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First state parks bill filed; here’s what it looks like

December 13, 2024

The first of what looks to be several bills regarding the controversial proposal to develop Florida’s state parks has dropped, and it’s good. But it could be better. Filed by state Sen. Gayle Harrell of Stuart, Senate Bill 80 — the “State Park Preservation Act”…

DEEP DIVE: What the muck? How ‘black mayonnaise’ impacts our waters

December 11, 2024

Let’s face it: The Indian River Lagoon and its tributaries are mucked up. That is, they’re full of muck, a gooey mix of eroded soil, animal waste and both organic and inorganic matter that covers about 6,000 acres of the…

Day 5: Why are we getting these discharges, anyway?

December 11, 2024

The rationale behind the damaging discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers and Lake Worth Lagoon goes like this: Army Corps officials say the goal of “Recovery Operations” is to give Lake O a break. For six years in…

Discharges start Saturday, could last for months

December 7, 2024

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed in a press release Friday that it will begin “Recovery Operations” – discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers along with the Lake Worth Lagoon – on Saturday, Dec. 7. According to…

Here’s how VoteWater made an impact in 2024

December 3, 2024

2024 was a big year for the clean-water cause, marked by elections, the publication of our “Dirty Money Project,” a huge controversy over a plan to develop Florida’s state parks and more. Here’s a look at where VoteWater made an…

Why is this seat on the SFWMD board still vacant?

November 26, 2024

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…

Discharges to help Lake O by hurting Caloosahatchee, St. Lucie

November 21, 2024

Lake Okeechobee is in rough shape. The lake as of this writing remains over 16 feet, and it’s been high for a long time. Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has died off; South Florida Water Management District officials say they like…

Change at the top at FDEP – and that could spell trouble

November 14, 2024

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…

Will Rubio’s replacement fight for cleaner water?

November 14, 2024

Looks like Sen. Marco Rubio could be moving on up. And that could have a big impact on the clean-water cause. As first reported last weekend, President-Elect Donald Trump is set to nominate Rubio Secretary of State.  If so —…

Election reax: Here’s how our endorsed candidates fared, and what it means

November 6, 2024

Congratulations to Congressman Brian Mast and Islamorada Village Councilman-elect Steve Friedman, who won their races last night! They were among four candidates VoteWater endorsed in the election; the other two, unfortunately, fell short. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell lost to incumbent U.S. Sen.…

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