Lake Okeechobee discharges
VoteWater, a South Florida clean-water advocacy group, has endorsed Sarah Heard for Martin County Commissioner, District 4. “For more than 20 years, Sarah Heard has made clean water a top priority,” said VoteWater Executive Director Gil Smart. “She’s been a…
VoteWater, a South Florida clean-water advocacy group, has endorsed Campbell Rich for Stuart City Commissioner, Group I. “Campbell knows that cleaner water depends on people working together,” said VoteWater Executive Director Gil Smart. “The fight to improve water quality and…
VoteWater has endorsed four candidates running for office in Martin County. Endorsees include Christopher Collins, Martin County Board of County Commissioners, District 2; Sarah Heard, Martin County Board of County Commissioners, District 4; Campbell Rich, City of Stuart Commission, Group…
Last week we reported on a new study showing Lake O is the dirtiest lake in America; we had our doubts about the methodology but agree that the lake has big problems — which are going to require big fixes. Now, “official”…
Just how dirty is Lake Okeechobee? Rental company Lake.com thinks it may be the dirtiest in the nation. Using federal chemical data from 2020 through July 2025, the study ranked 46 of the nation’s biggest lakes on their “total pollution…
The recent bout of red tide on Florida’s Gulf Coast that killed fish and caused respiratory problems to people also brought up a long-standing subject of debate: Do Lake Okeechobee discharges cause red tide? Several scientific studies show that Lake…
You want to save the Everglades, the northern estuaries and Florida Bay? You want to protect people and animals from harmful algal blooms and safeguard South Florida’s economy? Then it’s time to “Rescue the River of Grass.” Launched by…
When VoteWater was founded in 2013 as Bullsugar.org, our bare-knuckled advocacy reflected the community’s outrage at toxic algae and the political environment that produced it. We built a movement and demanded change; we made waves. But the fight for clean…
Ladies and gentlemen, we give you: The first blue-green algal bloom of 2025 (photo courtesy of the Ohana Surf Shop in Stuart). Well, technically, the Florida DEP’s “Algal Bloom Dashboard” flags numerous blooms across the state; but one of those…