Tag Archives: 2508

Valentine’s Day Discharge Announcement

Yesterday, on Valentine’s Day, the estuaries did not receive sweet news. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, working to manage water together with their local sponsor, the South Florida Water Management District, announced that they will begin significant discharges (1800+/- cfs) from Lake Okeechobee (16.37 ft.) beginning Saturday, 2-17-24.

The aerials below taken by my husband, Ed Lippisch, on 2-14-24 around noon, 30 minutes before high tide, can serve as a baseline for comparison as our waters decline.

Presently, there is no representation on the South Florida Water Management District governing board as far as a traditional sitting Martin County representative. Appointed in 2019 by Governor DeSantis, I was removed in June 2023, really due to the power of the President of the Senate and those influencing her,  for comments I made at a governing board meeting in February of 2022 in response to Senate Bill 2508, a bill undermining the District, water control,  and the EAA Reservoir.  In the the following months, I was not reappointed, as I could have been, by Governor DeSantis, nor was anyone else. Thus the seat sits open at this critical time. I believe I was removed not just because of my comments, but because of my knowledge and my record for speaking the truth. By a long and cruel silence we are being punished.

I will continue to advocate with the pen and with my voice for the St. Lucie River as I have since 2008 when I first became a Town of Sewall’s Point Commissioner and began to learn the dark history of Florida’s water policy. I want to thank the thousands of people and the many organizations who have helped in this battle. We must continue to “shine the light” and change water policy for the better as we have done and will continue to do. As we know, it’s a long and rocky ride.

~Jacqui

 

A not very full C-44 Reservoir, Indiantown, FL
2-14-24 SLR/IRL at St. Luice Inlet. Ed Lippisch.

A few of the ACOE Periodic Scientist Call slides 2-14-24 that I screenshot

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.