View table: News_Link

I am a professional geologist who has worked on coastal zone management issues for more than 35 years. So what if I said I could construct a new inlet connecting the Indian River Lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean that would restore water quality, mitigate risk of algal blooms, red tides, storm surge and sea level rise, protect against erosion, create a world class surf break and prime fishing grounds, generate hydropower, and enhance national security at no cost to the local tax payer?

Would you support the idea?

Of course you would (who wouldn’t?), and a petition proposing a new inlet on the north-end of Patrick Air Force Base has garnered nearly 10,000 signatures so far.

The problem is it can’t be done.

More importantly, elixirs like this one distract us from the real cause of the lagoon’s demise: the massive influx of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from surface water, septic, and water treatment plants that have accompanied urban growth over generations.

It’s unfortunate that the manatee advocacy groups who are now litigating the state to import thousand and thousands of pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus in the form of invasive vegetation, make manatees harmfully reliant on human feeding, and block boaters from even more water, don’t seem to realize that they’re just perpetuating more manatee deaths and counteracting the millions spent reducing nitrogen and phosphorus loading.

By adding non inner estuary cycled nutrients, it will only take longer for the grass beds to recover, and without any grass, the manatees are going to continue to starve because not enough food can be brought in to feed them all, nor should it be.

Instead of fighting for the one thing we can do to truly help the manatees, which is restoring their natural migration, they are perpetuating the manatee status quo that, like it or not, was part of the stress on the lagoons grass beds that led to the decline. Thermal pollution from power plants that’s been sold off as “good” for the manatees is sadly the very reason they are trapped here and starving. It’s also the reason why the population grew to extreme unnaturally high numbers in the Indian River Lagoon that are beyond the systems carrying capacity.

Eventually the power plant will be taken offline as new, more efficient means of generating electricity come online in the coming decades. The manatees will die of cold stress at that time even if the lagoon manages to recover.

It’s always a shame when emotions overrule rational thought and the ability to identify the real problem and solution to both the manatee and estuary needs. A restored IRL includes a restored manatee migration.

Article Source: Facebook IRL Discussion Group

Capt. Billy Rotne

About the Author

This guest editorial was written by Capt. Billy Rotne of Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters.

Capt. Rotne is a Florida native with over 25 years experience fishing inshore and nearshore in the east central Florida area. He was born and raised in a house on the water in Port Orange and had his first boat at 10 years of age. After guiding Mosquito Lagoon and it’s headwater Ponce Inlet for almost 15 years, Capt. Billy enjoys his career more than ever. From history about NASA, the lagoons flora, fauna, pre-Columbian peoples and geology, expect far more than just a fishing charter with Capt. Billy as your guide.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District, announces the approval of a planned deviation from the water control plan for Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades Agricultural Area, also known as the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS 2008), in order to reduce risk from Harmful Algal Blooms.

The Corps has approved a planned deviation from LORS 2008 in anticipation of and following freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), to help reduce the risk of potential concerns associated with algal blooms in Lake Okeechobee, the St. Lucie, and Caloosahatchee estuaries while maintaining other project purposes.

"This planned deviation is an important tool which provides flexibility to hold back releases when Harmful Algal Blooms are most prevalent in favor of releasing more water from Lake Okeechobee when conditions are more favorable”, said Col. Andrew Kelly, Jacksonville District Commander. “The intent is to have no net change in release volumes between the current regulation schedule and the deviation -- it’s just a matter of timing. Our goal is to be as prepared as we can be to reduce the risks associated with Harmful Algal Blooms."

It is important to note that there are many species of algae, and some species do not produce toxins. Even the species that sometimes produce toxins do not produce them all the time, and not all algal blooms produce toxins. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection tests water bodies for toxins when algal blooms are reported. If a bloom produces toxins at a certain level, it is considered to be a Harmful Algal Bloom. An algal bloom does not need to have toxins to be considered a harmful algal bloom. An algal bloom that is negatively impacting tourism, recreation or the environment in a significant way can be considered a harmful algal bloom.

The planned deviation would allow the flexibility to make advanced releases from the lake to the estuaries to the east and west, larger than what LORS 2008 Part D calls for, and to make releases south, when LORS Part C does not recommend releases within the Beneficial Use Sub-band, Base Flow Sub-band, Low Sub-band, and the Intermediate Sub-band to the Water Conservation Areas (WCAs).

These advanced releases, done when the risk of HABs is low, would allow greater flexibility to reduce releases during times when HABs are present in the lake or estuaries.

Under the approved deviation, the Corps could release at rates greater than those called for in LORS at times when the risk of impacts of HABs are low.

Alternatively, the Corps could release less than LORS guidance, or suspend releases entirely when HABs are present on the lake or in the coastal estuaries.

The overarching goal is to release the same amount of water that we would have released by observing LORS guidance, but to improve the timing of the flows.

The operational strategy in the Final Revised Supplemental EA describes the conditions and the coordination necessary for water management actions to be taken under the planned deviation.

When a decision is made to take action, or there are changes to any water management decision, it will be communicated to stakeholders and the public via news releases and web and social media posts, in the same manner that operational changes have been communicated over the past several years.

Implementation of this deviation could begin in February 2021 at the earliest, but will be dependent upon current and forecasted conditions in the lake and estuaries at that time, as defined in the operational strategy).

The Final Revised Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the planned deviation from the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS 2008), in order to reduce risk from Harmful Algal Blooms, along with the Operational Strategy, are available at: www.saj.usace.army.mil/Deviations. (note: large files may take a few minutes to download).

For more specific details on the planned deviation, you may download and view the LORS HAB Deviation Webinar presentation that was provided to the public on July 21, 2020, including the speaker notes in the comments, at: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll11/id/4641 (note: large files may take a few minutes to download; speaker notes can be viewed by clicking on the comment icon callout on the far right side of the PDF file).

The Corps appreciates the ongoing efforts of the public to stay informed and remain engaged in our projects and operations. The feedback that we receive from stakeholders and members of the public provides important local knowledge that informs and improves our decision-making processes.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has been notified by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory of confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) strain: H5 2.3.4.4 in a lesser scaup, black vultures and other avian species. There is a low risk of HPAI transmission to humans and, to date, there have been no known human infections in North America.

The FWC is currently investigating bird mortalities in Brevard, Indian River and Volusia counties believed to be caused by HPAI. This strain has been documented in the United States since 2021 and was detected in hunter-harvested blue-winged teal in Palm Beach County in January 2022.

To prevent the spread of HPAI, the public should avoid handling sick or dead wildlife, prohibit the contact of domestic birds with wild birds, and report wild bird mortalities to FWC so deaths can be investigated. Please be advised that because HPAI is not treatable and is easily transmitted in wild birds, some wildlife rehabbers may not be accepting these animals at this time.  

The FWC is working closely with the United States Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, University of Florida, National Wildlife Health Center, Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Florida Department of Health, and wildlife rehabilitators to investigate mortality events involving wild birds.

Recommended Precautions

FWC asks the public not to handle sick or dead birds, however, we strongly encourage the reporting of all sightings of dead birds to the bird mortality database. Wild birds involved in die-offs will be collected, examined, and tested for Avian Influenza, West Nile Virus, Exotic Newcastle's Disease, and/or other infectious agents of concern.

The HPAI virus is not easily transmissible from birds to people but health officials are concerned it could develop into another form that spreads readily from person to person, triggering a global disease outbreak known as a pandemic. While it is extremely unlikely that hunters or people feeding birds could contract the HPAI virus from wild birds in Florida, the following common-sense precautions are always recommended to reduce the risk of contracting any disease from wildlife.

Additional Resources

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: MyFWC.com/AvianInfluenza

Florida Department of Health: floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/influenza/index.html

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Animals/Animal-Diseases/Avian-Influenza

U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/defend-the-flock-hpai

Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition will host a free public meeting, "Lagoon Straight Talk", to inform the IRL community on the progress of lagoon restoration projects, the status of Brevard's Save Our Indian River Lagoon program, and to discuss what individuals can do to help protect and restore the national estuary.

Guest Speakers will include:

• Dr. Duane DeFreese, CEO, IRL Council-IRLNEP
• Virginia Barker, Director, Brevard Natural Resources
• Courtney Barker, City Mgr., Satellite Beach
• Frank Catino, Mayor, Satellite Beach

The "Straight Talk Meeting" will take place at Satellite High School (300 Scorpion Ct, Satellite Beach, FL 32937) on January 22, 2020 at 5:50PM. Tickets are free but pre-registration is required. More information and tickets are available on the Coalition's Facebook Page.

From the Brevard County Emergency Management Facebook Page: "Today the Brevard County Policy Group voted to close all county & city beaches, March 27 - March 29 from 11 AM - 4 PM daily."

This information was presented in a Brevard County Press Conference held on 03/26/2020 at 4PM. A video from this press conference was made available on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/BrevardCountyGovt/videos/1960961950715428/UzpfSTEwMDAwMTQ1MTkzNDY3NzoyOTU1OTk4NjY3NzkxODM1

The press conference begins at 11 minutes into the facebook video.

Hopefully, an Official Brevard County press release and video will be available online soon.

Brevard County Emergency Management Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

COVID-19 Prompts Closing of All Beachside Public Parking

BREVARD COUNTY, FL. -- Beachside public parking, including access points, County and municipal parking areas and parking garages along the 72-mile Brevard County shoreline will be closed beginning on Thursday in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Closings begin on Thursday, with plans that all County, municipal, and Patrick Air Force Base beachside public parking access being off limits to the public by Friday morning. Spring breakers and other beachgoers are being asked to avoid beach areas as a public safety measure in response to the spread of coronavirus and in compliance with mass gathering recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has advised people to avoid mass gatherings of more than 10 people, and recommends social distancing of 6 feet.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday issued an executive order stating that beachgoers must adhere to CDC guidelines. Due to excessive crowds and large spring break gatherings, beach closings were implemented earlier this week in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

Earlier this week, the Florida Department of Health identified the first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in Brevard County. This past weekend, Brevard County issued a local emergency declaration, which provides the County additional avenues to obtain protective equipment for first responders and sanitation supplies for critical public facilities; to make adjustments on employee leave policies; to tap into financial reserves to deal with potential emergencies; and to seek federal reimbursement for consequence management actions.

Beachside public parking access areas will remain closed until further notice.

The message for prevention continues to be individual responsibility, with the key focus on social distancing and avoidance of large gatherings to prevent the spread of germs. Individuals should continue to wash their hands often and thoroughly, using soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Other measures to aid in prevention include:

• Practice social distancing by keeping 6 feet between yourself and others;
• Avoid large gatherings;
• Self-isolate if you are sick; and
• Call your regular physician, local emergency room, or urgent care clinic for screening to determine whether you should be seen by medical personnel.

Brevard County residents may call 2-1-1 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. for up-to-date information regarding coronavirus.

After hours, anyone with questions should call the FDOH COVID-19 Call Center at 866-779-6121. The call center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Educational resources are available on the FDOH web site at: http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-andconditions/COVID-19/covid19-toolkit.html

Also, additional information pertaining to COVID-19 is available at: https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540747/all/Coronavirus_COVID_19__SARS_CoV_2_

Press Release Link

Brevard County Commission Moves to Close To Non-Residents

Thursday April 2, 2020 2pm

Today the Brevard County Commission heard Rep. Randy Fine's message of “Brevard - Safer at Home - But Visitors, We Will See You Real Soon” and voted 4-1 to recommend that the Brevard Policy Board close the county to tourists and leisure visitors.

All overnight lodging venues including campgrounds will be asked to comply with the no tourism order. Failure to obey could be a second degree misdemeanor with maximum of 60 days in jail and/or $500 fine.

The commission hopes to curb the possible spread of Covid-19 due to out-of-county visitors, without limiting resident's access to Brevard's beaches, boat ramps and waterways.

Commissioners also voted to limit locals activities on the spoil islands sandbars to groups of 10 or less that are following social distancing guidelines.

How they voted:

• Smith - yes
• Pritchett - yes
• Lober - yes
• Isnardi - yes
• Tobia - no

State Representative Randy Fine and Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey were present to field questions and advise the Commission.

The Commission's recommendations will be presented to the Brevard Policy Board at their 4:30pm meeting today. An official press release is expected this afternoon.

The Brevard County Commission has reversed its decision to close all county beaches during mid-day this weekend. Beach closure decisions will now be made by each individual municipality.

Source: March 27 Brevard County Commission Meeting Facebook Video

Brevard Beach Closure News Update

The following is from State Rep. Randy Fine's FB Page:

03/27/2020 11:00am - "The Brevard County Commission just voted to overturn the Brevard Policy Board's decision to close relevant beaches from 11-4 today through Sunday, by a vote of 4 to 1. My understanding is that Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach will remain closed during those times, under decisions made by their local jurisdictions, as is Sebastian Inlet State Park 24x7, at the decision of the State, and Canaveral National Seashore 24x7, at the decision of the Federal Government. The following beaches will remain open: beaches in unincorporated Brevard, Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Melbourne, Indian Harbor Beach, and Cape Canaveral."

03/27/2020 2:00pm - BEACH CLOSURE UPDATE - Melbourne Beach and Indialantic beaches are closed, effective immediately, 11-4 Friday to Sunday, after which time they will re-assess.

To summarize:

Open normally:

• Cape Canaveral
• Indian Harbor Beach
• Melbourne
• Unincorporated Brevard

Closed 11-4 Friday to Sunday

• Cocoa Beach
• Satellite Beach
• Indialantic
• Melbourne Beach

Closed indefinitely during the pandemic

• Canaveral National Seashore
• Sebastian Inlet State Park

News Update

March 27, 2020 4:45pm - Brevard County Press Release

Rescinded: County Beaches Will Remain Open

BREVARD COUNTY, FL. -- County beaches will remain open this weekend after a Policy Group activated for the COVID-19 pandemic voted Friday afternoon to rescind planned closings during the peak hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday, March 29. The vote, however, has no bearing on whether municipal beaches up and down the 72-mile shoreline stay open or closed.

Beachside parks and beachside parking access throughout the county will remain closed. Some beachside cities, including Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, have already ordered closures. Other municipalities were expected to follow suit.

The Policy Group members, which include Brevard County Commission Chair Bryan Lober; County Manager Frank Abbate; County Attorney Eden Bentley; Brevard County Fire Rescue Chief Mark Schollmeyer; Public Safety Director Matt Wallace; and Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey voted to rescind the closings. Group members Maria Stahl, Brevard Health Department Administrator for the Florida Department of Health, and Brevard County Emergency Management Director Kimberly Prosser voted against rescission. Member and Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Mark Mullins was absent.

The group recommends that all beachgoers follow CDC recommendations to practice social distancing of at least 6 feet, and to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.

Web Link

Florida Today Article: Coronavirus in Brevard County: County Commission asks sheriff not to enforce midday weekend beach closings

Brevard County Boating and Waterways Department has begun a program to remove derelict and abandon boats from the Indian River Lagoon. The program hopes to remove 40-50 boats within the next 4 months at an average cost of $7,000 each.

Link to story: https://irlroundtable.com/forum/1643/brevard-removes-derelict-boats

In addition to supporting fisheries and protected resources, habitat restoration builds resilience in communities and ecosystems. Hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters can have devastating effects on coastal communities. Restoring healthy habitats can help protect these communities from damage caused by extreme weather and a changing climate.

Habitat restoration provides a safe, effective, and affordable approach to coastal protection. Efforts like restoring coastal wetlands and removing outdated dams (causeways) can improve coastal resilience—helping communities recover from and adapt to the impacts of extreme weather and climate change.

The NOAA Restoration Center in the Office of Habitat Conservation invests in habitat restoration across the country where our fisheries and protected resources need it most. Our funding and technical assistance help build effective, efficient restoration projects that meet the needs of both fisheries and coastal communities. Our habitat restoration work supports coastal community resilience by:

• Restoring wetlands to reduce flooding caused by more frequent, more intense storms
• Protecting shorelines from erosion and sea level rise
• Eliminating safety risks associated with outdated, hazardous structures

Read the full news story on the NOAA Fisheries website: NOAA Building Community Resilience Through Habitat Restoration

National Park Service News Release

Release Date: March 18, 2020 Contact: Laura_Henning@nps.gov

Canaveral National Seashore is Closing to Implement Latest Health Guidance

Titusville/New Smyrna Beach– Canaveral National Seashore is announcing it will cease operations to implement the latest guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and local and state authorities to promote social distancing. All access to the beaches within Canaveral National Seashore will be closed to the public. This step is also in accordance with Brevard County that will close public parking and beachside parks.

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Canaveral National Seashore  is our number one priority. The National Park Service (NPS) is working with the federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website and social media channels.  

Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. Please check with www.nps.gov/cana and social media @canaveralnatlseashore for specific details about park operations.  

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Press Release: https://www.nps.gov/cana/learn/news/upload/CANA-Press-Release-Beach-Closures.docx

Canaveral National Seashore Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CanaveralNatlSeashore

The City of Cape Canaveral Sustainability Program should be applauded for it’s lagoon friendly initiatives. The city's program provides an ideal sustainability model for all other Indian River Lagoon municipalities to follow.

“In an effort to protect residents both now and in the future from increasing environmental challenges, set an example for coastal municipalities in Florida and across the nation, and in keeping with the tenets of its guiding Vision Statement, the City of Cape Canaveral is implementing numerous sustainability and resilience-based initiatives. The City is committed to delivering policies that are effective, efficient, and forward-thinking; taking into consideration the latest in cost-saving sustainable development, clean energy technologies, and zero-emissions transportation.” Excerpt from City of Cape Canaveral Sustainability.

Of the many Cape Canaveral sustainability initiatives, the following are the most beneficial to the Banana River lagoon:

Herbicide Ban - On February 16, 2021 the City Council unanimously passed Resolution 2021-03, which banned all applications of glyphosate-based herbicides in favor of less impactful non-glyphosate alternatives at all City of Cape Canaveral-owned facilities and properties by both staff and contractors.

Fertilizer Ban - City Code of Ordinances Chapter 92 requires the use of best management practices that provide guidelines to minimize negative environmental effects associated with the misuse of fertilizers. The Chapter regulates the proper use of fertilizers by any applicator; requires proper training of commercial and institutional fertilizer applicators; establishes training and licensing requirements; establishes a prohibited application period; specifies allowable fertilizer application rates and methods; fertilizer-free zones; low maintenance zones; and exemptions. No one is allowed to apply fertilizers containing nitrogen and/or phosphorus to turf and/or landscape plants from June 1 thru September 30.

Low Impact Development - The City is integrating low impact development (LID) practices that retain rainwater on-site and encourage it to soak into the ground rather than allowing it to run off into the Banana River lagoon. The goal is to develop building practices that do a better job of mimicking natural processes in order to lessen the impact of storm events.

In 2016 the City completed a stormwater improvement project that installed 4,000 stormwater filtration chambers beneath Canaveral City Park baseball fields. The filtration system allows stormwater to percolate into the ground rather than flow directly into the Banana River, preventing approximately 931,000 gallons of stormwater from entering the lagoon.

In 2019 the Canaveral City Park filtration system was modified to accept the city’s excess reclaimed water. This filtration system has reduced the amount of nutrient rich discharge to the Banana River lagoon by approximately 39 million gallons to date.

The City has also developed a Low Impact Development (LID) design guide for interested homeowners.

Adopt-A-Mangrove Program - provides interested property owners with the opportunity to “adopt” mangrove trees that provide wave attenuation, water filtration, and marine habitat.

Baffle Boxes - Cape Canaveral has installed baffle boxes on all major stormwater outfalls throughout the City. Canaveral's largest baffle box, on West Central Blvd, was upgraded in December 2017 with funds from the Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) project.

Floating Vegetative Islands - Cape Canaveral has enhanced the nutrient removal effectiveness of three wet detention ponds by adding Floating Vegetation Islands (FVIs). The floating plant mats store nutrients until pulled ashore and harvested, preventing the release of nutrients into the water when the plants die.

Resiliency Plan - The City of Cape Canaveral Resiliency Action Plan (PDF 102pp) was unanimously adopted by the City Council on June 22, 2021. The resiliency plan utilized the findings from a 2019 Vulnerability Assessment as well as input from the community, numerous government, academic, and private agencies to propose forward-thinking, real-world, science-based solutions to combat future environmental conditions.

Let’s congratulate the City of Cape Canaveral for it’s lagoon friendly initiatives and encourage other Brevard County municipalities to follow their example.

See Also: City of Cape Canaveral - Indian + Banana River Lagoon Stewardship

CITY OF COCOA BEACH

STATE OF EMERGENCY – COVID-19 ORDER #12 RESTRICTIONS ON ACTIVITIES AT THE OCEAN BEACH Beginning 8:00 a.m. 4/3/20 until rescinded

Pursuant to the authority vested in me as Cocoa Beach City Manager by the City Commission of the City of Cocoa Beach, in accordance with Amendment #1, City of Cocoa Beach, Florida, Declaration of Emergency Proclamation, approved March 19, 2020, I hereby Order that all ocean beaches in the City of Cocoa Beach are closed to all activities except walking, jogging, biking, fishing, surfing and swimming. Activities such as sunbathing, sitting in chairs, organized sports or laying on blankets and grouping of persons is not permitted. A minimum of six foot social distancing shall apply. When your activity is complete, you will be required to leave the beach area. This follows State of Florida Executive Order 20-91, as modified by Executive Order 20-92, Safer at Home, specifically Essential Activities. Beach parking, beach access parking, and the parking garage will remain closed. Failure to comply with the Order may result in further restrictions being applied. Fine for violation (pursuant to Cocoa Beach City Code Section 8.5-6) is set at $500.00 per occurrence. Done and ordered this 2nd day of April, 2020.

James “Jim” McKnight

In this webinar video, Dr. Chuck Jacoby uses data tables and time lapsed satellite images to present the science behind Brevard County's recent alga blooms.

Dr. Jacoby demonstrates how June's rainfall lowered the lagoon's salinity and enabled the growth of a NEW and UNIDENTIFIED nanocyanobacterium alga. By November, the bacteria decomposing the Blue-Green alga depleted the water's oxygen, and caused over 74 reported fish kills throughout Brevard.

Thankfully, December's lower temperatures and increased wind activity dissipated the decaying cyanobacterium alga and bacteria, and now dissolved oxygen levels are on the rise.

The video is available on the Indian River Lagoon YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmniQoVnJdQ.

Dr. Jacoby's presentation slides are available at http://publicfiles.dep.state.fl.us/DEAR/BMAP/IndianRiverLagoon/Meetings/Lagoon-wide/2020/2020_12/SJRWMD_slides_BMAP_update_20_12_16.pdf.

Play the video and follow along with the slides.

IRL Water Quality Video

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IRL Water Quality Slides

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The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is proud to continue a longstanding tradition of offering free admission to Florida State Parks for all visitors on Veterans Day, Thursday, Nov. 11, in gratitude for the courageous men and women who served in the nation's armed forces. “I salute all those who have sacrificed to protect our freedoms and way of life,” said DEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “Florida's beautiful state parks provide an abundance of opportunities for reflection and recreation. I hope everyone enjoys Veterans Day in their favorite state park, and that we all take the opportunity to thank our veterans for their service.”

About the Florida Department of Environmental Protection  

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the state’s principal environmental agency, created to protect, conserve and manage Florida’s environment and natural resources. The department enforces federal and state environmental laws, protects Florida’s air and water quality, cleans up pollution, regulates solid waste management, promotes pollution prevention and acquires environmentally sensitive lands for preservation. The agency also maintains a statewide system of parks, trails and aquatic preserves. Visit the department’s website at FloridaDEP.gov.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Water Restoration Assistance Nonpoint Source Management program announces the launch of the new green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) website. The site is a resource where communities can learn what GSI is, why it matters, how to get started, and how to implement projects that deliver environmental, social and economic benefits to communities.

"I encourage our stakeholders to visit the new GSI website. This site complements our agency’s ongoing efforts to protect Florida’s water resources by providing case studies, technical guidance and information about funding offered by DEP for green stormwater infrastructure,” said DEP Deputy Secretary for Ecosystems Restoration Adam Blalock. "Information will be kept up to date with the latest research and technical guidance in coordination with our partners at the University of Florida, Florida State University, the water management districts and local municipalities."

The new website showcases green stormwater infrastructure success stories along with technical resources to assist in project planning. These resources will assist communities in determining which stormwater best management practices are most appropriate for an area, evaluating costs and maintenance requirements, and estimating nutrient reduction effectiveness.

Examples of green stormwater infrastructure include:

• Bioswales - Vegetated, shallow, landscaped feature designed to capture, treat and infiltrate stormwater runoff.
• Tree boxes - Stormwater control measures around individual trees (usually in a downtown or main street streetscape) that collect and treat stormwater prior to discharge into the storm sewer system or subsoil.
• Permeable pavement - Porous urban surface that catches precipitation and surface runoff, allowing it to slowly infiltrate the soil below.

"This new website will be a great resource for anyone needing information on GSI - from the general public, to local elected officials, to consultants and engineers," said Dr. Eban Bean, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist of Urban Water Resources Engineering at the University of Florida. "They did a great job making all the information available in one place, no matter what you are looking for - research, funding and case studies especially. It is really going to spread GSI awareness."

Learn more about green stormwater infrastructure.

Web Link: Cocoa Beach Minuteman Stormwater LID Improvement Project

Today, following Governor Ron DeSantis delivering the 2020 State of the State address in the Chamber of the Florida House of Representatives, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein and Chief Science Officer Dr. Thomas Frazer issued the following statements:

DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein said, "As a result of Governor DeSantis' leadership and commitment to protection of the state's natural resources, there is a true environmental movement underway in Florida. In just one short year, we have seen advancements that haven't been realized in decades. Today's State of the State outlined the Governor's continued dedication to making Florida's environment a priority.

“2019 marked exciting progress being made in protecting Florida’s environment, and Governor DeSantis recognizes that the path to preserving our natural legacy for generations to come requires a comprehensive and long-term commitment to environmental restoration. The Governor's proposed legislation and funding requests before the legislature this session provide the necessary framework and resources to ensure we are able to continue our success.”

Chief Science Officer Dr. Thomas Frazer said, "The Governor has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to environmental restoration and water quality improvements throughout the state. Science-based decision making will be key to the success of those efforts moving forward.”

Frazer is optimistic about that prospect and pointed specifically to the Governor’s proposed water quality legislation that is based, in large part, on recommendations coming from the Blue-Green Algae Task Force. “The Governor’s proposal lays out the most progressive and comprehensive environmental reform the state has seen in more than a decade. It is refreshing and rewarding to know that science has been inserted back into the policy arena.”

Environmental Accomplishments:

• Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 19-12, “Achieving More Now for Florida’s Environment” less than 48 hours after being sworn into office, outlining his bold vision to protect Florida’s environment and water quality.
• During Governor DeSantis’ first year in office, all of the environmental initiatives outlined in Executive Order 19-12 were completed or underway.
• Working with the Legislature, Governor DeSantis has achieved more than $625M for springs, Everglades restoration, targeted infrastructure improvements and investments in technology.
• The Governor has expedited critical Everglades restoration projects, including Tamiami Trail, C-43, C-44 and EAA Reservoirs.
• The Governor has made critical appointments to promote science-based solutions and increase accountability and transparency, including the Chief Science Officer and Convening of Blue-Green Algae and Red Tide Task Forces.
• Governor DeSantis Appointed the first statewide Chief Resilience Officer to better prepare Florida for sea level rise.
• To expedite water quality improvements throughout Florida, Governor DeSantis has recommended historic water quality legislation incorporating science-based recommendations from the Blue-Green Algae Task Force, and legislation to increase fines and penalties for violations of Florida’s environmental laws.
• The Governor transferred the Environmental Crimes Unit back to DEP to better align resources, better protect environmental resources and increase enforcement of Florida’s environmental laws.
• In 2019, record-level compliance inspections were performed at state wastewater facilities. This was the first time all wastewater and stormwater facilities throughout the state have been inspected in a single year.
• The Office of Environmental Accountability and Transparency was created to ensure key water quality objectives are clearly communicated to the public, as well as, organize agency resources and scientific expertise, data and research to focus on and solve complex water quality challenges.

In a 2021 FDEP Basin Management Action Plan for the northern Indian River Lagoon the department reported that, despite recent restoration efforts, a 50% reduction in annual nitrogen and phosphorus loads will still be needed to create water-quality conditions sufficient to mitigate harmful algal blooms and result in water clear enough to initiate recovery of seagrasses and organisms that depend on this aquatic plant lifeblood.

Florida House District 55 Representative Kaylee Tuck (R) has filed a $1.2 million appropriation bill requesting funding for an Action Angler Foundation seagrass restoration project.

The purpose of the project is to restore 22 acres of lost seagrass meadows in the Indian River Lagoon near Fort Pierce Inlet. The benefits of seagrass meadows include critically important functions for fisheries production, reducing harmful algae blooms, sediment stabilization, absorbing nutrients, and coastal resilience.

The IRL seagrass restoration project funds were requested by Brett Fitzgerald of the Angler Action Foundation, a 501c-3 non profit organization.

Documents:

• HB 3799 - Indian River Lagoon Seagrass Restoration Project

• HB 3799 - Indian River Lagoon Seagrass Project Appropriation Request 865 (PDF 8pp 71KB)

Patrick Rose, Save the Manatee Executive Director, says the manatee populations in the St. Johns River and Springs like Blue Spring, where the animals stay warm in the winter, are still healthy, but he believes the Indian River Lagoon itself, in certain areas, is creating an unhealthy environment for sea cows. If there's nothing to forage, no seagrass, they can't easily survive.

Rose and others blame the seagrass loss for a spike in manatee deaths this winter. In all of 2020, there were 637 manatee deaths across Florida. But in the first two months of 2021, there have already been more than 300 deaths, and another 100 occurred in December. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates about 6,500 manatees are left in the Southeast United States, most of them in Florida.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $2.7 billion for State Revolving Funds (SRFs), including $97,527,000 for Florida.

This funding assists states, tribes and territories with infrastructure projects that help protect surface water and provide safe drinking water to communities across the country.

“EPA’s decades-long commitment to water infrastructure has helped provide $180 billion in project financing to over 41,000 water quality infrastructure projects and 15,000 drinking water projects across the country,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “In the past three years, the Trump Administration has accelerated EPA’s investment in infrastructure projects that modernize our nation’s water infrastructure and improve public health and the environment.”

“Helping our states invest in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure ensures that their communities have safe water for drinking and recreation,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. “EPA is committed to investing in local projects that will improve water quality, protect public health, and support the local economy.”

In 2020, EPA is providing approximately $1.6 billion in new federal grant funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), including $54,183,000 to assist Florida. This funding is available for a wide range of water infrastructure projects, including modernizing aging wastewater infrastructure, implementing water reuse and recycling and addressing stormwater. More than $64 million in CWSRF grant funding is available to tribes, certain U.S. territories and the District of Columbia for infrastructure projects.

EPA is also making available more than $1.07 billion in new federal grant funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), including $43,344,000 to assist Florida. This funding can be used for loans that help drinking water systems install treatment for contaminants, improve distribution systems by removing lead service lines and improve system resiliency to natural disasters such as floods. In addition, more than $50 million in DWSRF grant funding is available to tribes, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia to use for drinking water system upgrades.

This action supports EPA’s 50th anniversary celebration and its February theme of protecting America’s waters—including surface water protection, safe drinking water and water infrastructure investments.

Background

Under the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs, EPA provides funding to all 50 states and Puerto Rico to capitalize SRF loan programs. The states and Puerto Rico contribute an additional 20 percent to match the federal grants. The 51 SRF programs function like infrastructure banks by providing low-interest loans to eligible recipients for drinking water and clean water infrastructure projects. As the loan principal and interest are repaid over time, it allows the state’s DWSRF and CWSRF to be recycled or “revolve.” As money is returned to the state’s revolving loan fund, the state makes new loans to other eligible recipients. These funds can also be combined with EPA’s WIFIA loans to create a powerful, innovative financing solution for major infrastructure projects.

For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/dwsrf and https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf.

When we change the clocks, it’s also time to “fall back” to no more than one day per week of lawn and landscape irrigation. The St. Johns River Water Management District is again promoting it's Water Less outdoor water conservation campaign to provide timely reminders and tips for saving water year-round as part of our core mission of water supply.

The Water Less campaign complements the watering restrictions the District has long had in place that help us all save water outdoors by establishing certain days and times for irrigation. It’s important to know your watering day but also know that you may not need to water at all.

Florida boasts sunny skies and mostly mild temperatures in the fall, so it could surprise some that research shows our lawns and landscapes need less water to be healthy during Florida’s cooler fall and winter months. And it’s easy to save water outdoors. Remember, too, to water only if your lawn shows signs that water is needed.

Public water supply is the largest category of water use in the District’s 18-county region — about 565.5 million gallons of water a day. Most of this water is for residential water use, and many people don’t realize that more than half of total residential water use is used outdoors if the home has an automatic irrigation system. Efficient irrigation systems that are scheduled correctly can save up to half of that outdoor water use.

You can save water and still love your lawn! Working together, we can all make a difference in the long-term resiliency of our water supply. Visit WaterLessFlorida.com to learn more.

Watering Restrictions

The St. Johns River Water Management District’s watering restrictions are designed to ensure the efficient use of water for landscape irrigation. The restrictions allow enough water to maintain healthy landscapes year-round. The mandatory restrictions specify the time when watering may occur, the amount of water that may be applied, and the days when watering may occur for residential and nonresidential locations. These days depend on whether the address ends in an odd or even number, and on the time of year.

On February 17, 2021, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein adopted the 2021 North and Central Indian River, and Banana River lagoon Basin Management Action Plan Updates.

North Indian River Lagoon

The North Indian River Lagoon Subbasin extends from Turnbull Creek in Volusia County to the Melbourne Causeway in Brevard County.

• 2021 North Indian River Lagoon Basin Management Action Plan (PDF 151pp 7.4MB)
• NIRL BMAP Final Order 2021 (PDF 8pp 2.35MB)

Central Indian River Lagoon

The Central Indian River Lagoon Subbasin extends from the Melbourne Causeway in Brevard County to Fort Pierce Inlet, and includes the areas drained by the Fort Pierce Farms Canal network and the C-25 Canal.

• 2021 Central Indian River Lagoon Basin Management Action Plan (PDF 202pp 4.7MB)
• CIRL BMAP Final Order 2021 (PDF 8pp 2.35MB)

Banana River Lagoon

The Banana River lagoon is located between the barrier island communities of the City of Cape Canaveral to Indian Harbour Beach and Merritt Island, and connects to the IRL at its south end. The BRL has a limited outlet to the Atlantic Ocean through the lock at Port Canaveral. The BRL subbasin is a “negative estuary,” characterized by low freshwater inflows and poor flushing, resulting in high water residence time.

• 2021 Banana River Lagoon Basin Management Action Plan (PDF 116pp 6MB)
• BRL BMAP Final Order 2021 (PDF 8pp 2.36MB)

What is a Basin Management Action Plan?

A basin management action plan (BMAP) is a framework for water quality restoration that contains local and state commitments to reduce pollutant loading through current and future projects and strategies.

BMAPs contain a comprehensive set of solutions, such as permit limits on wastewater facilities, urban and agricultural best management practices, and conservation programs designed to achieve pollutant reductions established by a total maximum daily load (TMDL).

These broad-based plans are developed with local stakeholders and rely on local input and commitment for development and successful implementation. BMAPs are adopted by Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretarial Order and are legally enforceable. (FDEP)

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Shawn Hamilton and local officials to announce the awards for the Wastewater Grant Program, which was established in the Clean Waterways Act and funded in this year’s Florida Leads Budget for projects statewide to reduce nutrient pollution. Eligible projects include those that upgrade traditional septic systems to include nutrient removal technology, provide advanced wastewater treatment, or convert septic tanks to central sewer. Out of the total $114 million awarded, more than $53 million of the wastewater grants – 46 percent of the funding for Fiscal Year 2021-22 ­– is being granted to the Indian River Lagoon (IRL).

“Since I first took office, expediting water quality restoration has been one of my top priorities,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “The Indian River Lagoon covers 40% of Florida’s East Coast and is one of our state’s most iconic and critical natural resources, contributing an estimated $2 billion annually for tourism and recreation and $767 million to the marine industry. I am happy to join DEP and project partners here today to celebrate these projects that will help protect and restore the lagoon for future generations.”

“The Governor’s commitment and advocacy for water quality in our state has been unwavering,” said DEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “Today we are celebrating a suite of projects that will help prevent or reduce the amount of nutrients going into the Indian River Lagoon, to help reduce the frequency and duration of harmful algal blooms, help restore seagrasses, and protect marine ecosystems. DEP is proud to be a partner in these critical projects, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with local governments to address water quality across the state.”

With this funding, applicants have proposed projects to benefit the IRL by:

• Connecting an estimated 3,000 septic tanks to central sewer, resulting in an estimated reduction of more than 62,000 pounds of Total Nitrogen (TN) per year and more than 5,000 pounds of Total Phosphorous (TP) per year.
• Upgrading three wastewater treatment facilities, resulting in an estimated reduction of more than 200,000 pounds of TN per year and more than 37,000 pounds of TP per year.

“I was proud to sponsor the Clean Waterways Act which had bipartisan support and implemented major reforms to improve water quality in our state, including the creation of the Wastewater Grant Program at DEP,” said Senator Debbie Mayfield. “Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida has tackled the state’s water quality issues head on. The $53 million of projects announced today shows the Governor’s commitment to improving the health of the IRL.”

“The Indian River Lagoon is the lifeblood of Brevard County,” said Representative Randy Fine. “It is our primary source of recreation, tourism, and economic growth. And for far too many years, it has suffered and its future has been ignored. So I am extraordinarily grateful that today Governor DeSantis has worked with all of us in Brevard to deliver on our collective promise to repair and preserve this national treasure.”

“We value the leadership and commitment to innovation being shown by the Governor, legislators, and DEP by making yet another valuable contribution to the environment in our District,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Board Chairman Gen. Douglas Burnett. “This type of funding commitment is what we at the St. Johns River Water Management District Board are looking for to move the needle on restoring the Indian River Lagoon to its natural state to enhance the environment.”

“The Governor, legislators, and DEP continue to prove through their actions that restoration of our waterbodies is a top priority,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Mike Register. “It’s through major funding commitments like this, paired with our talented and passionate staff, that we can truly reduce nutrient pollution and continue to restore our natural resources.”

“We applaud the Governor’s leadership in addressing water quality issues across Florida,” said Jim McDuffie, President and CEO of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. “Today’s announcement represents new investment in our state’s wastewater infrastructure, beginning with immediate benefits to the Indian River Lagoon through the conversion of thousands of septic tanks to sewer and the upgrading of multiple wastewater treatment facilities. The issues affecting water quality in Florida are complex, and Governor DeSantis has made a commitment to tackle them on behalf of our citizens and future.”

“The Governor’s announcement is really exciting because it is a transformational investment of state funds to improve wastewater infrastructure along the Indian River Lagoon to improve water quality,” said Duane De Freese, PhD., Executive Director of the Indian River Lagoon Council and the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program.

“Nutrient pollution is a serious problem in Florida, possibly the single most important issue that could make or break our economy,” said Daniel Andrews, Co-founder and Executive Director, Captains For Clean Water. “Governor DeSantis’ grants to improve infrastructure are a step in the right direction down a long road. We must continue to fight for lasting solutions that secure the health and usability of our beaches and waterways – the lifeblood of our state.”

“The Indian River Lagoon has a proven champion in Governor DeSantis. He has, from the beginning of his term as Governor, been the strongest advocate for water quality issues facing Florida,” said Trip Aukeman, Director of Advocacy Coastal Conservation Association Florida. “His commitment and environmental stewardship will make a huge difference in the recovery efforts for the IRL. In partnership with DEP and others, the multi-phased approach and project funding announced today is historic.”

“Reducing nutrient loads entering the Indian River Lagoon is a critical step in restoring this iconic estuary,” said Kellie Ralston, Southeast Fisheries Policy Director for the American Sportfishing Association. “Governor DeSantis has been committed to our state’s water quality since his first days in office. We are excited to see the tangible results of that commitment reflected in DEP’s 2021 Wastewater Grant Program that will fund important septic-to-sewer conversions and wastewater treatment facility upgrades. These projects will make a real difference in the health of the IRL.”

The IRL is the most biologically diverse estuary in North America and an important resource for species such as the Florida scrub-jay, manatees and sea turtles. Currently, the water quality of the IRL is impaired for total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). The nutrients flow into the lagoon from overland runoff, drainage canals, groundwater seepage, and rainfall. Excess nutrients can contribute to increased frequency, duration and intensity of algal blooms and negatively impact the growth of seagrass in the lagoon. Seagrass is the most important resource within the IRL, providing habitat and food for manatees and other species.

DEP’s wastewater grant program is set forth in 403.0673, Florida Statutes. The program prioritizes wastewater projects in basin management action plans, restoration plan areas and rural areas of opportunity and also requires at least a 50% match, which may be waived by DEP for rural areas of opportunity.

In June 2021, DEP’s Protecting Florida Together Water Protection Grants portal was open for proposed project information for the wastewater grant program. The portal closed in July 2021, and submitted projects were reviewed by DEP for eligibility, nutrient reductions, project readiness, cost effectiveness, overall environmental benefit, project location, local matching funds, and water savings and water quality improvement.

A list of Indian River Lagoon Water Quality Projects can be found here.

A list of all projects selected for funding for FY 2021-22 can be found here.

News Source: https://www.flgov.com/2021/09/24/governor-ron-desantis-announces-more-than-114-million-for-wastewater-treatment-grants-to-improve-water-quality-across-the-state/

2021 Florida Department of Environmental Protection Wastewater Grant Program

Wastewater grants have been proposed for four Florida counties within the Indian River Lagoon watershed.

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis released his Freedom First budget recommendations to the Legislature for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. The budget reaffirms Governor DeSantis’ commitment to high priority conservation items including red tide research and manatee rescue, and provides additional resources and support for law enforcement.

“Governor DeSantis continues to solidify the importance of our fish and wildlife resources,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “Everyone wants what we have here in the Fishing and Boating Capital of the World, and we will continue to provide opportunities for residents and visitors because of the leadership of Governor DeSantis.”

“I want to thank Governor DeSantis for his unwavering support for Florida’s natural resources and we are proud of the conservation successes we are achieving under his leadership,” said FWC Executive Director Eric Sutton. “Florida’s natural resources are abundant and we will continue to work hard to conserve and manage these great resources for future generations."  

Budget Highlights:

• $5.2 million and 24 FTE positions for Additional Law Enforcement Resources.
• $12.3 million for Law Enforcement Equipment and Operations.
• $3.8 million for Manatee Care including $717,767 and 2 FTE positions for Enhanced Manatee Rescue and Mortality Response.
• $750,000 for Coral Reef Recovery.
• $3.2 million and 8 FTE positions for Land Additions and Land Use Planning Program.
• $3 million for Restoration of Lakes, Rivers, and Springs.
• $4 million for Expanding Mechanical Control for Invasive Plant Management.
• $7.2 million for Increased Boating Access and Safety.
• $9.9 million to Combat Invasive Species.
• $4.2 million for Continued Red Tide Research.

To learn more about the FWC and its programs, visit MyFWC.com

Over the next few weeks, lawmakers will be considering a slate of bills that would give the state Department of Environmental Protection new laws to add to its arsenal of rules to reduce pollutants flowing into waterways. That includes stricter rules on septic tanks, storm drains and fertilizer runoff from farms and residential lawns.

Visit News Link:The Hour - Florida lawmakers advance fight against blue-green algae

Comprehensive environmental protection legislation has passed unanimously in both the Florida House and Senate. House Bill 1379/Senate Bill 1632 supports the goals of Governor Ron DeSantis' Executive Order 23-06.

The legislation builds on historic investments that Florida has made since 2019 to protect and restore our environment and water resources.

This legislation:

✅ Enhances protections for the Indian River Lagoon with funding appropriated for restoration projects.

✅ Expands and improves water quality protections.

✅ Expands the wastewater grant program to broaden funding opportunities for water quality improvement projects.

✅ Strengthens Basin Management Action Plans by requiring identification of water quality improvement projects that achieve nutrient reductions.

✅ Improves comprehensive planning with local governments by requiring long-term planning for future sewer connections.

✅ Expedites and dedicates funding to land conservation efforts.

Thank you to the bill sponsors, Sen. Jason Brodeur and Rep. Kevin Steele, and all 160 House and Senate members who voted to approve this legislation!

Resources:

• House Bill 1379
• Senate Bill 1632
• Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Historic Executive Order 23-06
• Executive Order Number 23-06 (pdf)
• Basin Management Action Plans
• Department of Environmental Protection HB1379 – SB1632 (pdf)

The safety and welfare of our employees and the public we serve are of top priority to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). As we continue to monitor the latest guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DEP is taking proactive measures and preventative actions to protect visitors, staff and volunteers.

Currently Florida State Parks remain open for day use, however, effective immediately, all Florida State Parks are changing day-use visitation hours to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Additionally, DEP is cancelling all events, activities, special event reservations, pavilion rentals and camping reservations at Florida State Parks for the next 60 days.

Existing overnight camping reservations that begin Wednesday, March 18, will be honored. Visitors must arrive prior to 5 p.m. on March 18, to secure their reservation. After Wednesday, all reservations moving forward will be cancelled and refunded. Beginning Friday, March 20, campgrounds and all overnight accommodations will be fully closed.

ReserveAmerica, the Florida State Parks partner in camping reservations, will reach out to all affected parties to refund camping reservations. ReserveAmerica can also be reached directly at 1-800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287 if visitors have questions or need to modify existing reservations.

DEP's Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection facilities will also be closing the following centers until further notice:

• Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve
• Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) National Estuarine Research Reserve
• Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

These decisions are in-line with guidance from the CDC to avoid the gathering of large groups of people. DEP and Florida State Parks recognize the nature of the situation surrounding COVID-19 and acknowledge these decisions may change quickly. We will continue to keep the public informed on the Florida State Parks webpage, all social media channels and through press releases, as the situation continues to develop. The department will provide updates when events and activities will resume.

For the protection of our staff and our day-use visitors, all state parks, aquatic preserves and NERRs have been provided with signage and guidance on preventative actions to reduce transmission of respiratory illness. All staff are fully informed and utilizing the protocol urged by the CDC and Florida Department of Health. Surfaces and areas that are frequently touched are consistently disinfected throughout the day, and all facilities are regularly and thoroughly cleaned to protect visitor safety.

FL DEP continues to be in close communication with the Governor’s Office, the Florida Department of Health and CDC regarding the most recent COVID-19 status. For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Department of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 866-779-6121 or emailing COVID-19@flhealth.gov. The call center is available 24 hours a day.

For additional information on Florida State Parks, please contact 850-245-2157. For additional information on Office Resilience and Coastal Protection facilities, contact DEP's Office of Public Services at 850-245-2118.

For continuous updates, follow Florida State Parks on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and DEP on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

At the direction of Governor DeSantis and to successfully uphold CDC guidance to maximize social distancing and avoid gatherings larger than 10 people, DEP will close all Florida State Parks to the public effective Monday, March 23.

DEP has taken many measures to continue providing resource recreation at our state parks during this time, such as limiting operating hours and reducing visitor capacity at parks with high visitation. Unfortunately, this has not resulted in the reductions needed to best protect public health and safety as Florida continues to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we work to prioritize the welfare of our communities and staff. We look forward to welcoming you again to our award winning state parks as soon as possible.

Press Release: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLDEP/bulletins/2829c15

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed three additional members to the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Governing Board. If approved by the Florida Senate, the unpaid board members will be appointed to four-year terms.

The SJRWMD Governing Board has been operating with only three out of nine members. Usually not enough for a voting quorum, but allowable due to temporary executive orders imposed by Gov. DeSantis in response to the CoVid-19 pandemic.

September Appointees

On September 8, 2020, Gov. DeSantis appointed two Governing Board members, Florida Senator Bob Bradley from Fleming Island, and environmentalist Janet Price from Fernandina Beach, to bring the board's total to 5 members. Six members are needed to meet the minimum required quorum.

October Appointees

The three board members appointed by the governor on October 9th bring the total up to eight members, enough to reach the pre-CoVid minimum quorum required for board votes. October's appointments include Doug Bournigue, J. Chris Peterson, Jr., and Cole Oliver.

Standing SJRWMD Board

The new SJRWMD Governing Board appointees join three at-large board members.

SJRWMD Governing Board in a Nutshell

• Burnett, Chairman - Defense Consultant, standing member since 2013

• Howse, Treasurer - Real Estate Developer, standing member since 2015

• Dolan - Community Affairs Director, standing member since 2017

• Bournique - Agriculture and Citrus Industry Leader, appointee, former member 2008-2020

• Bradley - Florida Senator with a history of supporting the environment, appointee, FL Senate 2012-2020

• Oliver - Led Brevard Zoo's mission to help restore the Indian River Lagoon, appointee

• Peterson – Flats skiff boatmaker who holds Conservation Awards from the IGFA, appointee

• Price – Accomplished environmental biologist, appointee

Gov. DeSantis, whose campaign platform included many promises to improve Florida waters, should take a look at 40% of Florida's East Coast, where the pea soup green water of "America's most bio-diverse National Estuary" is rapidly losing it's $7.6 billion economic value, and fill the remaining SJRWMD Governing Board position with an Indian River Lagoon environmentalist.

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced nearly $20 million to support water quality improvement projects along the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). These projects will help collect stormwater runoff and treat it to reduce the amount of pollutants and nutrients that enter the IRL. These projects are in addition to the $255 million Florida is already investing to protect the IRL, including targeting wastewater, septic to sewer, and other needed restoration projects.

“Investing in the protection of our waterways is a great way for us to ensure the long-term health of our natural resources,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This funding will help build the infrastructure needed to improve water quality as we continue to make investments to protect and restore the Indian River Lagoon.”

“Decades of human impacts have resulted in impaired water quality in the Indian River Lagoon, specifically from nutrients,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “As a result of the leadership of Governor DeSantis and unprecedented investments in water quality, the Department, in conjunction with project partners, is focusing on tackling the root cause of nutrient pollution.”

Last week, Governor DeSantis signed Executive Order 23-06, continuing his historic commitment to the stewardship of Florida’s natural resources, including pledging to secure $3.5 billion over the next four years for Everglades restoration and the protection of water resources and establishing the Indian River Lagoon Protection Program to expedite water quality restoration of the IRL.

Over the past three years, Florida has invested more than $500 million in coastal communities to address excess nutrients entering our waterways. The Freedom First budget signed by the Governor this year includes more than $558 million for targeted water quality improvements across the state.

The IRL is the most biologically diverse estuary in North America and an important resource for species such as the Florida scrub-jay, manatees, and sea turtles. Currently, the water quality of the IRL is impaired for total nitrogen and total phosphorus. The nutrients flow into the lagoon from overland runoff, drainage canals, groundwater seepage, and rainfall. Excess nutrients can contribute to increased frequency, duration, and intensity of algal blooms and negatively impact the growth of seagrass in the lagoon. Seagrass is the most important resource within the IRL, providing habitat and food for manatees and other species.

A list of approved water projects is available at https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IRL-ARPAprojects_01192023_v01.pdf

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that in anticipation of harmful discharges released from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) are preparing for the use of innovative technology to mitigate blue-green algae if needed, following the recent announcement by the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps).

Although algal bloom conditions on Lake Okeechobee have improved in recent weeks and there is no concerning presence of an algal bloom on the lake near discharge structures, Governor DeSantis has directed DEP and SFWMD to be ready to respond to protect South Florida estuaries and communities.

“Harmful algal blooms have a debilitating effect on our ecosystems and our communities,” said Governor DeSantis. “That is why, for the first time, I made it a priority to secure dedicated funding to deploy innovative technology to mitigate blue-green algae blooms. I will continue to advocate for better management of Lake Okeechobee and the resources needed to bolster our natural resource protection efforts. Our economy and way of life depend on it.”

As a result of Governor DeSantis’ advocacy, $10 million was appropriated in Fiscal Year 2019-20 specifically for innovative technologies to combat and clean up harmful algal blooms. DEP’s Office of Water Policy and Ecosystem Project’s Innovative Grant Program (IGP) facilitated the allocation of this funding following recommendations made by DEP’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force. The recommendations included an investment in a diverse portfolio of technologies to prevent, detect and address harmful algal blooms in a cost-effective, environmentally safe and scalable fashion. To continue this investment, $10 million was appropriated for additional projects in the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Budget.

One of grants that has been awarded through the IGP is for $1.7 million to St. Johns River Water Management District to evaluate the application of Lake Guard Oxy Technology (a hydrogen peroxide based algicide) to prevent algal bloom formation in Lake Minneola. Lake Guard Oxy is a proprietary innovative algicide developed by BlueGreen US Waters Technology, Inc. and was demonstrated during the Governor’s Trade Mission to Israel in 2019. This will be the first of its kind to be tested in Florida. It will be used to illustrate how hydrogen peroxide can repress harmful algal growth and induce the succession of phytoplankton communities from a harmful to non-harmful state. This technology could be deployed along the C-44 Canal, if algae mitigation is needed to protect the St. Lucie Estuary as a result of harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee.

“The Corps decision to begin discharges is disappointing, but under the Governor’s leadership, the state remains committed to leveraging every possible resource towards studying and understanding algal blooms so we can prevent harmful algal blooms from disrupting our ecosystems and communities,” said DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein. “Innovative technologies are a component of our multi-faceted approach to protecting water quality in Florida.”

“I’m grateful to Governor DeSantis for his leadership to improve water quality across Florida and reduce harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the northern estuaries,” said SFWMD Chairman Chauncey Goss. “Thanks to the Governor’s investments in our environment, our partnership with DEP is ready to bring innovative technologies and other immediate solutions to protecting our water resources in South Florida while we expedite critical restoration projects like the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project."

“This action is a direct result of recommendations made by the Governor’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force. Although the task force emphasized the importance of preventative measures, they recommended clearly that DEP invest in a broad suite of technologies including those capable of reducing the abundance of algae and toxins they produce,” said Chief Science Officer Dr. Tom Frazer. “The application of the proprietary algaecide to release water coming from Lake Okeechobee holds a great deal of promise and we are prepared to evaluate the efficacy of the technology to help guide future mitigation efforts around the state.”

Over the past two years, Governor DeSantis has been laser-focused on promoting water management that improves water quality, supports beneficial vegetation growth and ecosystem responses, and provides flood protection and water supply. Specifically with regard to Everglades restoration, under the Governor’s direction, the state has been leading the effort to expedite critical Everglades restoration infrastructure including work on the Central Everglades Planning Project and EAA Reservoir, the Caloosahatchee and C-44 Reservoirs, and raising the Tamiami Trail. Historic federal funding for Everglades restoration by President Trump, combined with more than $625 million per year in state funding secured by Governor DeSantis for Everglades restoration and statewide water quality investments, have provided unprecedented momentum for important water projects.

Unfortunately, all of these efforts cannot guarantee an end to devastating releases from Lake Okeechobee. More flexible water management policies by the Corps and significant increases in large-scale water infrastructure and storage are critical elements to minimizing the risk of future detrimental discharges.

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the Great Outdoors Initiative to encourage Floridians to go outdoors and explore Florida’s natural resources, including our award-winning state parks, vast recreation areas, and world-renowned waterways. As part of the Great Outdoors Initiative, Governor DeSantis signed Executive Order 23-209 (The Great Outdoors Initiative) directing the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to provide a significant 50% discount on annual state park passes and FWC Gold Sportsman hunting and fishing licenses. The Governor fully supports Floridians in enjoying our state’s natural resources and the activities that have become family traditions such as hunting and fishing. To learn more about the initiative and to purchase a pass or license, click here.

Beginning tomorrow, Oct. 14, 2023, and extending three months through Jan. 13, 2024, DEP will temporarily offer Florida State Parks annual passes for families and individuals at a 50% discount, while FWC will be discounting its annual resident Gold Sportsman license, five-year Gold Sportsman license and Lifetime Sportsman license by 50%.

“Florida is home to some of the best state parks, waterways and recreational lands in the country, and I encourage all Floridians to get outdoors, experience our extraordinary natural resources and enjoy our fundamental right to hunt and fish,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “We are now making it more affordable for families to get outside and enjoy these wonders by offering state park passes and fishing and hunting licenses at sharply discounted rates.”

“Governor DeSantis’ promotion of conservative resource stewardship is unparalleled,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “It is because of this leadership that we can get outside and still experience the real Florida firsthand. I encourage all Floridians to get outdoors and take advantage of this incredible opportunity.”

“Florida remains one of the country’s top destinations for world-class fishing and unique hunting opportunities,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto. “I encourage families to take advantage of this incredible offer with a discounted license and enjoy the abundant hunting and fishing recreational opportunities our state offers.”

Governor DeSantis is a strong supporter of every Floridian’s right to hunt, fish and enjoy the great outdoors, as has been a tradition for generations of Florida families. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed House Joint Resolution 1157, which proposed an amendment to Article 1 of the Florida Constitution to guarantee the right to hunt and fish in Florida. This amendment will be included on the 2024 General Election Ballot for Floridians.

With 175 award-winning state parks, trails and historic sites spanning nearly 800,000 acres and 100 miles of sandy beaches, Florida is the only four-time winner of the Gold Medal honoring the nation’s best park system. Florida State Parks provided an economic benefit to Florida last fiscal year of over $3.6 billion while supporting more than 50,000 jobs.

Florida State Parks Annual Passes will have a 50% discount and will be available at the following rates:

• Family Annual Pass – $60, plus tax.
• Individual Annual Pass – $30, plus tax.

Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World, and FWC offers freshwater and saltwater fishing licenses for experiencing the best of coastal and inland fishing options, along with unique hunting opportunities.

The following FWC Gold Sportsman licenses, which include the saltwater fishing, freshwater fishing, hunting privileges and all associated permits, will also be discounted by 50% and will be available at the following rates, plus applicable fees:

• Annual Gold Sportsman – $50.75.
• Five-year Gold Sportsman – $247.75.
• Lifetime Sportsman License
  • Age 4 or younger – $201.50.
  • Ages 5–12 – $351.50.
  • Ages 13 and older – $501.50.

To learn more about the Great Outdoors Initiative or to purchase your annual park pass and gold sportsman licenses, click here.

Governor DeSantis also declared October to be Florida Greenways and Trails Month. DEP’s Office of Greenways and Trails coordinates a statewide system of greenways and trails over 9,600 miles long, allowing residents and visitors access to hiking, biking and equestrian recreational opportunities on multi-use and off-road surfaces. To find greenways and trails near you, visit: FloridaDEP.gov/OGT.

To find a park near you, visit: www.FloridaStateParks.org.

To find more information on fishing and hunting licenses in Florida, visit: myfwc.com/license/recreational.

The John & Barbara Ferrera Ocean Science Lecture Series provides a forum for the community to learn about FAU Harbor Branch’s most recent discoveries directly from the scientists and engineers who make them. The invited speakers from other institutions are colleagues who work on topics relevant to our FAU Harbor Branch research themes. Lectures are held in the auditorium of the Johnson Education Center at FAU’s Harbor Branch campus, 5600 U.S. 1 North, Fort Pierce, FL 34946, 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. There is no charge to attend.

Lectures are free and open to the public. A Season Pass must be presented for admittance to each lecture. Registration is available on-site, by phone (772-242-2293) or online.

Ocean Science Lecture Series live streams and video archives are available on the FAU Harbor Branch Media Site.

Ocean Science Lecture Series Schedule:

January 8, 2020

The Health of Our Oceans: Why You Should Care Jim Sullivan, Ph.D., FAU Harbor Branch

January 15, 2020

South Florida PBS Changing Seas: “Toxic Waters” – Film Screening and Expert Q&A

January 22, 2020

The Florida Center for Coastal and Human Health: Integrated Approaches to Addressing Harmful Algal Blooms Jim Sullivan, Ph.D., & Amy Wright, Ph.D., FAU Harbor Branch

January 29, 2020

Chasing Nutrients and Coral Reef Decline at Looe Key, Florida Keys: A Four Decade Quest Brian Lapointe, Ph.D., FAU Harbor Branch

February 5, 2020

Discovering New Chemicals from the Sea: Can We Address the Antibiotic-Resistance Crisis? Peter McCarthy, Ph.D., FAU Harbor Branch

February 12, 2020

Mid-Series Break – No Lecture

February 19, 2020

Will Razing Rays Save Our Bays? Matt Ajemian, Ph.D., FAU Harbor Branch

February 26, 2020

Fishing for Science Aaron Adams Ph.D., & Paul Wills, Ph.D., FAU Harbor Branch

March 4, 2020

For the Love of Conch Megan Davis, Ph.D., & Laura Issac-Norton, FAU Harbor Branch

March 11, 2020

We Are the Problem and the Solution Emilie Johnsen, 4Ocean & Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., FAU Harbor Branch & Wilkes Honors College

March 18, 2020

NEEMO 23: Simulating Space Exploration in a Real-life Undersea Environment Shirley Pomponi, Ph.D., FAU Harbor Branch

Indian River County has received a $650,000 grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for construction of the $8,705,000 Moorhen Marsh Low Energy Aquatic Plant System to remove nutrients from farm waters before discharge into lagoon.

The facility will use aquatic plants, specifically water lettuce, to absorb and remove dissolved nutrients from the North Relief Canal.

“The facility will remove nitrogen and phosphorus from waters of the Indian River Farms Water Control District’s North Relief Canal prior to discharge into the Indian River Lagoon,” Mr. McCully said. “Based on a one-year pilot plant study, staff estimates that approximately 7,600 pounds of nitrogen and 1,250 pounds of phosphorus may be removed from the canal water annually.”

View Article

The Marine Resources Council has published the 2020 IRL Health Update Report Card #3. The report card visually presents 25 years of state water quality data in 10 regions of the Indian River Lagoon.

The Indian River Lagoon Health Report Card represents the successful outcome of a public-private partnership between Marine Resources Council and Applied Ecology Inc. The partners have worked since 2015 to create a visual representation of water quality and seagrass data. The report has successfully been used to guide scientific investigation, raise awareness, inspire advocacy, and inform policy-makers.

The report card data were collected by state agency personnel and sent to a certified laboratory for analysis. All data were quality assured before being released to the public, a process that takes 6–12 months.

Six water quality indicators were rated in ten areas of the Banana River, Indian River, and Mosquito lagoons. The water quality indicators include:

• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Chlorophyll-a
• Turbidity
• Water Quality Index
• Habitat Quality Index

The report card's 0-100 rating system is presented using color-coded spreadsheets and charts that are easy to comprehend.

Many areas of the estuary have scores of >70% and are slowly improving. Unfortunately, an entire lagoon needs improvement with scores of <70%.

Some North Indian River Lagoon tributaries are scoring 40% with habitat quality falling drastically since the 2016 algae bloom.

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North Indian River Lagoon Water Quality Scores

MRC North IRL Water Quality Chart

MRC North IRL Water Quality Table

Thanks to the Marine Resources Council for putting together a water quality report we can all understand.

Link: MRC 2020 IRL Health Update Report Card #3

Dr. Chuck Jacoby, Supervising Environmental Scientist for Florida's St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), presented "Water Quality Updates" to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) - Indian River Lagoon (IRL) Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) - Public Webinar held on August 25th, 2020.

2020 Indian River Lagoon Water Quality Update Video

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Brown tide has devastated the lagoon ecosystem in the past several years, first blooming here in 2012 and then almost every year since then. The algae is so small that it would take 200 to stretch across the period at the end of this sentence. The same brown tide species hit Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay along Texas' Gulf Coast in the early 1990s, killing off seagrass for years. The bloom lasted almost eight years, making it the longest continuous harmful algae bloom ever recorded.

https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/lagoon/2020/09/10/indian-river-lagoon-green-algae-raising-risk-big-fish-kill/5744718002/

Indian River Lagoon Project has added the IRL News Headlines section to it's website at indianriverlagoonnews.org. The new News Section enables the portal's members to easily post News Headlines, Articles, Videos and Links for the community.

The portal's News Section collects News Links from local newspaper, television, radio and social media sources. Then it compiles the latest News Headlines into one central Indian River Lagoon News Feed. Members can publish headlines to the feed using the portal's News Form to enter the link's title, source, url, image and description.

Author's can publish original News Stories to the community portal by using the News Form to enter the full story with images. Links to original articles are published on the IRL News Feed, and our social media pages. News Articles are automatically meta-tagged, and submitted to search engines using the information entered in the form.

Indian River Lagoon News started in 2020 as a small document archive and grew into an online project that includes local news, community events, online resources and a virtual library with reference encyclopedia and dictionary.

This past year IndianRiverLagoonNews.org was cited in a Florida Senate Bill, a Kennedy Space Center research paper and National Geographic. The National Geographic citation drew many international visitors that have distributed news of the Indian River Lagoon worldwide.

Since it's inception IndianRiverLagoonNews.org has published over 800 pages of web content and served over 58,000 unique visitors seeking Indian River Lagoon information.

Here's to a healthy New Year for the Indian River Lagoon! And a Happy 2nd Birthday to IRLNews!

Thank you for your patronage,

IRLNews

Looking at you human. Fix your mess!

Indian Riverkeeper Michael Conner has announced a Call to Action asking all Indian River lagoon stakeholders to email the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in support of Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual Alternative CC.

Here is Mr. Connor's Call to Action:

Lake Okeechobee SOM Alternatives

Lake Okeechobee SOM Alternatives Chart

Support LOSOM Alternative CC

IRLNews supports Indian Riverkeeper's Call to Action asking for public comment in favor of Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual Alternative CC.

Please take this opportunity to change Lake O's management plan by letting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers know that you support Alternative CC which will limit Lake O discharge to the St. Lucie River estuary and Fort Worth lagoon.

Here is a sample email to assist you in supporting LOSOM Alternative CC. Simply, copy and paste this text into your email application, add your contact info, and send to LakeOComments@usace.army.mil before June 29, 2021.

Social Media Support

Sample Text:

Sample Email: LOSOM_Alternative_CC_Sample_Email.

Web Links

• Indian Riverkeeper
• USACE Lake Okeechobee
• Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual Fact Sheet
• USACE Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual

Bat maternity season is almost here, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is reminding the public to check their homes and other structures for bats and seal potential entry points.

Are there cracks in your chimney or holes in your siding? Bats and other small mammals can fit into these small spaces, and now is the best time to inspect your home! Look for holes or crevices larger than one-half inch, make sure they are not the sites of bats entering and exiting, and go ahead and seal them, before the exclusion. The best way to identify the areas bats are using is to watch the bats emerge in the evening.

Maternity season is the time during which bats gather to give birth and raise their young. Removal of bat colonies must be completed before the season starts on April 15. Bat exclusions are illegal during the maternity season, which runs through August 15. That protects young bats that are not yet able to fly, and it prevents bigger problems for homeowners.

“Maternity season is a critical time for bats,” said Terry Doonan, an FWC biologist and mammal conservation coordinator. “If they are excluded from a place where they are roosting during this time, their flightless young can become trapped inside and die.”

Florida is home to 13 resident bat species, including threatened species such as the Florida bonneted bat. Some bat species roost in artificial structures, including houses and other buildings. It is illegal to harm or kill bats in Florida, so guidelines have been developed to ensure bats are removed safely and effectively outside of the maternity season.

Exclusion guidelines on how to remove bats from buildings can be found at MyFWC - Bats in Buildings. Materials and methods used to exclude bats can affect the success of that process. For more information on how to conduct a bat exclusion, watch this YouTube video: How to Get Bats Out of a Building. Further details on how to conduct a legal bat exclusion can be found at Bat Conservation International.

Bats are beneficial to people and are an important part of the ecosystem. Florida’s native bats help keep insect populations under control, with the average bat eating hundreds of insects a night. In addition to the benefit of keeping mosquitoes and other insects at bay for residents enjoying the outdoors, the value of insect suppression by bats to U.S. agriculture has been estimated to be in the billions of dollars.

There are several ways that Florida residents and visitors can help bats:

• Preserve natural roost sites, including trees with cavities and peeling bark. Dead fronds left on palms can also provide roosting spots for bats.
• Put up a bat house.
• Report unusual bat behavior, or sick or dead bats to: MyFWC - BatMortality.
• Avoid handling or touching bats, or any wild animals, especially if they are not acting normally. Bats, like any other wild animals, may bite to defend themselves if handled, and they can carry rabies.

In accordance with Florida Administrative Code rule 68A-4.001 General Prohibitions and rule 68A-9.010 Taking Nuisance Wildlife, it is illegal to evict or exclude bats during the April 16 – August 14 maternity season.

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November 17, 2021 - Jupiter attorney Lesley Blackner sent Florida Secretary of Environmental Protection Shawn Hamilton a 60 day Notice of Intent to Sue on behalf of Bear Warriors United non-profit organization and starving North Indian River lagoon manatees.

Blackner's letter points to the North IRL's failing water quality and resulting 95% seagrass loss as the cause of the current Florida Manatee Unusual Mortality Event that has so far this year claimed the lives of over 1000 Florida manatees. Almost 400 of those deceased manatees starved to death in the North Indian River lagoon portion of the national estuary this past winter as they congregated near Port St. John's seagrass deprived warm water refugia.

The environmental lawyer places the blame for the estuary's anthropogenic demise on high levels of nutrient pollution caused by inadequate, dilapidated sewage facilities, and the continued permitting of septic tanks within the IRL watershed. The FDEP is responsible for Florida's water quality, setting acceptable nutrient levels, permitting waste treatment facilities and on-site septic systems, and enforcing Florida's wastewater regulations.

Intent to Sue Letter

The following is an excerpt from Blackner's Intent to Sue Notice to the FDEP on November 17, 2021. Download Blackner - FDEP - Intent to Sue Notice (PDF 25pp 1.18MB) to view the entire document.

RE: 60-Day Notice of Intent to Sue Regarding Violations of the Endangered Species Act regarding harm and death to manatees under the Endangered Species Act.

Dear Secretary Hamilton,

On behalf of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) (“manatee”), and Bear Warriors United?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000029-QINU`"'?, a Florida not-for-profit dedicated to peaceful coexistence with Florida wildlife, the undersigned writes to request that immediate action be taken by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) to remedy continuous, ongoing violations of Section 9 of the federal Endangered Species Act (“ESA”)?'"`UNIQ--ref-0000002A-QINU`"'? with respect to manatees that occupy in that portion of the northern Indian River Lagoon (“north IRL”) which stretches from the Turnbull Creek in Volusia County to the Melbourne Causeway.?'"`UNIQ--ref-0000002B-QINU`"'?

The violations at issue include but are not limited to the catastrophic destruction of the manatee’s food supply, destruction of manatee habitat, and resulting manatee malnourishment and starvation. The obliteration of the manatees’ food supply and the resulting manatee starvation deaths, as well their physical impairment and harm, result from DEP’s regulation, permitting and authorization of sewage disposal. DEP’s regulatory control of sewage includes:

1. onsite sewage disposal systems, commonly known as and hereafter referred to as “septic tanks;” and
2. sewage treatment facilities (which, together with the requisite attendant infrastructure of pipes, lift stations, pump stations, etc. shall hereafter be referred to as “wastewater treatment systems.”).

The septic tanks and wastewater treatment systems operating within the north IRL basin discharge high concentrations of ammonium and phosphates (“nutrients”) derived from human feces and urine (“sewage”)?'"`UNIQ--ref-0000002C-QINU`"'? into the north IRL. The ever-increasing human population in the north IRL basin yields ever increasing volumes of sewage containing toxic nutrients that leach into the north IRL. Sewage derived nutrients in the lagoon are the primary cause of the north IRL’s hyper-eutrophication?'"`UNIQ--ref-0000002D-QINU`"'? which has transformed the north IRL into an ecological dead zone, obliterating sea grass and the rich biodiversity that once called the IRL home.

The manatee’s primary food supply is sea grass. This obliteration of sea grass and even other macroalgae is the primary cause of manatee starvation, death and harm in the north IRL. Such death, physical harm and obliteration of habitat through the authorized release of toxic nutrients into the north IRL constitutes unlawful “take” under section 9 of the ESA.

Despite acknowledgement that nutrients derived from human sewage are the primary source of the hyper-eutrophication of the north IRL, DEP nonetheless continues to permit the installation of septic tanks which leach nutrients into the north IRL.

Further, DEP also continues to regulate, permit and authorize direct discharge of either raw or partially treated human sewage and nutrients into the north IRL basin from inadequate, overwhelmed, leaking sewage treatment systems, as well as directly into the lagoon during “wet weather conditions,” pursuant to the Indian River Lagoon System and Basin Act, Chapter 90-262, Laws of Florida. DEP exerts regulatory authority over the antiquated, overwhelmed, deteriorating, leaking sewage infrastructure that transports human wastewater through the north IRL basin. During transport, sewage leaks both into basin groundwater and sometimes directly into the lagoon, thereby further loading harmful nutrients into the north IRL.

This letter serves as official sixty-day notice under the ESA’s citizen suit provision?'"`UNIQ--ref-0000002E-QINU`"'? of the intent of the manatees and Bear Warriors United to file suit in the Middle District of Florida to enforce the ESA if you do not act within sixty days to begin to remedy the ongoing violations of the prohibition against “take” under section 9 of the ESA.?'"`UNIQ--ref-0000002F-QINU`"'? Providing immediate food relief to manatees in the north IRL is necessary.

Dead North Indian River Lagoon Manatee

Footnotes

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Op/Ed Article - Guest Author: Kurt Boyken - With all the concerns of boat ramp closures, please contact your port and/or county commissioners during this upcoming week.

I am not an epidemiologist by any means, but it is known that stress weakens your immune system. Fishing takes one’s mind off reality during this unstable and concerning time. I also know that multiple people in one house spreads germs much faster than getting outside, which is why most of us seem to get the common cold or influenza during cold winters. By no means do I want to worsen coronavirus by selfishness, but it seems like a poor decision to follow south Florida’s decision and shut down boat ramps.

Back to the solution, try to find time to contact some of the phone numbers and emails I provided below to urge that boat ramps remain open. This is especially critical if your livelihood depends on putting in at a local ramp. Civilly express how you just launch your boat and isolate. Also, act decent at the ramps to boost or reputation as anglers by keeping 6 ft from other boaters at the ramps, and please do not fish at the boat ramp dock.

Port commissioners do not seem to have emails. Please let me know if you find any. I will work on sorting out more specifics through this unstable time as soon as possible. You can call the commissioners at 321-783-7831 ext 160.

County commissioners: Rita Pritchett: D1.Commissioner@brevardfl.gov Bryan Lober: D2.Commissioner@brevardfl.gov John Tobia: D3.Commissioner@brevardfl.gov Curt Smith: D4.Commissioner@brevardfl.gov Kristine Isnardi: D5.Commissioner@brevardfl.gov

This is a rapidly escalating situation, and my stance my change if known facts change. I will also be looking into this matter periodically. I would give up boat ramps and fishing if it really did escalate COVID-19, but thus far fishing seems like a great solution given my current understanding.

Cloud coverage and algae blooms in the Indian River Lagoon pose an elevated risk for fish kills, but Mother Nature could generate winds and rain this weekend that could help offset a potential crisis similar to one the County experienced in 2016 and 2018, according to Brevard County Natural Resources Management officials.

A cloudy weekend on tap could significantly increase potential for a large fish kill, a situation that is being closely monitored by multiple local, County and state agencies that have responded in past years to major fish kills on the lagoon. There currently are several types of algae blooming in the lagoon, which is evident in areas of the lagoon that have turned the color of pea soup.

“Now that we are in the warm and wet hurricane season, each heavy rain carries excess nutrients from fertilizer and grass clippings off peoples’ lawns and into the lagoon,” said Virginia Barker, director of Brevard County natural Resources Management. “Rain that soaks into the ground picks up pollution from the septic drain fields and broken sewer pipes and also migrates sideways underground to the lagoon. These extra nutrients from our yards overfeed the algae that is naturally living in the water.”

A large food source combined with warm temperatures leads to algae blooms, and they are typical this time of year, Barker said. She said excess nutrient pollution can make the blooms larger, thicker and last longer than natural, and that’ s bad for seagrass, can lead to fish kills and are bad for the health of the lagoon.

While the County, working in tandem with other agencies, is prepared to respond to a major fish kill, Barker said the hope is that the weekend’s weather, with a forecast of rain and hopefully some winds, could stir things up and offset the cloud cover.

“We’ve been similarly poised a number of times in the last few years without mortality events, so we could get lucky,” she said. “The fabulously clear water we experienced from December to July is proof that the lagoon can recover quickly if we stop feeding it too much pollution.”

In 2011, Brevard County voters approved a 10-year Save Our Indian River Lagoon half-cent sales tax that will generate more than $400 million for restoration of the lagoon. So far, the County has completed 30 pollution reduction projects and has another 83 under contract.

We are making headway but we aren’t there yet,” Barker said. “Blooms like the current one are fairly likely during this season every year until we complete about 200 pollution reduction projects. The current bloom doesn’t mean the lagoon tax isn’t working, it means we aren’t done yet.”

Everyone can help restore the Indian River Lagoon by reducing pollution inputs, such as fertilizer, grass clippings, excess irrigation (especially with reclaimed water) car wash water, failing septic tanks and leaky sewer pipes.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission administers a toll-free Fish Kill Hotline (1-800-636-0511) for reporting the locations of fish kills and/or deceased or abnormal fish. Reports can also be submitted on the FWC website: https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/health/fish-kills-hotline/

November is Manatee Awareness Month and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is reminding the public that these large marine mammals are on the move. As temperatures drop, many of the state’s over 8,000 manatees will be on the move, migrating to warmer waters for the winter. During this time it is especially important for the public to be alert and look out for manatees while enjoying time on the water.

Injuries to manatees from boat strikes are more common this time of year, as migrating manatees venture into areas frequented by boats. Boaters can make a big difference by following guidelines and obeying manatee protection zones, which go into effect in the fall, depending on the county. The zones are marked by waterway signs and maps of manatee protection zones are available online at MyFWC.com/Manatee by clicking on “Data and Maps.”

Natural warm-water habitats, such as Florida’s springs, are critical to the survival of manatees during the winter because they can’t tolerate water temperatures lower than 68 degrees. Disturbing manatees at warm-water sites may cause them to leave those areas where they are safe and could put them at risk.

“This is a very important time of year for manatees and we need the public’s help to make sure they get to their warm-water habitats safely and are not disturbed during the colder winter months” said Michelle Pasawicz, manatee management program lead with the FWC. “By going slow while on the water and viewing manatees from a safe and respectful distance, you can help conserve them so future generations are able to enjoy these amazing animals.”

Ways you can help manatees:

• Observe manatees from a distance to limit disturbance. Disturbing manatees at their warm-water sites may cause them to leave these areas during the winter.
• Follow posted manatee protection zones.
• Wear polarized sunglasses to spot them moving, grazing and resting in the water.
• Keep a lookout for the circular “footprints” or ripples they leave on the surface of the water.
• Follow manatee viewing guidelines and always observe manatees from a respectful distance.
• Don’t feed or water manatees. Doing so is illegal and can put manatees at risk.
• Report injured, entangled, orphaned or dead manatees to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline: 888-404-FWCC (3922), #FWC on your cellphone or text Tip@MyFWC.com.
• Purchase a manatee decal or license plate and let your friends know how you’re helping support the FWC’s manatee conservation efforts.
• Contribute to the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida’s Marine Mammal Fund by visiting WildlifeFlorida.org and clicking on “Support Us,” “Funding Priorities” and “Marine Mammal Fund.”

For more information, visit MyFWC.com/Manatee.

On September 26, 2020, the Marine Resources Council celebrated National Estuaries Day by hosting a public webinar, where prominent IRL research scientists made presentations and answered questions on the current health of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary.

MRC Webinar Presentations

The Indian River Lagoon Observatory Network of Environmental Sensors (IRLON):

Addressing Emerging Environmental Issues in the Indian River Lagoon presented by Dr. M. Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D., Harbor Branch, Florida Atlantic University, Indian River Lagoon Observatory Director.

Indian River Lagoon Observatory at FAU's Harbor Branch Research Institute in Fort Pierce, Florida uses an estuarine observation network of land/ocean biogeochemical observatory (LOBO) units and weather sensors to provide real-time, high-accuracy, and high-resolution water quality/weather data through the dedicated interactive Indian River Lagoon Observatory Network website.

Proposed IRLON Sites in Brevard

IRL Tributaries Health Update:

Tracking the Pollution Sources of the Lagoon presented by Dr. Leesa Souto, Marine Resources Council Executive Director.

Dr. Souto introduced MRC's new Indian River Lagoon Report Card, a science-based water quality rating system for the IRL. The MRC rates the lagoon's water quality based on Nitrogen and Phosphorus content, chlorophyll, turbidity, and seagrass growth.

IRL Water Quality Indicators

In a nutshell, human-introduced Nitrogen & Phosphorus (nutrient pollution) fuels the growth of chlorophyll (algae), which creates murky turbid water that blocks sunlight and prevents the growth of seagrass, the IRL's key indicator species.

Dr. Souto revealed the 2019 Indian River Lagoon health scores with animated graphics that illustrated the IRL estuary's water quality through the years.

MRC - 2020 North IRL Report Card

Most IRL zones average a D grade with a 60% - 70% score, but there are many areas in fair to good condition with a 70%+ score.

Unfortunately, some North IRL water bodies such as Banana River lagoon, Turnbull Creek, and Big Flounder Creek are in extremely poor health with scores less than 50%.

Palm Bay, FL —Marine Resources Council (MRC), founded in 1990, has released its first Indian River Lagoon (IRL) Coastal Community of East Central Florida Progress Report. The non-profit organization is conducting a Tallahassee to Loxahatchee outreach and tour to share the information from now through June. To review the report visit LoveTheIRL.org; to request a presentation or printed copies, contact MRC via council@mrcirl.org or 321.725.7775.

“The east central Florida regional economy depends upon a healthy lagoon,” said Jim Moir, interim executive director of MRC. “The report explains in simple terms that much is already being done to return balance to the region, what more will need to happen, and what everyone must do to help,”

Waterways, canals and stormwater, from across the region east of Orlando, flow to the 150-mile-long lagoon, which also is an estuary. When healthy, it supports one of the most diverse habitats in North America. The lagoon is one of only 28 Estuaries of National Significance in the U.S., making it a growing focus of research and resources. It takes in almost 40 percent of the state’s east coast.

The report explains that recently water in the Indian River Lagoon is generally clearer, and nitrogen and phosphorus pollution is being reduced, helping to curb toxic algal blooms. “We’re making historic progress,” said Moir. “Yet, seagrass, the foundation of the lagoon ecosystem, is not recovering. We need to know why.” The phenomenon is addressed in the report.

The report explains how the U.S., State of Florida, local governments, non-profit organizations, corporations, and others are uniting to provide clear, concise, and consistent communication about the lagoon. “We need to share the progress and interesting stories with the public,” said Moir.

MRC explains in the report that it is calling on the State of Florida to broaden water quality testing in the Indian River Lagoon, and on each county and municipality in east central Florida to convert to Low Impact Development (LID) practices. “We need to know what is in our water and how it is getting there, and we need to slow the flow of water into the lagoon while we do it,” said Moir. Water quality testing conducted by the state currently only looks at five factors, explained in the report; however, hundreds of pollutants may be disallowing seagrass to recover.

Slowing the flow includes major wastewater and stormwater infrastructure upgrades, and septic to sewer conversions. It also can be as simple as installing rain barrels to catch rainfall from the roof of a structure, and channeling it into native rain gardens on site, along with other common sense practices explained in the report.

Help MRC stir a SEA Change: Science + Education + Action. Discover how at LoveTheIRL.org, or call 321-725-7775.

Download: MRC 2023 Progress Report (pdf)

BIOLAB ROAD IS CLOSED AND ENTRANCE FEES HAVE BEEN WAIVED FOR BLACKPOINT WILDLIFE DRIVE AND BOAT LAUNCHES UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Biolab Road will be closed for the safety of our visitors. Biolab Road will be closed until Canaveral National Seashore is able to reopen.

Blackpoint Wildlife Drive and the rest of the Refuge are still open from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center as of now will still be open 8am-4pm Wednesdays through Sundays.

Now is a great time to enjoy wildlife while continuing to practice social distancing!

Source: MINWR Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MerrittIslandNWR/

U.S. Representatives Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and Brian Mast, R-Fla., have introduced bipartisan legislation to protect marine mammals like manatees, dolphins, seals, and whales. The Marine Mammal Research and Response Act increases funding for two initiatives—the Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program and the Unusual Mortality Event fund—that the federal government uses to support efforts by local governments and non-profit organizations to rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured marine mammals and to determine what is causing the mammals to experience problems. This bill is the latest effort by Murphy to protect Florida manatees and other threatened marine mammals.

“Floridians take great pride in on our state’s diverse wildlife, like manatees, dolphins, and other marine mammals. As we see from surging manatee deaths in Florida, these creatures need our help,” said Murphy. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that will bolster federal support for efforts to rescue and rehabilitate marine mammals that are in distress, and to improve emergency response and scientific research so we can act before it’s too late.”

“Decades of special-interest driven policy making, including unfettered pollution and toxic discharges from Lake Okeechobee, have destroyed the ecology of our waterways and repeatedly turned the Indian River Lagoon into an algae-infested toxic waterway that kills manatees. Sadly, these animals are also the so-called ‘canary in the coal mine’ for a massive public health crisis in our state that must be stopped ASAP,” said Mast. “This bipartisan legislation will provide federal support for efforts to rescue and rehabilitate these mammals, while also strengthening efforts to stop this destruction before it’s too late.”

In March, Rep. Murphy sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) urging the federal agency to investigate the sharp increase in Florida manatee deaths in the Indian River Lagoon and other Florida waterways. In response, FWS officially declared the die-off to be an “Unusual Mortality Event.” This declaration authorized funding from the Unusual Mortality Event fund to be used to reimburse the Florida government and non-profit organizations for their efforts to save manatees and nurse them back to health.

In addition to improving the Prescott Grant Program and the Unusual Mortality Event fund, the Murphy-Mast bill would create the “Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund,” named after a late scientist and veterinarian who was a leading expert in marine mammal medicine and aquatic wildlife conservation. This program would ensure that local governments and non-profit organizations can quickly access funding to treat marine mammals with emergency health conditions.

The bill also creates a “Marine Mammal Health Monitoring and Analysis Platform” to collect and report more data regarding marine mammal deaths, and directs the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study marine mammal mortality events.

The Murphy-Mast bill would support the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida organizations like Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, all of which use federal grant funding to prevent and respond to marine mammal deaths in Florida’s waterways.

In the Senate, the Marine Mammal Research and Response Act was introduced by Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Download the Murphy - Mast Bill: Marine Mammal Research and Response Act of 2021

Source: Rep. Murphy Press Release May 7, 2021

The 1960's NASA causeways across the Indian and Banana River lagoons were constructed during a furious Cold War space race that completely disregarded the environment in the name of national security.

It wasn’t until 1970 that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was passed to regulate the environmental impact of Federal Agencies. NEPA requires federal organizations to adhere to a defined environmental review of their activities.?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"'?

There are 4 levels to a NEPA review, the first is Categorical Exclusion (CATEX), which allows a federal agency to list any activities that should be excluded from environmental review.?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"'? NASA has Categorically Excluded many activities and assets in the name of national security.?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"'?

SR405 Indian River Bridge Rebuild

NASA is the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary's largest shareholder, and their mission statement includes promises of environmental stewardship, yet they continue to perpetuate outdated causeways that have constricted water flow in the Indian River and Banana River lagoon for decades.

NASA's project to rebuild the 1964 Indian River Bridge avoided a NEPA environmental review when NASA Categorically Excluded the project, and then named the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as a co-agency on the project. As a federal co-agency the FHWA inherited the bridge project’s Categorical Exclusions from NASA.

In 2017, NASA signed over ownership of the SR405 Indian River Causeway to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000003-QINU`"'? . A convenient 2016 FHWA - FDOT Agreement allowed FHWA to easily transfer the rebuild project's Categorical Exclusions to FDOT.?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000004-QINU`"'?

And so, FDOT now owns the SR405 Indian River Causeway, and the state's rebuild project is exempt from environmental review. (Recanted on 5/27/2021)

(05/27/2021 Edit)

Timeline

• 2015 NASA-KSC begins planning SR405 Indian River Causeway rebuild project.

• 2016 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) giving Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) the ability to perform NEPA environmental assessments on FHWA projects in Florida.?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000005-QINU`"'?

• 2016 NASA names FHWA as a federal co-agency on the project.

• 2017 NASA GSA Targeted Asset Review recommends passing SR405 Indian River Causeway ownership to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000006-QINU`"'? The bridge now falls under NASA's list of categorical exclusions as a targeted real property asset.?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000007-QINU`"'?

• 2018 FDOT and USCG serve public notice and hold public hearings presenting the Project's Development and Environmental (PD&E) Study, and completed construction plans.?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000008-QINU`"'?

• 2020 FDOT Office of Environmental Management gives the project a NEPA Type 2 Categorical Exclusion.

• 2021 FDOT owns NASA's SR405 Indian River Causeway, has categorically excluded the project from an environmental impact study (EIS), and plans to begin construction in the fall of 2021.

(End Edit)

A 57 year old earthen berm causeway; hurriedly constructed during the Cold War; built years before environmental regulations were enacted; will continue to constrict over 80% of the Indian River lagoon at Addison Point.?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000009-QINU`"'?

Unfortunately, the Indian River Bridge project's lack of a thorough environmental impact study is just an indication of what is ahead for the national estuary as environmental stewardship transitions from KSC Environmental Branch professionals to state run agencies.

And Beyond

KSC Property Suitability

NASA is quickly working to divest it’s non-mission critical facilities and vacant land at Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

The 2017 KSC Master Plan displays a map showing over 8,000 acres of "developable" property available for commercial development, including areas deep in the heart of a National Wildlife Refuge and a National Seashore.?'"`UNIQ--ref-0000000A-QINU`"'?

Kennedy Space Center is the reason these wilderness areas exist in the first place. KSC set aside a large land parcel as a buffer zone, and they gave it to the to the National Park Service (NPS), and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), to manage as Canaveral National Seashore (CANA) and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR).

Now, NASA is offering up the land it set aside as public wilderness areas for commercial development. Fish and Wildlife Service: Proposed Shiloh Launch Complex in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

For decades, we have trusted NASA to be good environmental stewards for the largest stretch of undeveloped land on Florida’s East Coast, yet it appears that the MINWR and CANA wilderness areas are in grave jeopardy.?'"`UNIQ--ref-0000000B-QINU`"'?

We stand to lose a National Wildlife Refuge, a National Seashore, and numerous archeological sites if NASA's plans for Kennedy Space Center are successful.

A National Space Center Becomes A State Run Space Port

The 2017 KSC Master Plan outlines NASA’s intention to transition day to day operation of the launch center to Space Florida, in what is to become Cape Canaveral Spaceport.

Cape Canaveral Spaceport's 2017 Master Plan?'"`UNIQ--ref-0000000C-QINU`"'? makes no mention of the environment; their mission is to provide public launch facilities for the commercial space industry's tourists and freight.

In the future, Space Florida's spaceport, and it’s many commercial tenants, will be individually responsible for their parcel of Kennedy Space Center's environment.

• Should a 2021 state run commercial spaceport inherit the same environmental exclusions that NASA's KSC received during the 1960's Cold War?

• Should our National wilderness areas be parceled out for commercial space development?

• Can commercial space organizations be good environmental stewards for our National Wildlife Refuge, National Seashore, and the lagoons of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary?

To be continued...

See Also

• Info:NASA Causeway Indian River

Web Links

• Florida Today - Removing Earthen berm causeways would improve Banana River water quality
• FWS:MINWR - SpaceFlorida's Proposed Shiloh Launch Complex in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
• Blue Origin to fill wetlands for Rocket Test Site
• Environmental organizations spotlight inadequate oversight by FAA of SpaceX’s Boca Chica testing facility, call for an EIS
• Kennedy Space Center Master Plan
• Space Florida
• Cape Canaveral Spaceport

Documents

• 2017 KSC Master Plan (PDF 10pp 16.12MB)
• 2012-2031 KSC Future Development Concept (PDF 44pp 3.78MB)
• 2017 Cape Canaveral Spaceport Master Plan (PDF 68pp 20.86MB)
• Shiloh-FWS Environmental Statement Letter 2014-01-03 (PDF 35pp 1.6MB)
• MINWR The Shiloh Area and Proposed Launch Site (PDF 1p 197KB)

• FDOT - FHWA NEPA Agreement 2016-12-14 (PDF 1p 150KB)
• GSA KSC Indian River Bridge Targeted Asset Review 2017-07-14 (PDF 18pp 685KB)
• NASA Causeway Bridge Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study Flyer 2018-12-06 (PDF 2pp 1.78MB)
• FDOT NASA Causeway Bridge Public Meeting Notice 2019-10-17 (PDF 2pp 108KB)
• USCG NASA Indian River Bridge Public Notice and Bridge Plans 2020-06-16 (PDF 19pp 12.5MB
• NASA Causeway Bridge Replacement Project Development and Final Design FDOT - Volkert 2020-10-14 (PDF 29pp 9.34MB)

References

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In response to an inquiry from SpaceX, NASA is preparing to conduct environmental assessments to develop a proposed new launch site, Launch Complex 49, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The 175-acre site, located north of Launch Complex 39B within the center’s security perimeter, would support the launch and landing of the company’s Starship and Super Heavy launch vehicle. NASA and SpaceX are moving forward with the initial environmental analysis before concluding a potential agreement to develop the property.

KSC Future Land Use

“LC-49 has been a part of Kennedy’s master plan for several years,” said Tom Engler, Kennedy’s director of Center Planning and Development. “The Notice of Availability was updated in 2014.”

NASA’s commitment to environmental protections is codified in Kennedy Space Center’s Master Plan and Vision Plan, and all development activities on Kennedy are subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

“Every new construction project, whether government or commercial, goes through a comprehensive environmental review process,” said Don Dankert, technical lead for the Kennedy Environmental Planning Office. “This ensures that we are able to identify potential environmental impacts and define any associated mitigations prior to project implementation.”

The spaceport, located on 140,000 acres shared with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore, is home to numerous threatened and endangered species that live in harmony with the spaceport’s mission as the nation’s premier multi-user spaceport.

NASA will begin inter-agency and public scoping for the proposed LC-49 Environmental Assessment in early 2022. Scoping is a part of the NEPA process through which a federal agency describes a proposed action and potential alternatives. The agency will then seek input from other agencies, organizations, and the public on potentially affected resources, environmental issues, and the agency’s planned approach to analysis.

Other recent NEPA investigations at Kennedy cover the ongoing construction of the Indian River Bridge, the expansion of attractions at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, an environmental assessment of the new Launch Complex 48, as well as assessments for potential developments in Exploration Park and at the Launch and Landing Facility.

Kennedy’s environmental team also is working to help improve the health of the Indian River Lagoon. In November 2021, the team shared its Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative with representatives from the five counties and various state and federal organizations that comprise the Indian River Lagoon Council. The plan identifies current and potential projects to help improve the fragile ecosystem in the estuary as part of a statewide watershed management approach to restore and protect Florida's water quality.

“We work hard to achieve a balance between spaceport growth and operations and environmental stewardship,” Dankert said. “It’s through the environmental programs that we are able to preserve and protect our unique and valuable natural resources while achieving NASA’s mission and values.”

For more information about economic development at the Kennedy Space Center, visit the Kennedy Space Center Partnerships page: https://kscpartnerships.ksc.nasa.gov/

For more information about the LC-49 proposal and public scoping, visit: https://environmental.ksc.nasa.gov/EnvironmentalPlanning/starshipsuperheavy.

In NASA's recently released Indian River Lagoon Health Plan, they discuss the numerous negative impacts to the lagoons watershed through development, excessive stormwater, and wastewater inputs, loss of wetlands, dredging, invasive species, and overfishing. They also acknowledge that even with the efforts of our local government, the health of the lagoon continues to decline and, in the last decade, has seen dramatic seagrass loss due to algal blooms.

Full Story: NASA Health Plans for Indian River Lagoon After Decades of Negative Impacts

Fight For Zero brings passion and drive to take on environmental health challenges facing Florida. We are fighting for zero pollution through education, support, advocacy, action, and teamwork. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for future generations.

A recently completed study found that redfish sampled throughout Florida’s estuaries are contaminated with pharmaceuticals. Given the importance of redfish to the $13.9 billion recreational fishery in Florida, and the negative impacts of pharmaceuticals on fish, this is an urgent concern. This research follows a prior study that discovered pharmaceutical contaminants in 100% of bonefish sampled from Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys, and shows that pharmaceutical contamination is a statewide issue.

The Redfish Pharmaceutical Contaminants Study was a year-long research project funded by Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and conducted by Florida International University’s Coastal Fisheries Research Lab. The Redfish Pharmaceutical Contaminants Study builds on the previous bonefish study by providing the first assessment of pharmaceutical pollution at a broad spatial scale for estuarine waters in the state of Florida. The goal of the study was to determine the occurrence of pharmaceutical contaminants in redfish in nine important estuaries throughout Florida. These waterborne contaminants pose a significant threat to Florida’s recreational saltwater fishery, which directly supports more than 120,000 jobs

Full Story: https://news.fiu.edu/2023/pharmaceuticals-found-in-florida-redfish

Document: Redfish Pharmaceutical Study

?'"`UNIQ--item-6--QINU`"'?

The Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received a complete prospectus proposing the establishment of a mitigation bank pursuant to the 2008 Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources regulations (33 CFR Part 332) as described below:

APPLICANT:      NASA Kennedy Space Center

                          Ms. Rosaly Santos-Ebaugh

                          Mail Code SI-E2

                          Kennedy Space Center, Florida  32899

KSC Mitigation Site Map

LOCATION:  The proposed project, identified Kennedy Space Center Mitigation Bank (KSCMB), is a proposed umbrella mitigation bank with three project sites.  The projects sites are listed below.

Site 35 encompasses 75 acres and is a historical spoil pile and mosquito impoundment.  Site 35 is located on Static Test Road adjacent to the Banana River in Section 33, Township 22 South, Range 37 East, Brevard County, Florida.

Site 46 encompasses 33 acres and is an abandoned citrus grove.  Site 46 is located west of Kennedy Parkway South and west of the Florida Power & Light (FPL) solar farm in Section 14, Township 23 South, Range 36 East, Brevard County, Florida.

Site 49 encompasses 27 acres and is an abandoned citrus grove.  Site 49 is located east of Kennedy Parkway South on East Crisafulli Road in Section 30, Township 23 South, Range 36 East, Brevard County, Florida.

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY:  Pursuant to 33 CFR 332.8(d)(4), the Corps has posted a full copy of the KSCMB prospectus online so that it is available for review by the public.  The prospectus may be downloaded from the Regulatory In-Lieu Fee and Bank Information Tracking System (RIBITS) at web address: https://ribits.ops.usace.army.mil/ords/f?p=107:2.

Click on the "Cyber Repository" link located on the menu bar above the General Information box, then click on the Prospectus Documents folder to access the prospectus associated with the KSCMB project.

If you are unable to access the web address, a copy of the prospectus is available upon request to the project manager listed at the end of this public notice.

PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:  The applicant seeks authorization to establish, re-establish, enhance, and preserve and protect wetlands and uplands on three project sites totaling 134-acres.  The primary ecological goal of the KSCMB is to improve fish and wildlife habitat, use/connectivity, and improve the overall integrity of ecological communities within Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Indian River Lagoon watershed.  Specific restoration objectives include:

Site 35

• Re-establishment of approximately 3.8 acres of tidal marsh wetlands.
• Establishment of approximately 16.8 acres of tidal marsh wetlands.
• Enhancement of approximately 3.3 acres of tidal swamp wetlands.
• Enhancement of approximately 39.6 acres of tidal marsh wetlands.
• Enhancement of approximately 11.2 acres of upland hardwood forest.

Site 46

• Re-establishment of approximately 4.5 acres of hydric hammock and basin swamp wetlands.
• Re-establishment of 2.8 acres of upland mixed forest.
• Enhancement of approximately 23.5 acres of hydric hammock and basin swamp wetlands.
• Enhancement of approximately 1.7 acres of upland mixed forests.

Site 49

• Establishment of approximately 17.9 acres of wet prairie and depression marsh wetlands
• Enhancement of approximately 0.5 acre of depression marsh wetlands.
• Re-establishment of approximately 5.4 acres of hydric hammock and basin swamp wetlands.

ECOLOGICAL SUITABILITY OF THE SITE: 

A review of available information indicates that the project sites historically consisted of the following conditions.  

Site 35

Site 35 was historically estuarine herbaceous wetlands associated with the Banana River and freshwater flows from the west along with a small area of mesic forested uplands in the southwest corner of the site. Open-water pools were also present.  Before 1970, the north portion of the site was used as a dredge spoil disposal site and areas to the south were converted to a mosquito impoundment. In 2004 aerial imagery, the spoil pile and dredged area west of the impoundment levee are apparent.

Site 46

Historically, aerial imagery of Site 46 is not available from 1943. Site 46 was likely historically pine flatwoods or palmetto prairie with limited canopy cover based on adjacent areas. Site 46 is an upland area that was converted to a citrus grove from the 1940s through 2006. Figure 10-5 provides a 2004 aerial map.

Site 49

Site 49 is an upland area that was converted to a citrus grove after 1943 but before 1958 and remained an active grove until 2006. Before citrus production, it was likely a xeric scrub ridge dominated by herbaceous and shrub species consistent with the relic beach dunal ridge and swale system found in this region.

ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF THE BANK:  The proposed KSCMB would be established and operated by Kennedy Space Center as the Sponsor with the assistance of Jones Edmunds.  The property that comprises the KSCMB is owned by Kennedy Space Center.  The KSCMB is proposed to be established as an umbrella mitigation bank.  Following KSCMB successful implementation and attainment of final success criteria, long-term management activities will be implemented in order to ensure the sustainability of KSCMB.  In addition, the Sponsor will provide sufficient financial assurances to ensure construction and long-term management of the proposed KSCMB.

PROPOSED SERVICE AREA:  The project is located within the Cape Canaveral Subbasin identified as Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 03080202.  The Applicant proposes a Mitigation Service Area (MSA) that is coincident with the secured and unsecured lands within the Kennedy Space Center property.  The KSCMB MSA is anticipated to include wetland habitat communities that could reasonably be expected to occur on the KSCMB.

CULTURAL RESOURCES:  The Corps is not aware of any known historic properties within the permit area.  By copy of this public notice, the Corps is providing information for review.  Our final determination relative to historic resource impacts is subject to review by and coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer and those federally recognized tribes with concerns in Florida and the Permit Area.

Endangered Species:  

Option A:  The Corps has determined the proposed project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), Eastern Black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis ssp. jamaicensis)

West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus), Red knot (Calidris canutus rufa), Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Everglade snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus), Red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis), Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), Atlantic salt marsh snake (Nerodia clarkii taeniata), Southeastern beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris), Wood stork (Mycteria americana), Audubon's crested caracara (Polyborus plancus audubonii) or its designated critical habitat.  The Corps will request U.S. Fish and Wildlife/National Marine Fisheries Service concurrence with this determination pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act by separate letter.

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH):  This notice initiates consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service on EFH as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 1996.  Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a substantial adverse impact on EFH or Federally managed fisheries in the Indian River Lagoon and Atlantic Ocean.  Our final determination relative to project impacts and the need for mitigation measures is subject to review by and coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

SECTION 408: The applicant will not require permission under Section 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act (33 USC 408) because the activity, in whole or in part, would not alter, occupy, or use a Corps Civil Works project.

NOTE: This public notice is being issued based on information furnished by the applicant.  This information has not been verified or evaluated to ensure compliance with laws and regulation governing the regulatory program.

REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING:  Any person may request a public hearing.  The request must be submitted in writing to the District Engineer within the designated comment period of the notice and must state the specific reasons for requesting the public hearing.

COMMENTS:  Comments regarding the proposed mitigation bank should be submitted in writing to the District Engineer at the address below within 30 days from the date of this notice.

The initial evaluation pertaining to whether or not this mitigation bank proposal has the potential for providing compensatory mitigation for activities authorized by issued Department of the Army permits will be based on the information contained in the prospectus, received from this public notice and obtained during an inspection of the project site.

If you have any questions concerning this proposed project, you may contact Ms. Shannon White by electronic mail at shannon.c.white@usace.army.mil, by fax at 904-232-1904, or by telephone at 904-232-1981 or at the following address:

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT CORPS OF ENGINEERS

P. O. BOX 4970

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32232-0019

IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES:  Preliminary review of this application indicates that an Environmental Impact Statement will not be required.  Coordination with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Marine Fisheries Services, and other Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental groups, and concerned citizens generally yields pertinent environmental information that is instrumental in determining the impact the proposed action will have on the natural resources of the area.  By means of this notice, we are soliciting comments on the potential effects of the project on threatened or endangered species or their habitat

EVALUATION:  After the end of the comment period, the district engineer will review all comments received and make an initial determination as to the potential of the proposed project to provide compensatory mitigation for activities authorized by Department of the Army permits.  That determination will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources.  The benefits, which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments.  Factors relevant to the proposal will be considered including conservation, economics, esthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historical properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food, and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people.

The Corps is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other Interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the proposed activity.  All comments received will be considered by the Corps during the formulation of the initial determination of potential for the proposed activity.

COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT CONSISTENCY: In Florida, the State approval constitutes compliance with the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan.  In Puerto Rico, a Coastal Zone Management Consistency Concurrence is required from the Puerto Rico Planning Board.  In the Virgin Islands, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources permit constitutes compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Plan.

Download: Proposed Kennedy Space Center Mitigation Bank Public Notice with Graphics (PDF 21pp 1.9MB)

Web Link: FDEP Mitigation and Mitigation Banking

District 52 Representative Thad Altman (R) has introduced five appropriation bills totaling $5,321,500 to the 2021 Florida House session that will directly benefit the Indian River Lagoon.

• HB 2143 - Melbourne Indian River Lagoon Baffle Boxes - $1,022,500 from the General Revenue Fund may be appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection to fund the Melbourne Indian River Lagoon Baffle Boxes. The three baffle boxes will provide water quality treatment and sediment reduction for 311 acres of property developed prior to storm water treatment regulations that discharge to the Indian River Lagoon. The estimated pollutant load reduction is 3,313 pounds per year of total nitrogen and 553 pounds per year of total phosphorous.

• HB 2145 - Melbourne Harbor City Treatment Train Phase 1 Water Quality Improvements - $627,500 to the Department of Environmental Protection to fund the Melbourne Harbor City Treatment Train Phase 1 Water Quality Improvements.

• HB 2197 - Florida Tech - Restore Lagoon Inflow Research Project - $921,500 to the Department of Education to fund the Florida Tech - Restore Lagoon Inflow Research Project. The Florida Tech Indian River Lagoon Research Institute will continue work on solutions for improving water quality in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) with the third phase of a multi-phase pilot project to investigate the intervention impacts of restoring historical ocean inflows to the IRL. The third phase will support comparative research, continued monitoring, and later stage design of a temporary test inflow system with associated permitting in coordination with FDEP.

• HB 2623 - Brevard County Indian River Lagoon FL-518 Bridge Muck Removal - $2,500,000 to the Department of Environmental Protection to fund the Brevard County Indian River Lagoon FL-518 (Eau Gallie Blvd.) Bridge Muck Removal. This project will remove muck accumulations from the Eau Gallie Causeway (State Road 518) area of the Indian River Lagoon via environmental restoration dredging. This area has about 250,000 cubic yards of decaying muck smothering 75 acres of Indian River Lagoon downstream of a large tributary discharge area recently restored/dredged by the SJRWMD. The project will reduce annual nitrogen flux by 10,476 pounds and phosphorous flux by 1,482 pounds, increasing oxygen, reducing blooms and fish kills.

• HB 2861 - Ocean Research and Conservation Association Kilroy Monitoring Systems in the Indian River Lagoon - $250,000 to the Department of Environmental Protection to fund the Ocean Research and Conservation Association Kilroy Monitoring Systems in the Indian River Lagoon. Continued upkeep and maintenance of deployed real time water quality monitoring systems in 5 counties along the Indian River Lagoon. ORCA Kilroy Monitoring provides information on sources of nutrients fueling increased cyanobacteria production and providing information for measuring impact from improvements to discharges into canals and rivers.

Rep. Altman's bills are now in the Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee and the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee for consideration.

Five years after Brevard County voters approved a half-cent sales tax to clean up the Indian River Lagoon, county, state and municipal officials have officially marked completion of the 50th restoration project and announced another 50-plus projects already under contract with more in the pipeline for the year ahead.

“It’s time to celebrate how much has been completed already,” said Virginia Barker, director of Brevard County Natural Resources Management.

Barker was joined by state Rep. Thad Altman, Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey, Melbourne City Council members, representatives from other state and local government offices and supporters of the Save Our Indian River Lagoon program who gathered Saturday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that recognized official completion of the $2.6 million Sherwood Park Stormwater Project in Melbourne.

Altman recognized the project as an achievement in government collaboration. The project was accomplished by “many people working together to change this lagoon system back to where it used to be,” he said. “There is no community in this country that has stepped up so much.”

Kelli Lane, legislative assistant for state Sen. Debbie Mayfield, echoed Altman’s sentiments. Mayfield championed Senate Bill 712, the Clean Waterways Act in 2020, which was aimed at minimizing the impact of known sources of nutrients pollution, realigning the state’s resources to enhance the protection of Florida’s environment, and strengthening regulatory requirements.

“I am thrilled that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection supported this great stormwater project,” Lane said, reading from a prepared statement from the senator. “We have made great strides in renewing the lagoon back to where it once was but more work needs to happen.”

The Sherwood Park Stormwater Project consisted of wet retention/detention ponds, rain gardens and a baffle box, and was completed through a partnership with multiple agencies and funding from the City of Melbourne Stormwater Utility, $1.8 million; Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) half-cent sales tax trust fund, $392,108; the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, $400,000; and Space Coast Association of Realtors, $25,000.

The Sherwood Park sub-basin discharges to the Indian River Lagoon via Otter Creek. The stormwater project incorporates a baffle box, ponds, and rain gardens, and is anticipated to yield a total nitrogen reduction into the lagoon of 3,214 pounds per year and total phosphorus by about 879 pounds per year. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorous that leak from septic tanks or other sources of pollutants can deplete oxygen levels in the river and cause algae blooms that kill seagrasses.

The (SOIRL) Citizen Oversight Committee notified the City that the Sherwood Park Water Quality project was eligible to receive funding from the SOIRL trust fund in the amount of $392,108. The Save Our Indian River Lagoon Project Cost-Share Funding Interlocal Agreement between Brevard County and the City of Melbourne was approved by City Council in July 2020.

Alfrey said he grew up in the neighborhood.

“This was an amazing project,” Alfrey said. “Never in my mind did I think water quality would be as important as it is today.”

In 2016, Brevard County voters passed a half-cent sales tax to benefit lagoon health and restoration from Mims to Micco, and including the mainland, Merritt Island and the Barrier Island. The SOIRL Program prioritizes and implements projects to improve health, productivity, aesthetic appeal, and economic value of the lagoon. Projects are designed to reduce pollution and nutrient loading to the lagoon, remove accumulated muck, restore key points of the lagoon ecosystem and respond to changing conditions and information. The SOIRL program is removing and preventing millions of pounds of nutrients from entering the lagoon by uniting the efforts of county residents, businesses, organizations and government to “Save Our Lagoon.”

“Every dollar invested in restoration of the Indian River Lagoon is an investment in the future of Brevard County not only from an environmental and economic standpoint, but in our quality of life for those who enjoy all the lagoon has to offer, to the living organisms that depend on it to survive, and for those who depend on it for recreational activities, their livelihoods and who just appreciate the pure scenic beauty it brings to our County,” said Keith Alward, legislative aide to Brevard County District 4 Commissioner Curt Smith.

Since its inception, SOIRL projects have included 43 septic upgrades, septic tanks (32 quick connects and 360 through septic to sewer projects,) and shoreline protection that includes 27,290 square feet with oysters and 3,753 linear feet of planted vegetation.

For more information about the SOIRL Program: BrevardFL.gov/SaveOurLagoon

Everyone knows that we have a ½ cent self-imposed tax to repair the Indian River Lagoon that was voted in in 2016. There are a few people that do not know where we are spending the funds and wonder why the Indian River Lagoon seems to be getting worse, not better.

Brevard County has a Save Our Indian River Lagoon home page that explains in detail how “It is estimated that the plan will bring in up to $489 million in revenue over 10 years to fund projects that will reduce or remove about 1.3 million pounds of excess nitrogen and 105 thousand pounds of phosphorus annually from the Indian River Lagoon.” The site also has a Project Plan that is updated annually, maps of where the projects are taking place, and explains the role of the Citizen’s Oversight Committee, that annually evaluates alternative proposed projects received from the community; and recommend adjustments to the Project Plan which is approved by the Brevard County Commission.

There is also a Save Our Lagoon Dashboard that shows three measurements. First, under funding, it shows the “Current Trust Funds Collected totals 185.7 million dollars and Current Trust Funds Spent totals 23.2 million dollars of a projected 489 million dollars over 10 years.”

Secondly, it states, “Current Projects Contracted totals 95 and Current Projects Finished totals

39 out of 313 total projects and 142 original projects.” Thirdly, it states “Current Nitrogen Removed or Prevented totals 67,811 pounds of a projected total of 1,272,347 pounds over 10 years. Current Phosphorous Removed or Prevented totals 5,350 pounds of a projected total of 105,125 pounds over 10 years.”

Save Our Indian River Lagoon Dashboard

The SOIRL project plan goes into great detail in spelling out the impact the lagoon of all the projects. Inside the plan it states “The economic value of the lagoon system was evaluated during development of this plan. It was estimated that at least a total present value of $6 billion is tied to restoration of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). There is approximately $2 billion in benefits from restoration and an estimated $4 billion in damages if the IRL is not brought back to health during the next decade. If viewing this project plan purely as a financial investment that pays the $2 billion in benefits alone (i.e. not counting the avoidance of the $4 billion loss), the projected pretax internal rate of return is 10%, if the plan takes 10 years to implement.”

There is only one place in the project plan that addresses the two 800-pound gorillas, one is the continual approval of higher density development continuing around the lagoon. The project plan under a second risk assessment of the projects states the following “…However, the scientists continued to voice concern about the restoration of the IRL in the absence of regulatory reform needed to prevent new development from adding more septic system and stormwater pollution to the lagoon. Therefore, updated regulations are needed as a complement to this plan to ensure timely and sustained success in restoring health to the IRL.” The second 800-pound gorilla is bio-solids. Even though there are much discussion within project plan to help the county and cities repair and improve their sewer infrastructure and converting septic to sewer close to the IRL, it doesn’t mention where the solid waste from sewers are allowed to be spread around the lagoon or the other major water body beside Brevard County which is the St. John’s River. In a roundabout way, the project plan does address both 800-pound gorilla when it talks about projects concerning stormwater runoff.

I’m not saying the project plan is not a good plan. It goes into much detail on “…a multi-pronged approach to Reduce pollutant and nutrient inputs to the lagoon, Remove the accumulation of muck from the lagoon bottom, and Restore water-filtering oysters and related lagoon ecosystem services. This plan also recommends funding for project monitoring, needed for accountability and to Respond to changing conditions and opportunities. Response funds will be used to track progress, measure cost effectiveness, and report on performance.”

Unfortunately, our state, and local governments are not helping outside of this ½ cent sales tax and projects that try to convince the layperson they are trying to be proper guardians. All seem to be more worried about increasing our tax base, and not how it affects our quality of life. All say they are worried about the environment, but at the same time has been approving anything that increase development density and voting against anything that hinders development. If they were worried, why were we still dumping raw sewage into the Indian River Lagoon until 1996?

Even now, the development attitude hasn’t changed. There is so much development going in in Brevard, and no one is even looking at whether we will ever clean up the Indian River Lagoon, or are we just keeping up with the damage caused by the increased development?

I have a T-shirt that I have had for 30 years and have worn to county meetings that says “Smart Quality Growth in Brevard.” Still Waiting!!! Changes that could have been made like LID – Low Impact Development have not been implemented.

Reference: http://www.brevardfl.gov/SaveOurLagoon/Home

Cheerio, Maureen

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." Plato

About the Author

Maureen Rupe

Maureen Rupe was originally from England, married her husband Bob at MacDill AFB, reassigned to Vandenberg AFB, California, and then assigned to Brevard in 1986. She lives in Port St. John and her interests are Environmental Protection and Politics.

• Space Coast Women League of Voters: Board of Directors (2000 – 2014); Chair, Natural Resources Committee (2000 – 2014); Natural Resource Consultant (2014 – 2020).

• Brevard County Charter Review Commission: (1997 – 1998 /2003 – 2004 / 2014 - 2015); Year-long Reviews of the Brevard County Charter for New Proposals or Changes to the County’s Current Charter.

• Marine Resource Council Board of Directors: (2000 – Present).

• Sierra Club, Turtle Coast Chapter: Executive Board of Directors (2007 - 2020).

• Parrish Medical Center: Board of Directors (2000 – Present).

• Brevard County 2001 & 2011 Redistricting Committee: Review every 10 years defining Brevard County District Borders.

• Port St. John Homeowner's Association: President (May 1995 - April 1997), (May 1999 – April 2000); Vice President (July 1998 – April 1999); Board Member (1989 – 2000).

• Cape Canaveral Energy Center, Community Advisory Panel (CAP): (2008 - 2012). Invited by Florida Power & Light to be a member of the committee to oversee Cape Canaveral Plant deactivation and new construction activities.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is reminding beachgoers they can help protect nesting sea turtles by practicing some simple tips.

Each year, thousands of sea turtles nest on Florida’s beaches. Because our state is so important to these special animals, beachgoers can help keep our beaches clean and dark so sea turtles nest successfully. Everyone benefits from clean beaches and, since most of Florida’s sea turtles nest at night, it is important to keep our beaches dark because bright lights can disorient nesting turtles.

Stash the trash! Obstacles on the beach can prevent sea turtles from nesting as they crawl from the water, across the sand, to lay their eggs. They can also prevent sea turtle hatchlings from reaching the water once they emerge from their nests. Beachgoers can help sea turtles by properly disposing of all trash, filling in holes in the sand, and putting away boats, beach toys and furniture. Fishing line can be deadly to sea turtles and other wildlife, so be sure to dispose of it properly. To find a monofilament recycling station near you, visit mrrp.myfwc.com.

Lights out! Bright lighting can misdirect and disturb nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings, leading them away from the ocean and toward potential danger, so beachgoers should avoid using flashlights or cellphones on the beach at night. Anyone living along or visiting Florida beaches can do their part by turning out lights or closing curtains after dark to ensure nesting turtles are not disturbed as they come ashore and hatchlings will not become disoriented when they emerge from their nests. If lighting could still be visible from the beach, be sure it is long, low and shielded.

“As beachgoers, we can all do our part to help sea turtles survive,” said Dr. Robbin Trindell, who heads the FWC’s sea turtle management program. “By keeping beaches dark and clearing the way at the end of the day, we can help ensure that these amazing animals keep returning to our beautiful state.”

Other ways to help sea turtles include reporting those that are sick, injured, entangled or dead to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Purchasing a “Helping Sea Turtles Survive” Florida license plate contributes to sea turtle research, rescue and conservation efforts. People also can donate $5 and receive an FWC sea turtle decal.

For more information, see the FWC’s “Be a Beach Hero” brochure or visit MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle.

The north and south jetties at Sebastian Inlet will be closed to the public from Monday, October 18 through Friday, October 22, while engineers conduct their regular biennial inspection of the two structures. We realize this is an inconvenience to those who use the jetties for fishing, photography, and sightseeing, but this necessary inspection involves removing grates and is, hence, a public safety issue.

The jetties provide critical infrastructure for safe navigation within the Sebastian Inlet and are exposed to the harsh conditions of salt spray, sunshine and relentless pounding waves.   As recommended by District engineers, structural assessments of both the north and south jetties should be conducted every 24 months to assess existing conditions and determine maintenance where appropriate.   The most recent structural assessments were completed in 2019, so it is time again to repeat this process.

Weather permitting, District engineers plan to begin assessments on October 18 and wrap up work by October 22.    During this time the jetties will be closed to the public.  We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this temporary inconvenience.

Six critically endangered sawfish found dead on the side of the road in Florida Everglades

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement offers reward up to $20,000 for information

NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement is conducting an investigation involving the deaths of six critically endangered smalltooth sawfish in Everglades City, Fla. An employee with Everglades National Park reported the dead sawfish and two dead bonnethead sharks to NOAA experts. Two of the sawfish are missing their rostra (saws). One other had its meat removed, leaving only the carcass.

The animals were found along the causeway between Everglades City and Chokoloskee Island, Fla. A sawfish biologist from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will perform a necropsy on the animals to try to determine the cause of death.

Smalltooth sawfish are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. They were once found in the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to Florida and along the East Coast from Florida to North Carolina. Their distribution has decreased greatly in U.S. waters over the past century. Today, the species is generally only found off the coast of Florida, especially southwest Florida where sawfish give birth. They reproduce every other year and give birth to just 7-14 young. The loss of these six animals is nearly equivalent to one mother’s entire litter.

NOAA officials seek information from anyone who may have details about this incident and are offering a reward up to $20,000 for information leading to a criminal conviction or the assessment of a civil penalty.

Please call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at 1-800-853-1964. Tips may be left anonymously.

Smalltooth Sawfish

The smalltooth sawfish belongs to a group of fish called elasmobranchs that includes rays, skates, and sharks. Although shark-like in appearance, they are actually rays, as their gills and mouths are found on the undersides of their bodies. Sawfish get their name from their distinct rostrum—a long, flat snout edged with teeth—that looks like a saw.

The smalltooth sawfish was the first marine fish to receive federal protection as an endangered species under the ESA in 2003. Under the ESA, it is illegal to catch, harm, harass, or kill an endangered sawfish. However, some fishermen catch sawfish as bycatch (i.e., incidentally while fishing for other species). Safe handling and release guidelines have been developed for fishermen to learn how to respond when they incidentally capture sawfish or other protected species. Smalltooth sawfish also are listed as a migratory species threatened with extinction (Appendix I) under the United Nations Environment Programme Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Participating countries strive to strictly protect these animals, conserving and restoring the places where they live, and mitigating obstacles to migration.

Versión en español

Seis peces sierra en peligro crítico de extinción encontrados muertos en el lado de la carretera en los Everglades de Florida La Oficina de Cumplimiento de la Ley de la NOAA ofrece recompensa de hasta $20,000 por información

La Oficina de Cumplimiento de la Ley de la NOAA está llevando a cabo una investigación que involucra la muerte de seis peces sierra en peligro crítico de extinción en Everglades City, Florida. Un empleado del Parque Nacional Everglades informó a los expertos de la NOAA sobre los peces sierra y dos tiburones cornuda cabezona muertos. A dos de los peces sierra les faltan sus rostros (sierras). A otro le quitaron la carne, dejando sólo el cadáver.

Los animales fueron encontrados a lo largo de la calzada entre Everglades City y Chokoloskee Island, Florida. Un biólogo de peces sierra de la Comisión de Conservación de Vida Silvestre y Pesca de la Florida realizará una necropsia de los animales para tratar de determinar la causa de la muerte.

El pez sierra está catalogado como una especie en peligro de extinción según la Ley de Especies en Peligro de Extinción. Estos se encontraron una vez en el Golfo de México desde Texas hasta Florida y a lo largo de la costa este desde Florida hasta Carolina del Norte. Su distribución ha disminuido considerablemente en las aguas estadounidenses durante el último siglo. Hoy en día, la especie generalmente sólo se encuentra en la costa de la Florida, especialmente en el suroeste de la Florida, donde el pez sierra da a luz. El pez sierra se reproduce cada dos años y da a luz a sólo 7-14 crías. La pérdida de estos seis animales es casi equivalente a la camada completa de una madre.

Los funcionarios de la NOAA buscan información de cualquier persona que pueda tener detalles sobre este incidente y están ofreciendo una recompensa de hasta $20,000 por información que conduzca a una condena penal o la imposición de una sanción civil. Por favor llame a la Línea Directa de Cumplimiento de la Ley de la NOAA al 1-800-853-1964. La información puede dejarse de forma anónima.

El pez sierra pertenece a un grupo de peces llamados elasmobranquios que incluye rayas, “skates” y tiburones. Aunque tienen una apariencia de tiburón, en realidad son rayas, ya que sus branquias y bocas se encuentran en la parte inferior de sus cuerpos. Los peces sierra reciben su nombre por su rostro distintivo- un hocico largo y plano con dientes, parecido a una sierra.

El pez sierra fue el primer pez marino en recibir protección federal como especie en peligro de extinción bajo la Ley de Especies en Peligro de Extinción (ESA por sus siglas en inglés) en el 2003. Según la ESA, es ilegal capturar, dañar, acosar o matar a un pez sierra en peligro de extinción. Sin embargo, algunos pescadores capturan peces sierra como captura incidental (es decir, de manera incidental mientras pescan otras especies). Se han desarrollado pautas de manipulación y liberación seguras para que los pescadores aprendan cómo responder cuando capturan incidentalmente peces sierra u otras especies protegidas. El pez sierra también está catalogado como una especie migratoria amenazada con extinción (Apéndice I) bajo la Convención sobre la conservación de las especies migratorias de animales silvestres del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente. Los países participantes se esfuerzan por proteger estrictamente a estos animales, conservando y restaurando los lugares donde viven y mitigando los obstáculos a la migración.

At Gov. Ron DeSantis’s direction to deploy innovative technology to actively assess and address critical blue-green algal conditions, the St. Johns River Water Management District is now offering other Florida water management districts and the State of Florida access to a proprietary algicide treatment to fight cyanobacterial, or blue-green algae, blooms.

In support of Gov. DeSantis’ Achieving More Now For Florida’s Environment plan (Executive Order 19-12) to protect Florida’s environment and with funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the District entered into an agreement with BlueGreen U.S. Water Technologies (BGWT) in early 2020 to evaluate the potential of its Lake Guard Oxy Technology, a proprietary innovative product that selectively targets cyanobacteria, in preventing and/or controlling algal bloom formation in Lake Minneola.

“Our agreement with BGWT was amended in October 2020 to allow FDEP to respond to emergency conditions in the South Florida Water Management District that required water releases from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie Estuary,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “The Board has now ensured that each of our partner water management districts and FDEP can take rapid actions by accessing this contract without delay when critical harmful algal bloom (HAB) conditions are present.”

The update allows funding treatments up to $5 million from a variety of funding sources should potential bloom conditions occur across Florida.

The District recently completed the final treatment application of a six-month pilot project to test BlueGreen U.S. Water Technologies' innovative treatment to suppress and control cyanobacterial blooms at Lake Minneola in Lake County.

An overabundance of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, can increasingly be found in Florida’s waterways, including its rivers. Potentially HABs also can result in human health advisories and closures of recreational areas by local health departments, harm fish and wildlife, as well as causing local and regional economic impacts.

Between November 2020 and May 2021, using a combination of collected field data, water samples to guide application of the hydrogen peroxide-based product, the BGWT pilot project identified algal-prone areas in Lake Minneola and then deployed its technology in strategic locations to reduce current or forming cyanobacterial blooms. During the pilot study, Lake Minneola received 14 treatments.

With the Lake Mineola pilot treatments now complete, the contract calls for a final report to be issued and a public meeting to be scheduled. Visit the project webpage or follow the District on social media for updates as they are posted.

The Saint Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Governing Board met on January 12, 2021 at SJRWMD headquarters in Palatka, Florida.

There were three Indian River Lagoon related items on the meeting agenda:

Item 8 - Approval of the ranking of consultants responding to Request for Qualifications – Indian River Lagoon Seagrass Mapping

Dr. Erich Marzolf, SJRWMD Director of Water and Land Resources, presented on the use of seagrass as an indicator species and why mapping IRL seagrass growth is helpful in determining the lagoon's water quality. Dr. Marzolf's presentation included a disheartening time lapse animation of seagrass growth and decline in the Banana River lagoon.

The SJRWMD Governing Board unanimously approved the $270,000 IRL seagrass mapping expenditure with the mapping project scheduled to be completed by September, 2022.

Item 9 - Information Presentation regarding the regulation of septic systems

During the December 8, 2020 Governing Board meeting, the Board expressed interest regarding the regulation of septic systems and authority to require or enforce connection to available sewer service.

Mary Ellen Winkler, SJRWMD General Counsel, made an informative presentation regarding the regulation of septic systems.

Item 10 - Approval of septic to sewer conversion projects for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-21 Indian River Lagoon Water Quality Improvement Grant

At the January, 2021 meeting, Louis Donnangelo, Bureau Chief, Bureau of Project Management, presented the staff's recommended 2020-2021 IRL Water Quality Improvement Projects and requested Board approval for numerous septic to sewer projects.

• Indian River County - North Sebastian Ph. 2, Septic-to-Sewer
• City of Sebastian- Roseland Road, Septic-to-Sewer
• Brevard County - South Central Zone C, Septic-to-Sewer
• City of Oak Hill - Indian Harbor Estates, Septic-to-Sewer
• Volusia County - Smyrna Dunes Park, Septi-to-Sewer
• Indian River County - West Wabasso Ph. 3, Septic-to-Sewer
• Town of Ponce Inlet - Septic-to-Sewer
• Brevard County - Oak Point Park, Package Plant Removal
• Martin County - Old Palm City Septic-to-Sewer
• St. Lucie County Water and Sewer District - N. Hutchinson Island Septic-to-Sewer

On January 12, 2021 the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board unanimously approved over $10 million in funding for Indian River Lagoon septic to sewer conversion projects.

SJRWMD IRL Septic to Sewer Projects

Snook is slated to reopen for recreational harvest on Feb. 1 in Florida’s Atlantic coastal and inland waters (from the Miami-Dade/Monroe county line north), including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River.

Snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages anglers to carefully handle and release snook they are not going to keep, which helps them survive after being released and helps ensure species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come. To learn more about fish handling, visit MyFWC - Fish Handling

The season will remain open through May 31.

Researchers ask anglers who harvest snook to save the remaining portion of their fish after it has been filleted and provide it to the FWC by dropping it off at a participating bait and tackle store. This program allows anglers to participate in the collection of data, such as the size, age, maturity and sex, of one of Florida's premier inshore fish. For a county-by-county list of drop-off locations, go to MyFWC Research: Snook Anglers Asked to Help with Research.

For information about current snook regulations, visit FWC Marine: Snook.

For information about the Snook species visit MyFWC Research: Snook.

Florida Snook Management Zones

After two years of not having the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, the Brevard Nature Alliance (BNA) Board of Directors had ample discussions sharing perspectives and opinions regarding the future of the festival and the BNA. On March 2nd, 2022, the BNA Board of Directors voted unanimously to discontinue the festival and dissolve the 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation effective April 30, 2022.

There are several reasons for this decision, but it narrows down to:

• Financial consequences of not having the festival the last two years which normally constitutes almost 95% of the BNA’s annual income
• The dramatic changes we are seeing in bird migration patterns and changes in habitat resulting in a decline of birds and wildlife to be seen
• Declining registration numbers from our loyal festival attendees who became a part of the demographic hesitant to travel during the times of covid and with the uncertainty of what the near future holds

The BNA Board of Directors would like to say thank you to everyone who has been a part of the success that the organization and festival have enjoyed for the past 25 years.

Spotted seatrout will be closed to recreational harvest Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 in the central east seatrout management zone, which includes all state and federal waters from Palm Beach through Volusia counties (see map for zones below).

Spotted seatrout, as well as red drum and snook, also remain catch-and-release only through May 31, 2021, in waters from the Hernando/Pasco county line south through Gordon Pass in Collier County.

Learn more about spotted seatrout by visiting MyFWC.com/Marine and clicking on “Recreational Regulations” and “Spotted Seatrout” under the “Regulations by Species – General Species” tab.

Several rule changes for spotted seatrout go into effect Feb. 1, including a closure to spotted seatrout harvest in the new Western Panhandle management zone. Spotted seatrout are one of Florida’s most popular inshore fisheries. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) made these changes after reviewing the results of a recent stock assessment and gathering input from anglers. These changes were made to benefit spotted seatrout populations while continuing to provide quality fishing opportunities.

The new rule changes do not replace the current catch-and-release only measures for spotted seatrout in southwest Florida. Spotted seatrout, red drum and snook remain catch-and-release through May 31, 2020, in waters from the Hernando/Pasco county line south through Gordon Pass in Collier County. The Commission may discuss whether to modify the current catch-and-release measures for southwest Florida at the February meeting.

The following rules go into effect Feb. 1, 2020:

• Creating two new zones by splitting the Northwest spotted seatrout management zone into the: (See maps below.)
  • Western Panhandle (Escambia County through the portions of Gulf County west of longitude 85 degrees, 13.76 minutes but NOT including Indian Pass/Indian Lagoon).
  • Big Bend (remaining portion of Gulf County plus Indian Lagoon, and Franklin County through Fred Howard Park Causeway in Pinellas County).
• Creating the renamed South Florida zone (Fred Howard Park Causeway in Pinellas County near the Pasco County line through Broward County) and Central East zone (Palm Beach through Volusia counties) by moving the boundary between the southern management zones. (See maps below.)
• Reducing bag limits
  • Western Panhandle: three fish (was five).
  • Big Bend: five fish (no change).
  • South Florida: three fish (was four).
  • Central East: two fish (was four).
  • Northeast: five fish (was six).
• Modifying the recreational slot size limit from 15-to-20 inches to 15-to-19 inches total length.
• Allowing one seatrout over 19 inches per vessel (currently per harvester).
• Prohibiting captain and crew from keeping a bag limit on a for-hire trip.
• Re-establishing the February recreational closure in the Western Panhandle zone and the November-December recreational closure in the Central East zone.
• Reducing the current daily commercial limits to 50 per harvester and 100 per vessel.
• Removing an unnecessary commercial reporting form.

Learn more about spotted seatrout by visiting the FWC Website and clicking on “Recreational Regulations” and “Spotted Seatrout.”

Florida Spotted seatrout zones

After years of planning, federal funding has been finalized to replace the structurally deteriorating NASA Causeway on State Road 405 with a $126 million twin-bridge project across the Indian River Lagoon.

FloridaToday Newspaper Article: NASA Causeway on State Road 405 to be replaced by taller, larger bridges by 2025

Louis Donnangelo, Bureau Chief, Bureau of Project Management presented "Funding of Indian River Lagoon Water Quality Improvement Grant Project for Fiscal Year 2020-2021" to a SJRWMD Governing Board meeting this month. The board was to vote on approval of $25 million in funding for IRL water improvement projects.

Mr. Donnangelo made an informative presentation about the solicitation process, and the 40 IRL projects that have been reviewed, accepted, and are awaiting funding.

A Monumental Decision

While an inconvenience for waiting projects, the board's minor decision to delay funding may be a major step forward in the state taking the lead on Indian River Lagoon water quality.

A Florida government entity is investigating methods to regulate, enforce and penalize IRL local governments that do not adhere to the state's water quality policies!

In 2020 the Florida Legislature voted to double DEP penalties on local governments that pollute the estuary, maybe this year they will make a milestone decision to give Florida's Water Districts and the Department of Environmental Protection some real teeth.

In an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, St. Lucie County will be closing access to all county beaches on North and South Hutchinson Island effective Monday, March 23 at 8 a.m. until further notice.

St. Lucie County’s Emergency Management team has been monitoring the use of beaches and outdoor facilities since last week regarding the public’s participation in following the social distancing guidelines from the Center for Disease Control.

Unfortunately, residents and visitors are not following the CDC’s recommendations of limiting unnecessary travel and avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people.

If residents continue to disregard these recommendations, additional closures are likely to continue.

46,000 acres of seagrass have disappeared throughout the Indian River Lagoon. That’s 58 percent of the seagrass that was in the lagoon in 2009.

Manatees are dying with nothing in their stomachs, because there is nothing for them to eat. In December, January and February, more than 400 manatees died. By comparison, 405 died in all of 2015.

DB News-Journal Editorial

Florida Tech will receive vital funding in the 2022-23 Florida state budget for ongoing efforts to help the Indian River Lagoon thanks to the efforts of legislators and the final approval Thursday of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The university will receive $921,500 for the Restore Lagoon Inflow (RLI) temporary demonstration project’s U.S. Army Corps permitting and design engineering phase (Phase III of the overall project).

The funding measures were sponsored in the Florida House by Rep. Randy Fine and Rep. Thad Altman and in the Florida Senate by Sen. Tom Wright and Sen. Debbie Mayfield, and championed by former Rep. Rene Plasencia.

As university researchers prepare the third phase of the IRL initiative and process the incoming data, next steps include permitting and continued research supporting the demonstration project at Port Canaveral involving the careful, temporary introduction of low-volume amounts of sea water into the Indian River Lagoon.

Initial findings of the Florida Tech-led team suggest the ailing estuary would benefit from a nudge of human intervention to help rejuvenate the natural processes that have historically aided the recycling and removal of excess nutrients.

Link: https://news.fit.edu/academics-research/florida-tech-receives-state-funding-for-equipment-lagoon-research/

IRL Inflow Study Executive Summary

Over 50 years of impacts from a growing human population have taken a tragic toll on the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) system. Excessive nutrients and all forms of pollution from human activity flow overland and through groundwater to the lagoon. The seagrasses, clams, and oysters are nearly gone, displaced by nutrient laden muck, polluted water, and algal blooms. With the loss of the majority of seagrasses, manatees are dying in record numbers as they are unable to find food. Fish populations that survived the 2011 superbloom now struggle to adjust to rapidly changing conditions. Algae that once unnoticeably cycled through the seasons in clear water now cloud the water, as blooms of one dominant species quickly die out only to be replaced by the next dominant species in an unbalanced, sometimes hypoxic or anoxic, high nutrient (eutrophic) system.

Water circulation in the lagoon is restricted on all sides, increasing risk of eutrophication and ecosystem collapse. Previous federal development activity supporting space and defense projects cut off the finger flows of Banana Creek, eliminating the northern connection of the Banana River Lagoon (BRL) to IRL. To the east, natural episodic connections between the coastal ocean and IRL system have been lost with the hardened development of the barrier islands, while the benefits of water circulation through the five maintained inlets are limited by the many causeways that restrict flow north and south. To the west, polluted water which once largely drained to the St. Johns River now flows to the IRL system.

Deliberate and timely restoration of lagoon hydrology can improve water quality and help restore the rapidly deteriorating lagoon ecosystem. Elected officials; local, state, and federal government agencies; and stakeholders in the IRL region are exploring a variety of approaches to help restore the lagoon. The Restore Lagoon Inflow Research project will help determine the viability of a permanent ocean inflow system as a potential additional tool to stabilize and restore the lagoon.

Document: https://www.fit.edu/media/site-specific/wwwfitedu/indian-river-lagoon/documents/irlri-research/Final-Phase-2-Executive-Summary_091521.pdf

IRL Inflow Project Overview

The multi-phased Restore Lagoon Inflow Research project is envisioned to include the baseline monitoring, design, permitting, implementation, and modeling of a system providing temporary ocean inflow to IRL to help determine the viability of a permanent ocean inflow system. By improving understanding and management of the IRL system, the study results will also help to address several actions in the IRL National Estuary Program Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, including specifically addressing action Connected Waters-5 which calls for a pilot project to assess the benefits and risks of enhanced ocean exchange with the lagoon.

For future phases to complete the project, the pilot system design developed in Phase 2 will be revised to include changes discussed in the pre-application meetings with the agencies and feedback from local stakeholders, and will be used to obtain the necessary permits. The project bid documents will then be created, the request for proposals drafted and sent out for bidding, and an award made for construction of the temporary inflow pilot system. The temporary inflow pump system will be constructed in accordance with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Resource Permit requirements.

The temporary inflow pump system is proposed to be operated for one year in parallel with continued focused research, monitoring, and modeling. This approach allows for data to be collected on changes due to smallscale ocean inflow at the study site compared to a reference site outside the influence of pumping, to directly assess impacts on focal biological communities and to validate dissolved oxygen (DO), nutrient, and chlorophyla (Chl-a) model predictions. The temporary pump system established for the project will be decommissioned at the end of the research period, with the piping and pump removed from the site. The results of the full Restore Lagoon Inflow Research project will be summarized to provide information and analysis to stakeholders and decision-makers on the viability of a permanent ocean inflow system.

IRL Inflow Study Video

Dr. Jeff Eble, Visiting Research Assistant Professor at the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT), speaking at the January 2022 Marine Resources Council Restore Lagoon Inflow Research Hybrid Seminar.

Dr. Jeff Eble is a Visiting Research Assistant Professor at the Florida Institute of Technology where for the last three years he has shared his love of science and nature with just about anyone that will listen. With experience both in the field and in the lab, Dr. Eble works to understand the processes shaping biodiversity, from genes to species, to help improve understanding and conservation of marine ecosystems.

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Hugging the border between New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater, the Gabordy Canal captures a large quantity of stormwater runoff that eventually discharges into the Mosquito Lagoon. Included with that runoff are nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous that negatively impact the ecosystem in the lagoon by contributing to harmful algae blooms and reducing the amount of seagrass.

Gabordy Canal Stormwater Project

On Tuesday, the Volusia County Council gave the green light to a nearly $3 million stormwater treatment project for the Gabordy Canal that’s designed to improve water quality in the Mosquito Lagoon. The project has been in the planning and design stage for years, and Tuesday’s approval of the construction contract represented a major milestone. Recognizing the environmental importance and regional impact of the stormwater project, the state is partnering with the county and has dedicated a significant amount of money to help fund the construction costs. The St. Johns River Water Management District has committed $1.9 million, and on Tuesday, the County Council inked a $300,700 cost-share agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The county’s remaining share, $742,216, is funded by the county’s stormwater utility fund. The Indian River Lagoon Council also provided a 50% cost share grant in the amount of $99,960 to help pay for the project’s design and permitting.

The Mosquito Lagoon watershed stretches approximately 36 miles from the southeastern coast of Volusia County to the northeastern coast of Brevard County. It’s the northern most part of the Indian River Lagoon estuary, which the state has declared an impaired water body. The Gabordy Canal project was identified in the Mosquito Lagoon Reasonable Assurance Plan (RAP), adopted in 2019, that was intended to serve as a roadmap for restoring water quality in the lagoon. The project, however, was already in the planning stages in anticipation of the completion of the Mosquito Lagoon RAP.

The project involves construction of a treatment facility that will divert stormwater from the canal into a 2-acre treatment facility that will remove detrimental nutrients prior to the water being discharged back into the canal and eventually into Mosquito Lagoon. The process will remove thousands of pounds of nitrogen and phosphorous, which are the primary cause of harmful algae blooms. The treatment facility will be co-located on a 6-acre parcel that the county acquired for a stormwater retention pond on the south side of 10th Street, just east of the FEC railroad tracks. The stormwater treatment facility will be built at the same time as the ongoing road widening of 10th Street between South Myrtle Avenue and South Dixie Freeway, or U.S. 1.

Volusia County Road and Bridge Director Ben Bartlett spoke to the importance of the project and the state’s financial commitment when the project came before the council earlier this year.

“It’s a lot of money,” Bartlett told the council. “The project is going to clean the water from the Gabordy, or 10th Street Canal, remove the nutrients, send it back on its way into the Mosquito Lagoon. It was really the project identified first in the Mosquito Lagoon Reasonable Assurance Plan.”

The St. Johns River Water Management District said it was pleased to help move the project forward towards fruition.

“We are proud to partner with Volusia County, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Indian River Lagoon Council on this long-awaited project,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “This stormwater treatment project is another step forward in tackling the critical water quality issues in the Mosquito Lagoon and to a larger extent, the entire Indian River Lagoon.”

The $2,954,700 contract was awarded to Carr & Collier, Inc. of Leesburg. The work is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete.

Get Involved with Gopher Tortoise Day in Your Community - Gopher Tortoise Day is on its way!

Gopher tortoises are charming creatures that are classified as state-threatened in Florida, primarily due to habitat loss. The gopher tortoise is vital to our Florida ecosystems, as it digs burrows that provide shelter for over 350 native species. The Gopher Tortoise Council declared April 10th as Gopher Tortoise Day to raise awareness for this remarkable reptile.

There are many ways that YOU can help conserve this keystone species on its special day and throughout the year!

Host a Gopher Tortoise Day event to raise appreciation. At your event, you can distribute materials found on the Gopher Tortoise Day website to help attendees learn how to help gopher tortoises and the habitats they live in.

Volunteer at a local park to improve gopher tortoise habitat by picking up trash, removing invasive plants, or planting native plants.

Organize hands-on activities for kids using the materials found on the Gopher Tortoise Day website. The website includes gopher tortoise coloring pages, a taxonomic matching game, gopher tortoise hats and masks, and even an interactive gopher tortoise burrow. You can even design Gopher Tortoise Day T-shirts for your event!

Install gopher tortoise-friendly signs where tortoises frequent to increase awareness. Make sure to receive permission from property owners first.

Become a volunteer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to help conserve these gentile reptiles!

Participate in a wildlife appreciation festival. You can request a local gopher tortoise expert from the FWC to give a presentation at the event. Email GTevents@MyFWC.com to see if someone is available to attend.

Plan native plants in your yard or neighborhood using the Florida Guide to Gopher Tortoise Friendly Plants.

Become a citizen scientist by utilizing the Florida Gopher Tortoise smartphone app to catalog gopher tortoises seen in your community.

Encourage kids to develop an appreciation for nature and gopher tortoises by using the Gopher Tortoise Field Trip Guide.

Visit the Get Involved page for more ideas on how to bask in the glory of Gopher Tortoise Day. No matter how you choose to enjoy it, make sure to share all your shell-ebrations on social media or invite local news media to your event! Sample social media posts and press releases can be located on the Media page of the Gopher Tortoise Day website. Remember to promote your posts by using #GopherTortoiseDay!

Celebrating Gopher Tortoise Day is one way to help tortoises in your community, but many of these activities can be done year-round to benefit this important species!

Gopher Tortoise Articles

• Gopher Tortoise
• Gopher_Tortoise:_Commensal_Species

Video

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Help make the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge a more beautiful, cleaner place by joining us on the second Saturday of each month through March. Help clean up the refuge and make a safe space for wildlife. We will meet at the Northwest Haulover Kiosk. Grabbers, gloves, and trash bags will be provided. Everyone welcome!

When: Saturday, February 8, 2020 9am - 11am

Where: Haulover Canal Northwest Kiosk

Contact: MINWR Office (321) 861-0669

On November 9, 2021 the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Governing Board unanimously approved three meeting agenda items supporting the Crane Creek M-1 Canal Restoration Project. The project will reverse the flow of stormwater from the Indian River lagoon to St. Johns River wetland filters in order to remove approximately 24,000 pounds of nitrogen and 3,100 pounds of phosphorus per year from the lagoon.

Item 5: Acquisition of a 267-acre parcel in Brevard County, Florida

The Property is a 267-acre parcel located along the north and south sides of U.S. Highway 192 in western Brevard County, Florida. Two hundred fifty-nine acres is located north of US-192, and the remaining 8 acres lies south of US-192 and closes an inholding within the District's Three Forks Conservation Area. The Property is almost entirely comprised of wetlands, consisting of freshwater emergent wetlands and freshwater forested/shrub wetlands. The purchase price of the Property is $320,400 based on an estimated 267 acres of Property.

Item 6: Acquisition of a 119.58-acre parcel in Brevard County, Florida

The Property is a 119.58-acre parcel located along the north and south sides of U.S. Highway 192 in western Brevard County, Florida. 33.38 acres is located north of US-192, and the remaining 86.20 acres lies south of US-192 and closes an inholding within the District's Three Forks Conservation Area. The Property is almost entirely comprised of wetlands, consisting of freshwater emergent wetlands and freshwater forested/shrub wetlands. This Property lies directly west of the 267-acre parcel from Agenda Item 5. The purchase price is $298,950.

Item 7: Approval to amend the Crane Creek / M-1 Canal Flow Restoration Project Contract

Approval to amend Crane Creek M-1 Restoration Project's contract to add additional funding and to extend the expiration date.

SJRWMD Staff is asking the Board to consider increasing the design contract by $549,117 to accommodate a project redesign. This $549,117 contract amendment consists of two components:

1)      A work order for design in the amount of $374,439.

2)      A change order in the amount of $174,678 to the previously approved construction phase engineering services.

Engineering's opinion of probable construction cost (OPC) for construction is $19.3 million. Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Brevard County Save Our Indian River Lagoon Program are contributing $2,450,000 and $2,033,944, respectively.

This contract amendment will extend the completion date from January 23, 2023 to September 30, 2024.

Crane Creek Project Background

In early 2017, the St. Johns River Water Management District (District), in partnership with the Indian River Lagoon Council, completed the IRL Stormwater Capture and Treatment Project Development and Feasibility Study to identify the next generation of large, high-benefit projects to improve the water quality of the IRL. The Crane Creek / M-1 Flow Restoration Project was among the top ranked projects evaluated in the study due to its relatively low cost per pound of nutrients removed, and alternative water supply benefit to the St. Johns River.

The M-1 Canal is a century old, man-made flood control feature that cuts through the coastal ridge with the result of diverting stormwater flow from approximately 5,300 acres of the historic St. Johns River basin to the IRL. Once completed, the stormwater baseflow will be re-routed back to the west and treated in a constructed stormwater treatment area (STA) that will reduce nutrient concentrations prior to reaching the St. Johns River.

The estimated water quality benefits to the IRL are significant, including a total nitrogen load reduction of approximately 24,000 pounds per year, and a total phosphorous load reduction of approximately 3,100 pounds per year, as well as decreasing freshwater sediment loads to the IRL. Furthermore, the Project will provide approximately seven million gallons per day of supplemental flow to the St. Johns River.

The District has obtained permits and authorizations from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), United States Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Power and Light, the City of West Melbourne (zoning changes and site plan approval), the Florida Department of Transportation, and Florida Gas Transmission Company. Furthermore, the FDEP and the Brevard County Save Our Indian River Lagoon Program are contributing $2,450,000 and $2,033,944, respectively.

The design was completed and the District’s Governing Board approved construction of the project at the November 10, 2020, Board meeting. As mentioned in the November 10, 2020, Governing Board memo, execution of the construction contract was contingent upon acceptance of a flowage easement by all parties. Unfortunately, flowage easement negotiations were not successful. Therefore, a redesign of the discharge location for the water treated in the proposed STA is necessary.

See Also

• History:Crane Creek Project 2018-12-14

Documents

• SJRWMD - Board Meeting - 11/9/21 - Agenda Packet (PDF 256pp)

TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Today, Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Space Florida, and NASA hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new NASA Causeway Bridge, a $126 million project to build two high-level fixed bridges over the Indian River, providing a new gateway to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

“Since taking office, our administration has prioritized investment in transportation infrastructure that will enhance access to Cape Canaveral and advance Florida’s position as a leader in space,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “This project is preparing Florida for future growth, facilitating local commerce, and ensuring economic vitality for continued launches on our space coast.”

“Florida’s Space Coast is growing every day, and our Space Program is a driving force behind it. The new NASA Causeway Bridge will help generate future investment and ensure that America’s mission in Space will continue,” said U.S. Representative Bill Posey.

“Florida’s Space Coast is a worldwide hub for aerospace innovation, space exploration and defense, and the new NASA Causeway Bridge will serve as the launchpad for future growth in our aerospace industry, which employs more than 130,000 Floridians,” said Senator Debbie Mayfield (R-Melbourne). “I am thankful for the Governor’s leadership and for FDOT, NASA, and Space Florida prioritizing this vital investment in Florida’s future.”

"This project demonstrates our unwavering commitment to Florida's space industry and helps further establish Brevard County as a destination to dream big,” said Senator Tom A. Wright (R-Port Orange). "Today, we continued that commitment through this critical infrastructure project that supports jobs and everyday life in Brevard County."

“FHWA applauds Florida in achieving another milestone toward modernizing our transportation system. This project will boost our economic productivity and global competitiveness and enhances the quality of life in these communities,” said FHWA Florida Division Administrator, Jamie Christian.

“When Kennedy Space Center began our transformation from a government-only to a multi-user spaceport, one of the things we did was to evaluate our infrastructure to identify improvements that we would need to undertake in order to fully support our customers and partners. Now, more than a decade later, we are seeing the results of this strategic planning. By assessing, partnering, and developing new policies to serve not only the needs of our NASA programs, but those of our commercial and Department of Defense partners, we are achieving the results we imagined a decade ago. The NASA Causeway bridge has always been a critical thoroughfare for essential mission hardware, and it remains crucial to mission success as we work to provide assured access to space for our partners and the nation,” said Janet Petro, Center Director, Kennedy Space Center.

“Today’s groundbreaking marks a new era for Florida’s Space Coast,” said Frank DiBello, President and CEO of Space Florida. “Replacing the Indian River Bridge, which links Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, and Cape Canaveral to Titusville, will support the area’s ever-increasing aerospace activity and robust launch cadence. Space Florida was pleased to have provided the enabling INFRA Grant which will assure continued success at the nation’s busiest spaceport. We thank our partners in the Florida legislature, the Florida Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Transportation and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for working together to support Florida’s dominant position in the commercial space marketplace.”

“Today is an example of Florida’s commitment to support the innovation and growth of the space industry, and a promise to enhance economic opportunities for the industry in Brevard County,” said FDOT Secretary Kevin J. Thibault, P.E. “This project is not only a big win for Florida, but this grant also offers countless benefits for the residents of the Space Coast and the visitors who come from all over to experience one of Florida’s unique industries.”

The existing NASA Causeway has twin 2,993-foot-long bascule bridges, originally built in 1964 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. During the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, the bridges were vital for transportation of space-bound payloads to the launch facilities.

As the new bridges to Florida’s future spaceflights, the new 4,025-foot-long spans will be the key corridor for commercial spaceflights for SpaceX and Blue Origin.

A partnership among the four agencies made this reconstruction project possible. In 2019, the state of Florida secured a $90 million Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the project.

Construction of the new spans begins this month. Traffic to and from the Space Center and launch facilities will remain open throughout the project. Motorists should expect to be driving on these new bridges by the end of 2025.

Information about this project is available online at https://www.cflroads.com/project/440424-1.

An Israeli company has been given a $945,000 state contract to keep blue-green algae in Lake Okeechobee from getting into the St. Lucie River estuary.

The company, BlueGreen Water Technologies, deployed at the Port Mayaca Lock and Dam, where discharged lake water enters the C-44 Canal and heads toward the estuary, soon after the Army Corps of Engineers began discharges Oct. 14.

A BlueGreen Water crew spread some algicide Monday in the western end of the C-44 Canal "as a dry run," said CEO Eyal Harel.

The algicide, called Lake Guard Oxy has hydrogen peroxide as its active ingredient.

Here is this week's timeline of events surrounding the Corps of Engineers discharge of Lake Okeechobee water into the Saint Lucie River Estuary, and the Florida DEP's experimental efforts to prevent Harmful Algae Blooms caused by the discharge.

• October 14, 2020: USACE starts pumping over a billion gallons of freshwater per day from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie River brackish water estuary. No Lake O. algae blooms are observed near the pumps but salinity levels begin to plummet throughout the SLR estuary.

• October 14, 2020: Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Preparation for Algal Bloom Mitigation: Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) are preparing for the use of innovative technology to mitigate blue-green algae if needed, following the recent announcement by the Army Corps of Engineers.

• October 19, 2020: Army Corps Approves Okeechobee Plan Deviation: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District, announces the approval of a planned deviation from the water control plan for Lake Okeechobee in order to reduce risk from Harmful Algal Blooms. These advanced releases, done when the risk of HABs is low, would allow greater flexibility to reduce releases during times when HABs are present in the lake or estuaries. Although Lake O. has been lowered to safe level, the Corps continues to pump the lake's water eastward while there are no algae blooms at the pumps. SLR Estuary salinity levels continue to plummet.

• October 21, 2020: Israeli Firm Aims to Keep Lake Okeechobee Algae Out of St Lucie River: In an effort to prevent a Harmful Algae Bloom, Florida Department of Environmental Protection gives a $945,000 contract to BlueGreen Water Technologies to spread hydrogen peroxide algicide into the water heading for the St. Lucie Estuary. It is speculated that BlueGreen's contract is associated with Gov. DeSantis' 2019 Business Development Mission to Israel.

Although Lake Okeechobee has been lowered to it's planned flood level, the Army Corps continues sending a billion gallons per day into the St. Lucie River in order to circumvent any possible future need to pump when algae blooms are present.

Meanwhile, Gov. DeSantis has sent close to a million dollars overseas, in order to have experimental algicide technology standing by to treat algae blooms caused by the Corps discharge.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed House Bill 2197 Florida Tech: Restore Lagoon Inflow Research Project on June 2nd, 2021.

The $921,500 Higher Education appropriations bill would have allowed Florida Tech's Indian River Lagoon Research Institute to continue working on solutions for improving water quality in the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary.

Sponsored by Rep. Thad Altman and approved by Florida's Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, HB2197 requested state funding for the third phase of a multi-phase pilot project to investigate the intervention impacts of restoring historical ocean inflows to the IRL. The restoration project's third phase would have supported comparative research, continued monitoring, and later stage design of a temporary test inflow system with associated permitting in coordination with FDEP.

HB2197 Florida Tech Restore Lagoon Inflow Research Project

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) continues to monitor bird mortalities suspected to be attributed to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza throughout Florida. This strain has been documented in the United States since 2021 and was detected for the first time in Florida in January 2022.

The FWC has documented the virus in 37 counties and a variety of bird species. The most common species affected in Florida include black vultures, lesser scaup and Muscovy ducks. Owls, bald eagles and other raptors, along with aquatic birds and waterfowl, have also been affected.

There is a low risk of HPAI transmission to humans, which can be minimized by following basic safety protocols. To prevent the spread of HPAI, the public should avoid handling sick or dead wildlife, prevent contact of domestic birds with wild birds and report wild bird mortalities to the FWC. Domestic poultry mortality should be reported to the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Additionally, precautions for hunters, the general public and wildlife rehabbers can be found at MyFWC.com/AvianInfluenza.

Please be advised that because HPAI is not treatable and is easily transmitted in wild birds, some wildlife rehabbers may not accept these animals. Information regarding carcass disposal is available through the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

The FWC is working closely with the United States Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the University of Florida, the National Wildlife Health Center, the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, the Florida Department of Health and wildlife rehabilitators to study mortality events involving wild birds.

Additional Resources:

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: MyFWC.com/AvianInfluenza
• Florida Department of Health: FloridaHealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/influenza/index.html
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Animals/Animal-Diseases/Avian-Influenza
• Carcass Disposal Guidelines: Guidance for Wild Bird Carcass Disposal
• USDA Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds: USDA APHIS 2022-2023 Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds
• USDA Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Mammals: USDA APHIS 2022-2023 Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Mammals
• USDA Defend the Flock Program: USDA APHIS Defend the Flock Program

To date there have been 23 bald eagle deaths in Florida due to Avian Flu. Eight eagle deaths have been recorded in Brevard County.On March 1st the Brevard County Extension Services Office published the following Avian Influenza press release:

As of February 28, 2022, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1) has arrived in Florida via wild waterfowl returning from nesting in the arctic where they comingled with birds from around the world. Confirmed cases in wild waterfowl have been reported in Volusia, Brevard, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Palm Beach Counties. The remainder of the state is under surveillance. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Florida Department of Health as of this writing, No cases of this bird flu have been found in domestic, backyard, or commercial birds in Florida.

Wild birds, particularly water birds, can carry many strains of low pathogenic avian influenza, most of which do not cause disease in domestic poultry. However, when a low pathogenic strain undergoes a mutation and forms a highly pathogenic strain, the mutated strain can cause significant disease in domestic poultry. The HPAI virus is not easily transmissible from birds to humans, but health officials are concerned it could mutate into another form that could spread readily from person to person, triggering a pandemic.

No cases of human infections with HPAI have been reported in the United States as of this writing. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) considers the current risk to the public to be low. As risk depends on exposure, it is best to not touch sick or dead wild birds. If such instances are necessary, persons handling such wild birds should use personal protective equipment (PPE) such as protective clothing, rubber boots, gloves, eye protection, and face shields. After handling the bird, these items can be disinfected with a 10% bleach water solution. Report wild bird mortalities to http://app.myfwc.com/FWRI/AvianMortality/.

To keep domestic, backyard, and commercial flocks free of this virus, it is recommended that all poultry (chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, etc.) be housed inside a coop with a solid roof and that steps be taken to prevent wild birds from entering the coop. It is also recommended to limit visits to your coop to only those who regularly handle your poultry. Report sick or dead birds to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) or your veterinarian.

To help in the tracking of HPAI:

• Report sick or dead commercial or backyard birds to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS.gov) or your veterinarian

• Report wild bird mortalities to http://app.myfwc.com/FWRI/AvianMortality/.

For additional information contact Joe Walter, Brevard Agriculture Agent.

Brevard Zoo Bird Experience Closed Due to Avian Flu

The Brevard Zoo has temporarily closed it's bird experiences due to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1). The following avian influenza notice has been published on the Brevard Zoo website:

To protect our bird family, our bird experiences are closed for the time being after we received news that several cases of avian influenza (HPAI) were found in Brevard County. We do not currently have any cases of avian influenza at the Zoo.

Avian influenza – commonly called “bird flu” – is a viral infection that occurs naturally in birds. Wild birds can carry the virus but may not always get sick from it. Some domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks and turkeys, can become infected, often fatally.

“Given the seriousness of this disease and the close proximity to the animals in our care, we have implemented our avian influenza plan,” said Keith Winsten, our Zoo’s executive director.

In an effort to keep our birds safe, the Zoo’s free-flight walk-through aviaries will be closed to the public until further notice. Zoo birds susceptible to HPAI such as our macaws, black swans, Osceola turkeys and whistling ducks, will be moved to indoor habitats.

Other species, like our nesting wrinkled hornbills, will receive habitat modifications to keep them from having contact with wild birds.  

Our animal care team will of course continue providing excellent care for all our feathered friends, but our staff will use extra personal protective equipment while doing so.

Although it is possible for people to become infected with avian influenza, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the virus does not spread easily from animals to humans.

Please check back for new updates on when our bird experiences will reopen. We appreciate your understanding as we strive to keep our bird family safe while also providing you with a fun day at our Zoo.  

Florida Bird Flu Continues Spreading as Bald Eagle Deaths Rise

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On May 10, 2022 WESH-TV2 news reporter Scott Heidler reported that Brevard County is Florida's Avian Influenza epicenter with eight recorded bald eagle deaths. Heidler interviewed Brevard Zoo Veterinarian Trevor Zachariah for the news story.

Brought here by migrating ducks, the bird flu was first discovered in Florida back in January.

Several thousand birds are thought to have died from the disease, including at least 23 bald eagles.

The most in Brevard County was eight, and the county is known as Florida’s bird flu epicenter.

“We’ve been dealing with it the longest, so our local wildlife has been exposed to it the longest. I think that’s why the numbers are greater,” Trevor Zachariah, the director of veterinary programs at Brevard Zoo said.

Why does that mean more eagles have been dying here?

“Eagles naturally are both predator and scavenger. They do a fair bit of both,” Zachariah said.

“And when you have animals that pass from avian influenza disease, then the eagles will take advantage of that opportunity for easy food and get exposed to the disease that way,” Zachariah said.

Brevard Zoo officials say that their aviary could reopen but in a limited form with only low-risk birds.

High-risk birds, like bald eagles, would remain in protected areas.

That’s mainly because wild black vultures and bald eagles from the zoo could mingle in their habitats.

The vultures are scavengers too, but since they have the highest rate of infection, they could also be spreading it among themselves.

It's not just in Brevard, but across the state, black vultures have the highest bird flu infection rate.

The risk for humans to contract bird flu is very low.

There are no cases in Florida and there’s only one reported case in all of the U.S.

Even though human infection is very low, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission experts recommend that you do not handle dead or sick birds, and be sure to keep your pet birds away from any wild species.

Resources

Brevard County Extension Services Office Avian Influenza Press Release. Published March 1, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.

Brevard Zoo Avian Influenza Notice. Retrieved May 12, 2022.

WESH-TV2 Florida bird flu continues spreading as bald eagle deaths rise. Published May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) submitted a proposal to expand its Starship/Super Heavy program operations at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This proposal was submitted through the Land Use Notice of Availability (NOA) process to construct and operate a new launch complex (LC-49) as well as expand SpaceX’s existing operations near Roberts Road.  

SpaceX has already begun developing a site within the perimeter of LC-39A for Starship/Super Heavy launch operations and intends to use that site for future Starship missions. An Environmental Assessment was completed and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was issued in September 2019. The proposed expanded operations at KSC, which include the LC-49 launch site and expansion of the Roberts Road site, would provide redundancy and capacity and allow SpaceX to increase the flight rate of Starship  and minimize potential disruptions to Falcon, Falcon Heavy, and Dragon missions at LC-39A.

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which shares land with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Canaveral National Seashore, long has served as an example of how technology and nature can co-exist. The center recently developed the Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan to provide a framework for Kennedy and its partners to navigate the unique relationship between the center and the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) estuary. The waterway is on and adjacent to the spaceport, and the plan proposes projects and actions directly addressing current environmental challenges.

“The lagoon is considered to be one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America,” said Nick Murdock, Environmental Management Branch (EMB) chief at Kennedy. “Advancing environmental stewardship is a core element of our branch’s mission, and there’s a unique and interdependent relationship between the center’s 140,000-acre property and the lagoon.”

Experts from NASA Kennedy’s Environmental and Medical Contract (NEMCON) developed the plan based on guidance of regulatory and management needs identified by NASA's EMB and Environmental Assurance Branch, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Canaveral National Seashore, and other stakeholders.

“Our office, specifically our group, works very, very closely with the center planners in the master planning office,” said Don Dankert, environmental biologist in the EMB. “The lagoon health plan helps to make informed decisions about what Kennedy can do to protect not just the lagoon, but all the amazing natural resources here that are under our management.”

Proposals include several monitoring actions addressing lagoon health – strengthening ongoing monitoring efforts managed or heavily supported by NEMCON, monitoring seagrass distribution, conducting wading bird and aerial manatee surveys, and tracking animals in the estuary. It also calls for monitoring potentially toxic algae blooms, runoff caused by prescribed burns, wildlife and shoreline resiliency, and any sources of pollution from the center.

The Indian River Lagoon extends 156 miles along the Florida coast from Volusia County to Palm Beach County. In parts of the lagoon, repeated and intense algal blooms over the last decade have contributed to the mass loss of seagrass and diversity. The die-off of the seagrass affects the entire ecosystem, and monitoring and mapping seagrass will allow the agency to measure abundance and determine the best locations to transplant seagrass from abundant beds to those that are dying.

“There’s just about zero seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon now, and that’s the whole basis of the food web that makes everything work,” said Jeff Collins, environmental protection specialist in the EMB and key contributor to the plan. “It’s a huge issue, and much of the issue is related to development up and down the coastal area of Florida.”

Decades of buildup along the coast has harmed the estuary. Things like old septic tanks seeping into the sandy Florida soil has caused nutrient loads in the estuary that significantly damaged the ecosystem’s delicate balance. Additionally, climate change has brought stronger storm events, leading to salinity disparities in the water that impact water quality to the point of becoming uninhabitable for native species like shellfish.

“With climate change, salinity is more variable, and some areas are even too low for clams to live in the lagoon now,” said Collins. “So, we’ll get a heavy storm event – boom – salinity drops and it’s problematic for the clams in that instance. And, clams are the kidneys of the lagoon, or they were – there’s not any there now.”

Improving the understanding of water quality, gaining information for sound land management, and creating actionable projects and restoration actions based on that information are the key aims of the plan. Many of the proposed projects are in direct response to what has been observed by decades of monitoring the health of the soil, vegetation, and wildlife in the estuary around Kennedy. These projects include muck removal, reducing reliance on septic tanks and removing those already decommissioned, restoring shellfish to improve water clarity, and expanding living shorelines.

As those most familiar with the plan and the health of the lagoon know all too well, turning the clock back on decades of deterioration is a complicated process with no easy fix. Every element of the estuary is interconnected, and the foundation of the diverse and delicate ecosystem remains the water that supports it.

“You don't get seagrass back until you get improved water quality,” said Collins. “You know water quality might not improve until you get clams back, but clams don't come in until you have improved water quality – so there's all these things playing against each other that are problematic for getting the lagoon back to where it was.”

While addressing the challenges facing the estuary is no easy task, the plan ensures that Kennedy remains an active stakeholder of the lagoon basin management, which is part of a statewide watershed management approach to restore and protect Florida's water quality. And, while missions to space are what made NASA famous the world over, the missions closer to home can sometimes have the greatest impacts.

“NASA's environmental policy is to execute NASA's mission without compromising our planet's resources, including natural resources, so that future generations can meet their needs,” said Murdock. “The proposed projects and restoration actions will ensure NASA Kennedy’s continued role as a responsible steward and a partner in promoting Indian River Lagoon health and biodiversity for many generations to come.”

See Also: Link:NASA KSC presents the Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan to the IRL National Estuary Program

Problems with the Indian River Lagoon have caused a race to save the unique estuary, and now Kennedy Space Center is considering its part in the lagoon's health as well.

With 140,000 acres of federal property that runs adjacent to the space center in Brevard County, NASA says its environmental services divisions at KSC are making lagoon health high priority.

The Indian River Lagoon Roundtable, a nonpartisan group that focuses on environmental issues, received a copy of the KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan Initial Release on Friday.

The plan calls for monitoring several aspects of lagoon health, from runoff caused by prescribed burns to wildlife and shoreline resiliency. The report says about 95% of seagrass coverage has been lost in KSC waters because of phytoplankton blooms since 2010.

The agency wants to figure out any sources of pollution inputs into the IRL, Mosquito Lagoon and Banana River from the space center, and how to reduce them.

Full Story: https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2021/10/03/nasa-report-considers-how-it-can-help-indian-river-lagoon

NASA's recent appointment of Administrator Bill Nelson, Associate Administrator Robert Cabana, and Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro may prove very beneficial to the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary.

• Bill Nelson, former State Representative and U.S. Senator, grew up in Melbourne, Florida and graduated from Melbourne High School. ?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"'?

• Robert Cabana, NASA Astronaut Corps member, lived in Indian Harbour Beach from 2008 to 2021 during his tenure as KSC Director.?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"'?

• Janet Petro, KSC Associate Director 2008 - 2021, grew up in Satellite Beach and graduated from Satellite High School.?'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"'?

All three newly appointed NASA executives have been Brevard County residents; have seen the demise of the Indian River Lagoon; and now have the authority to improve the Kennedy Space Center environment. It appears that the countdown to KSC IRL restoration has already begun.

In an effort to open a more transparent discourse with KSC management, local environmental groups Indian River Lagoon Roundtable and Sierra Club Florida sent introductory letters to Director Petro. Both environmental groups received responses that reveal a new "KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan" coming this fall:

“We started the KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan early last year, and are working with experts and stakeholders to finalize our initiative. This plan takes into consideration the approximately 140,000-acre Federal property and the Indian River Lagoon estuary on and adjacent to our NASA Center. It proposes projects and restoration actions that promote the lagoon's health and biodiversity and will serve as a reference to enable informed decisions regarding future lagoon health projects to help increase understanding of water quality, habitat quality, living resources issues, and restoration needs.” Janet Petro, KSC Director

In addition, Director Petro has introduced the IRL Roundtable to a KSC conservation biologist who is involved in the plan’s development. The biologist is expected to speak to the citizens environmental group this month.

The KSC Environmental Program Public Affairs Office has confirmed that the official name of NASA’s plan will be the "Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan" and that it will be introduced at a Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP) meeting this fall. While not intended to be a lagoon wide restoration, the initiative will include various smaller restoration projects. The PAO reports that NASA engineers have recently applied for a permit for a “living shoreline” restoration project at KARS Park; that the IRL health plan will include water quality monitoring activities; and that potential partnerships with the community are in discussion.

KARS Park Shoreline 2021

See Also

• IRLNews:IRL Roundtable Receives KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan Initial Release
• IRLNews:Kennedy Space Center Develops Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan
• Video: Link:NASA KSC presents the Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan to the IRL National Estuary Program

Web Links

• Indian River Lagoon Roundtable
• Sierra Club Florida
• NASA Feature - Administrator Bill Nelson
• NASA Biographies - KSC Director Janet Petro
• NASA Biographies - Associate Administrator Robert D. Cabana
• KSC - KARS Park

Documents

• NASA - Bill Nelson (PDF 2pp)
• NASA - Robert D. Cabana (PDF 2pp)

References

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Indian River Lagoon Roundtable has received an initial release of the “Kennedy Space Center Health Initiative Plan” from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Environmental Management Branch (EMB).

Kennedy Space Center Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan Purpose

KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan Introduction

The KSC Environmental Management Branch introduces the KSC IRL Health Initiative Plan as follows:

The Kennedy Space Center Environmental Management Branch will present the KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan at the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program Management Board meeting on November 16th at 10:15am - 1:00pm and at the STEM Board meeting on November 16th at 1:30pm - 4:30pm.

The IRLNEP board meetings will be held at Up the Creek Farm, 3570 Valkaria Road, Malabar, FL 32950. This is an in-person event with no video broadcast available at this time.

Source: Indian River Lagoon Roundtable - "KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan"

Today, the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board voted to approve the execution of a $19.5 million contract to begin construction of the Crane Creek M-1 Canal Flow Restoration Project – a project that will significantly reduce the flow of nutrients into the Indian River Lagoon (IRL).

The M-1 Canal currently serves as a flood control canal, but over 100 years ago it was originally developed to redirect stormwater from 5,300 acres near the St. Johns River to the IRL. Along with the millions of gallons of water came thousands of pounds of nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus – two nutrients known to contribute to algal blooms. Once complete, the project will restore the natural flow of the stormwater from the IRL back west, where the water will be treated in a stormwater treatment area prior to reaching the St. Johns River.

“The ability to significantly reduce the nutrients entering the system is essential to restoring the health of the lagoon,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Mike Register. “It is critical we continue to collaborate with our partners to identify, fund and implement these high priority projects.”

While the primary goal of the project is to reduce nutrient loading to the IRL, it has the secondary benefit of restoring 7 million gallons of freshwater flow per day to the St. Johns River, which can in turn be used for alternative water supply downstream.

Crane Creek M1 Canal Map

Construction of the project consists of five elements:

• An operable control structure within the M-1 Canal, including weirs;
• a stormwater pumping station, located east of I-95 adjacent to the M-1 Canal along Coastal Lane;
• a stormwater pumping station, located west of the St. Johns Heritage Parkway;
• two sections of 24-inch diameter underground force mains exiting from each of the pump stations; and
• a stormwater treatment area west of the St. Johns Heritage Parkway.

The total cost for the project is $22.6 million, which includes the design and any necessary land acquisition. Funding partners include the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) who provided a grant for $2.03 million, Brevard County who contributed $2.45 million cost share dollars through its Save Our Indian River Lagoon program and $4.5 million alternative water supply funding from federal sources through the DEP.

The construction phase of M1 Canal Crane Creek Restoration project is scheduled to begin in March 2023. The anticipated completion date is January 2025.

To learn more about the Crane Creek M-1 Canal Flow Restoration Project, visit this page.

To learn more about how the St. Johns River as a water supply source, visit this page.

If you have questions about this project, please email cranecreekproject@sjrwmd.com or call Marc Van Heden at 321-676-6604.

On September 13, 2023 NASA's Kennedy Space Center published a public notice requesting comments on the KSC SpaceX Roberts Road 100 Acre Expansion Supplemental Environmental Assessment. Indian River Lagoon Roundtable published a Call to Action encouraging Brevard environmental groups to respond to KSC's public notice with their comments on the Roberts Rd Expansion Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA).

Several Brevard County environmental groups responded to IRL Roundtable's Call to Action. The environmentalist's comments primarily concern wildlife preservation, habitat conservation, wetland mitigation, air, water and soil monitoring, stormwater management and the use of low impact development (LID) and green infrastructure (GIS) within NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

KSC Roberts Road SpaceX Conceptual Site Plan

Roberts Rd Environmental Assessment Comments

Here are excerpts from the public comments Brevard County environmental groups submitted to Don Dankert, Kennedy Space Center Environmental Branch Planning Lead, concerning the KSC SpaceX Roberts Road 100 Acre Expansion Supplemental Environmental Assessment.

IRL Roundtable EA Comments

"The destruction of thirty one acres of uplands and sixty eight acres of wetlands from the KSC Conservation Buffer, originally set aside in the 2020 KSC Master Plan and managed by the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, will set a dangerous precedent that contradicts KSC’s long standing legacy as a steward of Cape Canaveral’s endangered wildlife and the habitat it needs to survive."

Download: IRL Roundtable Roberts Road EA Comments (PDF)

Surfrider Foundation Space Coast Chapter SEA Comments

"Surfrider has significant concerns with the DSEA that can only be resolved by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”) developing an Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”). The project requires an EIS because its impacts, including indirect effects, to wetlands, local waterways, and the ecosystem will be significant. Additionally, the DSEA fails to explain the full extent of cumulative impacts resulting from expanded SpaceX operations at the KSC."

Download: Surfrider Foundation Space Coast Chapter SEA Comments (PDF)

Merritt Island Wildlife Association (MIWA) EA Comments

"The filling of 66.8 acres of high-quality wetlands is treated as a minor issue but considering the destruction of wetlands since the creation of the space center and additional new construction, this is significant. Wetlands provide buffers for storm events and are one of the most productive ecosystems. The mention that wetland mitigation could occur outside of the IRL Basin is unacceptable. The mitigation should occur on the MINWR. If there is not adequate areas for mitigation in the IRL Basin perhaps that is sign that the carrying capacity has been reached."

Download: Merritt Island Wildlife Association (MIWA) EA Comments (PDF)

Marine Resources Council (MRC) EA Comments

"We are concerned that the expansion stated in the subject EA will destroy significant wetland and upland areas that are critical to reaching acceptable water quality in a badly impaired northern Indian River Lagoon."

Download:Marine Resources Council (MRC) EA Comments (PDF)

Space Coast League Of Women Voters (LWV) EA Comments

"We are very concerned that the expected increase in launch rates could cause closures of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore for 100 days or more each year. We hope a solution can be made that prevents any impact to these areas."

Download: pace Coast League Of Women Voters EA Comments(PDF)

Laurilee Thompson Roberts Rd SEA Comments

"Over a half billion dollars are being spent by the citizens of Brevard County through a sales tax, and funding is coming from many state and federal government agencies on projects to repair damage to the Indian River Lagoon from past, poorly managed development. The destruction of wetlands in the watershed will be counterproductive to projects funded by the above agencies, as will freshwater discharges to the wildlife refuge impoundments or the Indian River itself. Any increase in freshwater discharges will alter its salinity and hinder the recovery of seagrass and endanger the success of projects to reintroduce clams and oysters."

Download: Laurilee Thompson Roberts Rd SEA Comments (PDF)

Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition (BIRLC) EA Comments

"The Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition supports the world-leading developments taking place at the Florida Spaceport but is deeply concerned about inadequate monitoring and coordinated management of Cumulative Impacts (SEA § 5) of this and other existing and coming projects, particularly related to the salinity of the already impaired Indian River Lagoon (IRL), both an Outstanding Florida Water and Estuary of National Significance. Maintaining the proper salinity is crucial to the health of the IRL."

Download: Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition (BIRLC) EA Comments (PDF)

Turtle Coast Sierra Club EA Comments

"The Sierra Club hopes that SpaceX will consider the use of Low Impact Development to minimize water that enters the local water system. The Indian River Lagoon is in bad condition and fresh water is a pollutant to the system."

Download: Turtle Coast Sierra Club EA Comments (PDF)

Space Coast Audubon Society EA Comments

"The Space Coast Audubon Society has grave concerns with the construction plans in regards to the pine scrub area which is prime habitat for the critically endangered Florida Scrub Jay. "

Download: Space Coast Audubon Society EA Comments (PDF)

Brevard County Environmental Groups

• Indian River Lagoon Roundtable (IRLRT)
• Surfrider Foundation Space Coast Chapter
• Merritt Island Wildlife Association (MIWA)
• Marine Resources Council (MRC)
• League of Women Voters of the Space Coast
• Laurilee Thompson
• Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition (BIRLC)
• Turtle Coast Sierra Club
• Space Coast Audubon Society

References

• NASA KSC - SpaceX Roberts Road 100 Acre Expansion Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) Public Notice KSC-01-23
• NASA KSC - SpaceX Roberts Road 100 Acre Expansion Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA)
• Kennedy Space Center Environmental Management Branch
• KSC National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• KSC Roberts Road Expansion Web Page

An innovative project to fight algal blooms in Lake Minneola is getting under way this week with water quality monitoring. Lake Minneola, which has been plagued with blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, was selected earlier this year for a pilot remediation project to combat harmful algal blooms.

“We look forward to seeing results from this innovative project as we work to discover new remedies to our water quality challenges,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “With Gov. DeSantis’ commitment and the state’s investment, we can continue pursuing science-based strategies to tackle algal blooms and nutrient reduction in our waterways.”

Funding for the $1.7 million project comes from a 2020 legislative appropriation providing grant funding through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Water Policy and Ecosystem Project’s Innovative Grant Program. The program funds innovative technology projects to test new processes for dealing with water quality challenges.

Using a combination of collected field data, water samples and remote sensing imagery, BlueGreen US Water Technologies (BGWT) Ltd. will identify algae-prone areas in Lake Minneola and deploy its LakeGuard® Oxy Technology in strategic locations to reduce current or forming algal blooms.

BGWT’s technology was demonstrated during the Governor’s Trade Mission to Israel in 2019. According to BGWT, the Lake Guard® treatment selectively eliminates and prevents cyanobacterial blooms in lakes, regardless of lake size or shape. Lake Guard® uses a proprietary new formulation of potent algaecides that allows the granular product to float and time-release the active ingredient on the water surface, while targeting cyanobacterial mats as they float on the water’s surface.

The same innovative technology is being deployed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District to address blue-green algae caused by discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchie and St. Lucie estuaries.

The LakeGuard® Oxy Technology’s active ingredient, hydrogen peroxide, decomposes quickly to water and oxygen. Due the unique formulation of the Lake Guard® products, its ingredients dissolve completely in a few hours after application, is ecofriendly and does not persist or accumulate in the environment.

The pilot project is expected to be in operation for at least six months.

Lake Minneola Innovative Algal Bloom Treatment Project

Source: Lake Minneola Innovative Algal Bloom Treatment Project

Following recommendations from the state’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force with support from Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Legislature appropriated fiscal year 2020 grant funding for innovative technology projects to test new processes for dealing with water quality challenges.

Several grants were awarded for innovative projects across Florida, including a pilot project to control, eliminate and possibly prevent algal blooms from forming in Lake Minneola, in Lake County.

Lake Minneola, which has been plagued with cyanobacteria, or potentially harmful blue-green algae, is a prime candidate for a pilot remediation project to combat harmful algal blooms.

The St. Johns River Water Management District has entered into a grant agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to provide the support for contracting with BlueGreen U.S. Water Technologies, Inc. (BGWT) to test its technology’s ability to control and manage algal concentrations in Lake Minneola.

Using a combination of collected field data, water samples and a hydrogen peroxide-based product, the BGWT pilot project will work to identify algal-prone areas in Lake Minneola and then deploy its technology in strategic locations to reduce current or forming algal blooms.

The pilot project is expected to be in operation for at least six months with initial deployment planned for August 2020.

Status

Modica and Associates will begin a two-week monitoring period on Lake Minneola which will begin on Nov. 2. They intend to collect water samples and readings at least three days a week, from Nov. 2 through Nov. 16, 2020. During this time, no algaecide will be deployed in Lake Minneola.

• Lake Minneola Overview (PDF 2pp)
• Lake Minneola FAQs (PDF 3pp)
• Who is BlueGreen Water Technologies? (PDF 2pp)