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.
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.
“Jacqui, you spoke for the water, for the water had no tongue. And with faux righteousness, Florida’s leaders attacked you. God forbid you call out the bad actors…”
“Bad scene this morning, It’s the whole lake covered.” Toxic Lake Okeechobee. Professional pilot Dave Stone 6-24-23 of Ft. Meyers.
“Lake Okeechobee is really lit up around Pahokee.” Ed Lippisch, 6-23-23.
“The cyanobacteria is now on inside of S-308 Port Mayaca, Lake O.” Ed Lippisch 6-23-23.
S-80 St. Luice Locks and Dam C-44 Canal. Discharge of “basin” waters 6-23-23, but no Lake Okeechobee water.“St Luice Inlet post rains 6-21-23.” Dr. Scott Kuhns
St. Lucie River dark with runoff, C-23, C24, C-44 but no Lake O.
St. Lucie River dark with runoff and C-23, C24, C-44 but no Lake O.
Thank you to pilot Ryan Moran for taking these aerials of the growing algae situation in the St Lucie River on 6-13-18.
His words: “Not good news from today’s flight. Algae in Stuart, throughout the canal, and a very large bloom in the lake just outside the port. To add insult to injury, the locks are open and flowing. The pictures really do not do it justice.” Ryan
Also, thank you to pilot Dave Stone for taking this photo yesterday of the Caloosahatchee plume in the Gulf of Mexico at 5500 feet.
This morning we are out with pilot Ron Rowers and my husband Ed Lippisch for today’s documentation of our Federal Government’s discharging of algae laden waters from Lake Okeechobee, often becoming toxic algae, into our estuary, at the injury of our economy, wildlife, and the tax paying residents of Martin County, not to mention the kid that would like to go fishing over summer break.
A lone sailboat is a sea of blackness, confluence of the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon, once considered the most biodiverse estuary in North America and full of seagrasses, a nursery for the ocean..http://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/plots/s308h.pdfI am very fortunate to have a small army of people helping me document the Lake Okeechobee discharges this year. Presently, it is the tremendous rate of government sponsored discharge from Lake O that is destroying the regions’ economy and ecology, right before our eyes, ~once again.
Friends of my husband, pilots Dave Stone and Scott Kuhns, took these aerials yesterday, 11-8-17 around 5 pm. When I asked Scott about the plume, he relayed that it went 15 miles south almost all the way to Jupiter Inlet, and since there is also rain driven, fresh, dark- stained water flowing out of the Jupiter Inlet (not over-nutrified, black-sediment water from Lake O) there was no clear delineation of blackened plume to aqua ocean water, like usual–rather, the waters are all dark….
“How far did the plume go east from the St Lucie Inlet?” I asked. “From the coast, as far as the eye could see…”
End of plume, near Jupiter InletAnother angle end of plume near Jupiter InletUp close of a boat in the plume. Look at the sediment! Covering what once was seagrasses and killing our near shore “protected” reefs.Plume in black water. Brown on black. The ocean? You’d think it was an oil spill.Plume as seen at mouth of St Lucie Inlet near multi million dollar homes in Sailfish Point.Plume at mouth of St Lucie Inlet on south side as seen against Jupiter Island’s state park/Jupiter Narrows.A lone sailboat is a sea of blackness, St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon, once considered the most biodiverse estuary in North America and full of seagrasses, a nursery for the ocean.Plume exiting St Lucie InletThe north Jetty at the St Lucie Inlet with plume waters going into the Atlantic Ocean. The plume goes east for many miles.
*The ACOE has been discharging from Lake O since Hurricane IRMA hit on Sept 2oth, 2017. The rate of discharge has gone up and down, however increasing over recent weeks. Word is the St Lucie could be dumped on for many more months, possibly through the end of the year. So don’t count on taking your visiting relatives out fishing this holiday season even though you moved here for the water. This ecological disaster is finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel as Senator Joe Negron, alongside the public, and “River Warrior” groups, particularly Bullsugar, has pushed so hard that the SFWMD and ACOE are finally working towards building an EAA Reservoir that will begin the long journey of changing water drainage culture in South Florida, and “sending the water south.” Please get involved and learn more by viewing this SFWMD EAA RESERVOIR website:https://www.sfwmd.gov/our-work/cerp-project-planning/eaa-reservoir
*Thank you to the people, and the children, groups such as the C4CW, Rivers Coalition, grandparents’ HOA email chains, leadership at Martin Health System, and to the those working for the agencies trying to help the St Lucie. As the River Kidz say:
2-10-16, 9AM Looking at peninsula of Sewall’s Point, SLR/IRL. Photo by Dave Stone and Ed Lippisch. Incoming tide pushes plume back into IRL and SLR. Witham Airport seen beyond in Stuart/Martin County.
Today’s first photo was taken by Dave Stone a good friend of my husband and a professional pilot. Taken with an iPhone it shows and incoming tide yesterday, 2-10-16, over the once seagrass rich Sailfish Flats.
The video below the photo shows yesterday’s Lake O/canals/run-off plume having traveled out the St Lucie Inlet moving along Jupiter Island south of Bridge Road far past Peck’s Lake. The video is taken using a Go-Pro by Ed Lippisch.
These videos and photographs are helpful tools of understanding and documentation. Recent others are included below.
Thank you to my husband and the pilots of Witham Aero Club.
2-7-16 Ed Lippisch view of SL Inlet Hutchinson and Jupiter Island from ocean.2-7-16 Ed Lippisch SL Inlet and Sailfish Flats.SL Inlet looking north from Jupiter Island, Ed Lippisch.
Thank you to pilot Ryan Moran for taking these aerials of the growing algae situation in the St Lucie River on 6-13-18.
