South Florida Water Management District
When Gov. Ron DeSantis came into office in 2019 one of the first things he did was dismiss the sitting South Florida Water Management District Governing Board and appoint a new slate. No longer was the board dominated by special…
A bill was filed last week in the Florida Senate that could be seen as a “good government” bill. It could also be seen as an attempt to cut spending on Everglades Restoration. Senate Proposed Bill 7002 would mandate greater…
Hey, remember that proposal to build a rock mine… er, “water resource project” — in the Everglades Agricultural Area? Sure you do. Phillips & Jordan, the prime contractor for several massive reservoir projects in the region, is pitching (unsolicited) plans…
Hey, remember JTL? We do. Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch was a solid advocate for the Treasure Coast region during her time on the South Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board, often agitating — politely — for clean-water solutions for her community. But…
You might have seen the news last week that Florida DEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton was stepping down; he’ll be replaced by Alexis Lambert, chief of staff of the state’s division of bond finance since 2018. There’s speculation that Hamilton’s departure…
It’s toxic algae season — the least wonderful time of the year! At last week’s South Florida Water Management District Governing Board meeting, District Director of Water Resources Lawrence Glenn reported that algae blooms on Lake Okeechobee are beginning to…
We may need to retire our “discharges ticker.” For the moment, anyway. Last week the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that once the two-week “pause” in discharges to the St. Lucie, Caloosahatchee and Lake Worth Lagoon ended April 13, the…
Our community event on the discharges from Lake Okeechobee filled the Sewall’s Point Town Hall last Thursday, with dozens of engaged citizens turning out to learn about the problem – and what they can do about it. Thanks to all…
Massive discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers began this past Saturday, with up to 6,500 cubic feet of water per second roaring through the Julian Keen Jr. Lock and Dam/S-77 in Moore Haven and up to 3,600 cfs…
Earlier this year we told you how Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, perhaps the staunchest clean-water advocate on the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board, lost her seat after Gov. Ron DeSantis renominated her — but the Florida Senate declined to hold…