Monthly Archives: November 2023

Deviation for Water Conservation Areas – will this recipe help the St. Lucie?

Little water has been sent south from Lake Okeechobee as the EAA runoff is prioritized and, when rainy, the WCA are filled up like overflowing bowls. The SFWMD aims to “send water south” from Lake O, but it can’t unless there is capacity, and there rarely is…

Yesterday the Army Corps of Engineers announced that they will be allowing a deviation in operations for the Water Conservation Areas. You may recall my recent posts about the high water levels in the manmade, levied water conservation areas and the dangers to wildlife and tree islands and the fact that when they are “full” it is not possible to “send water south” to the Everglades National Park from Lake Okeechobee….

~NRP report  

-which means that if the Lake is filling up the St. Lucie River is closer to being discharged to. Today according to the South Florida Water Management District the lake sits at 16.01 feet. If indeed the present strong El Nino unleashes torrents of rain this winter, as it already did on November 15, 2023, or even if not, and the ACOE wants to “plan” by sending non- toxic algae lake water to the estuaries before summer, we are hosed.

Why? Because the system was built that way. It was built to favor some and hurt others, to protect the Everglades Agricultural Area and South Florida from flooding by draining Lake Okeechobee into the St. Luice and Calooshahatchee.

OK. A lot of  issues were accepted from the late 1800s through 1948 when the Central and Southern Florida Plan was built. That does not mean it is acceptable today. There are options that would greatly improve the situation, like having everyone including the EAA sugar lands  hold water on their lands instead of using the lake like a pond at a homeowner’s association to irrigate their lawn! This is 2024 almost!

It is appreciated that the ACOE is allowing a deviation for the Water Conservation Areas and of course the animals and tree islands must be helped too. But we must realize this it is not enough to save the the St. Lucie River that is almost dead as it is.  No false hope.

It’s time for a new recipe!

1948

Strong El Nino 2023/2024 means rain.

 

We are Thankful to Share A View From Above, by Jacqui & Ed

Thanksgiving is approaching and it is time to reflect. Ed and I are grateful. We are grateful to be able to document the successes and setbacks of  the Central Everglades Restoration Plan or CERP from the air. We are thankful to have pilot friends like Dr. Scott Kuhns and professional pilot Dave Stone join us – they have been fellow River Warriors for ten years! The photos we share today do not show perfection but they do show determination. All photographs were taken on November 19th 2023 between 2 and 4pm. It is our story, all of our story,  as shown from above.

Pilot Dave Stone of Ft. Meyers is a long time River Warrior. He is pictured here with his newly built and painted Vans RV at LaBelle Municipal Airport. (Photo Ed Lippisch)

The following seven photos are of the C-43 Reservoir part of CERP.  The SFWMD had a few hiccups due to the contractor and Covid but is now “back on track.” This reservoir will be gigantic. According to the ACOE it is located on 10,700 acres of former farmland in Hendry County, Florida, west of Labelle, the Caloosahatchee River West Basin Storage (C-43) Reservoir will hold approximately 170,000 acre-feet of water, with the maximum depth ranging from 15 feet to 25 feet. To compare, the C-44 Reservoir in Martin County is on 3000 acres and should hold 15 feet too.

C-43 RESERVOIR

C-43 Reservoir is part of CERP and is under construction by the SFWMD. It is located near LaBelle along the Caloosahatchee River. (Ed Lippisch)
The ACOE Integrated Delivery Schedule, its calendar for everything,  for 2023, is aiming for 2028 to complete the building of the C-23 Reservoir.

IDS_DRAFT_090123_FOR PRINTING

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

Lake Okeechobee clear of visual algae in cooler months. Looking NE.

C-44 RESERVOIR

The C-44 Reservoir in Martin County, FL is part of CERP and Indian River Lagoon South. It is undergoing studies for seepage, so holding water but not full amount.
C-44 Reservoir is part of CERP and a component of Indian River Lagoon South.
S-308 at Port Mayaca is attached to the C-44 Canal, the canal the C-44 Reservoir is built to to clean before water through reservoir and storm water treatment area before it is released to the St. Lucie River.

ST. LUICE RIVER/IRL

The confluence of the St. Lucie River Indian River Lagoon meets at the St. Lucie Inlet built by hand by locals in 1892. Note erosion of Jupiter Island south.
October and November bring King Tides flushing out the inlet area and pushing back dark runoff and canal waters.
The Atlantic Ocean has been rough and is stirred up.
A southeastern look over the peninsula of Sewall’s Point clearly reveals the importance of tidal flow. The north and south forks and even the main do not get this extensive flushing. Due to discharges events in 2013, 2016 and 2018 seagrass loss has been significant. The goal is for the building of reservoirs and STAs of CERP to halt the damage, for that we are thankful.

 

Come Hear Merritt Matheson Speak About Martin County Forever!

Merritt Matheson

Thursday, November 16, at the Rivers Coalition meeting held at the Stuart City Commission Chambers, 121 SW Flagler Avenue, 11am, Merritt Matheson will present. Matheson, from the famous Matheson family, was once a commissioner for the City of Stuart himself. Now serving on the Indian River Keeper Board of Directors and the Rivers Coalition, he is continuing his good work as a face for MARTIN COUNTY FOREVER.

You may have heard of it?

If not, I’ll share a bit of what I have learned to wet your whistle, and I encourage everyone to attend the meeting in person or Zoom. (For Zoom mail Info@RiversCoalition.org  or call 772-225-6849)

Check out these links:

Facbook MCForever

Website MCForever

Digital Brochure 

We all know the county is rapidly being developed. It’s hard to watch.

If Martin County Forever gets supported by the Martin County Commission to go on the the ballot for voters to decide whether to support land acquisition, Martin County Forever can offset that loss. Martin County has already done a great job acquiring lands in the past. I think people will support Martin County Forever as it will only be about land acquisition. As the land so the water…

According to Martin County Forever literature, over 116,000 acres have been identified on the Martin County Land Acquisition Map (above). In years past, with community support, about 61% or (71,000) acres were acquired, leaving approximately  46,000 acres left that can still be acquired. Target areas include Blueways, the Indian River Lagoon watershed, Loxa-Lucie and Pal-Mar. These are beautiful areas that need to be saved and could become part of a so needed east coast wildlife corridor. The only lands for consideration are those eligible for state funding to match due to previous designations.

I commend Merritt for his conservation work and for never, never, never giving up! I hope you can join him.

All slides and photographs courtesy of the MC Forever website and FB page.

“A View From Above” by Jacqui & Ed Lippisch

C-23 Canal separates Martin and St. Lucie counties as does an ideology.
Citrus Boulevard runs through what will become Newfield.
An interesting look at some remaining natural features.
Cobblestone cradled into I95, a concept once frowned upon and now popular.
The C-44 Reservoir in Indiantown holding 7 feet of water rather than 15 due to seepage issues.
C-44 Canal and S-308 at Port Mayaca, w/Lake Okeechobee algae free in cooler weather and standing at 16.20 feet.
Sugar fields surround Lake Okeechobee and in recent years are increasing in Martin County.
St. Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon – looking north over St. Lucie Inlet Park on Jupiter Island.
A slender plume exits the St. Lucie Inlet, from rain and runoff of C-23/24 and the surrounding basin, but no Lake O water.
Seagrass beds between Sewall’s Point and Hutchinson Island were ravaged in 2013, 2016, and 2018 due to Lake O releases and have been slowly coming back but with microaglae coating them. The once 700 acres is much lessened.
Looking over Rocky Point to the St. Lucie Inlet. Rocky Point has one of the few parks that displays native vegetation, “Maggy’s Hammock Park.”
Sewall’s Point was said to be “the most beautiful of all” in the topological survey description of this region in 1883. Most of the native jungle like vegetation and topography that inspired this title has been removed for today’s taste in development. You can see what was like in 1883 or near to it if you visit “Maggy’s Hammock Park” in Rocky Point.  A treasure!