic algae under the Evans Crary Bridge, St Lucie River, Sewall’s Point 2016. There have not been long-standing, major destructive discharges to the St Lucie or Caloosahtchee since 2018. We certainly do not want them to return.

What is Senate Bill 2508? So it puts a constraint on how you optimize and operate Lake Okeechobee. It elevates water supply above all other system-wide objectives for lake operations. Three years of collective stakeholder work on LOSOM would be overridden forcing water supply guarantees in the EAA that consists primarily of sugarcane. Oh yeah, and if the SFWMD doesn’t conform, no money for CERP projects.

Today I offer Senate Bill 2580 Environmental Resources, which is part of Senate Bill 2500 Appropriations in “black and white.”

First, I share the easy to understand “Background and Effects” of the Bill that was given to me by South Florida Water Management staff at the beginning of the Governing Board Meeting, Thursday, February 10, 2022.

Second, you can read the entire: Senate Bill 2508 Environmental Resources

Third, you can read the entire Senate Bill 2500 Appropriations

Fourth, highlights of Senate Bill 2508 Environmental Resources include lines 246-273 and 336-351

Fifth, highlights of Senate Bill 2500 Appropriations include section 1647.

Sixth, I offer the response of Governor Ron DeSantis that was also provided to me at the beginning of the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board meeting held Thursday, February 10, 2022. It is time to fight for our estuaries once again. Watch the SFWMD meeting here statrting at 1:23.