As I write, the skies above me are electrified. Thor is throwing bolts angrily and I am wondering if my ancient oak trees might get struck. Rain is coming, again, to Martin County, Florida. Martin has been fortunate this year to receive these waters from Heaven while much of the state has not.
On my recent trip with my husband Ed in June to Florida Bay, the waters looked thick and chalky. There were no manatees floating about lazily as in years past. Dead stinking seagrasses lifted from the bottom packed and covered the shoreline. Not a pretty sight.
As we all know, years ago, in an effort to develop our state, humans broke the flow of water flowing south from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades, channelized the serpentine Kissimmee, and dug out multiple other canals to drain the state. The Buttonwood Canal connecting Coot and White Water Bay in Flamingo was one of the worst, injecting salt water into fresh and not allowing fresh to run into saline. A concrete barrier separates the two. The fallacy of this becomes especially evident during drought times.
According to the South Florida Water Management District’s DROUGHT IN SOUTH FLORIDA 2000-2001 “drought visits North America almost every year in some part of the United States and in nearly every decade. In Central and South Florida several droughts were reported: in 1932, 1955-1957, 1961-1963, 1971-1972, 1973-1974, 1980-1982, 1985, 1988-1989, 1990, 2001-2001” and in 2011 the Boyer Survey, an Archaeological Investigation of Lake Okeechobee was conducted as the lake was so low ancient Indian burial grounds were exposed.
Always, south of Lake Okeechobee is one of the most important areas for wading birds. This year it has been very dry, not good nesting conditions, as shown in red by the US. Drought Monitor for Florida.
The sun does shine though…
Much good work has occurred since the 1970s trying to improve Florida’s water disconnect and in wet years so long as the rain “falls in the right place” water can be sent south to Florida Bay. But in years like 2026, there really was not enough water to send as is reflected in this July 9th SFWMD chart as presented at the Governing Board Meeting. Not to mention the thirsty and politically savvy sugar fields are unquestionably first in line with permits, political contributions and history ….
But there are alternatives….
Gil Smart and Eve Samples of Vote Water and Friends of the Everglades located in Stuart have been politely presenting a theory, really an old theory in new form. Their RESCUE THE RIVER OF GRASS campaign advocates for the public acquisition of at least 100,000 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area for storage, treatment and to send clean water south to Florida Bay.
Of course the EAA Reservoir, which I completely support is the “crown jewel” of Everglades Restoration and the DeSantis Administration has done great job keeping this fire burning and funding this hard fought necessity. But I am worried that when this administration turns the page in November, that “the powers that be” could highjack the EAA Reservoir to service agricultural needs over sending water south to Florida Bay – the Savings Clause.
Maybe I’m paranoid? Maybe I’m afraid history will repeat itself?Maybe I’m right?
As we turn the corner this General Election, let’s keep our eye on restoring the River of Grass and the EAA Reservoir and all the politics that surround it. We have to.
