I am very fortunate to have a team of people, “River Warriors” who help me document from sky to water the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. Today, I share photos taken by friend Mary Radabaugh who overnighted in the area over Father’s Day weekend, June 18-19, 2022. She took amazing photos of nature: live sand dollars, growing seagrasses, wading birds, manatees, and sea turtles. Life is returning to the area.
Next, Dr Scott Kuhns shares five aerials he took the same weekend, on June 18, around 11:30am. These photographs reveal clear waters with rain runoff plume over St Lucie Inlet and nearshore reefs. There is also a photo of the C-44 Reservoir filled to just over ten feet. This reservoir sits on the C-44 Canal and was just completed this past year as the first major CERP project. It is scheduled to be operational by 2023, although the ACOE is trying for earlier.
My husband, Dr Ed Lippisch, took his plane up yesterday. He shares four photos from June 22, 2022 around 12:30 pm that encompass the estuary from a higher altitude. The darker rain runoff is more visible. The estuary still looks good in the region near the St Lucie Inlet. Higher up the north and south forks the water is darker. There have not been major discharges from Lake Okeechobee in over three years. This is a very good thing and we must continue to make this our goal.
Thank you for all who fight for a clean and healthy St Lucie River!
Periodic_Scientists_Call_2022-06-21
ST LUCIE RIVER/INDIAN RIVER LAGOON
I.-Mary Radabaugh, living sand dollar and more life, Sandbar near St Lucie Inlet between Sewall’s Point & Hutchinson Island, 6-18/19-22
I am adding two more wildlife videos 4:35pm, 6-23-22
A. Spotted Eagle Rays at the Sandbar, June 19, 2022, by my sister Jenny and her husband Mike Flaugh.
B. Trigger Fish, Powers family dock, S. Sewall’s Point, IRL side June 23, 2022.
II.-Scott Kuhns, SuperCub, June 18, 2022 near St Lucie Inlet and C-44 Reservoir, 6-18-22.
III.-Ed Lippisch, Van RV, St Lucie Inlet SLR/IRL June 22, 2022. 6-22-22.
These photographs make me feel so hopeful. You should add the video of the spotted eagle rays your sister, Jenny, and Mike Flaugh made near the Crossroads on Father’s Day.
I added mom! Thank you!
These great pictures should be shared with the USACE & your colleagues at the SFWMD. They are a testimony to what can happen with two years of no discharges from Lake O. We on the West Coast look forward to that day when we can recover as well.
Good idea!
Great share, Jacqui…Thank you for all your energy, learning, teaching & dedication to the cause of trying to fix our south Florida water management problems. I wanted to ask you about LOWRP stuff yesterday after the Rivers Coalition meeting ended but you were in a conversation with someone and I didn’t want to interrupt that. It had to do with surface water storage reservoirs north of Lake O…now that ASRs are much less heavily funded. Thanks to Governor DeSantis’ veto pen.
Thank you. Feel free to call or write with questions. My contacts info is on SFWMD website.