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Lower Kissimmee STA is the right project; is it in the right place?

November 17, 2023

We’re keeping an eye on a proposal in Okeechobee County to build a stormwater treatment area, or STA, north of Lake Okeechobee along the C-38 Canal in the Lower Kissimmee Basin. The land, some 3,400 acres, is owned by a private company…

Florida’s majestic beauty is why we ‘Vote Water’

November 16, 2023

Here at VoteWater, we learned a new word last week: “Doomscrolling.” According to Wikipedia it means “spending an excessive amount of time reading large quantities of negative news online.” Guilty as charged. There’s never any shortage of unsettling news about…

How ‘Dirty Money’ keeps the powerful in power

November 10, 2023

Here at VoteWater we’re hip-deep in research for our “Dirty Money Project,” and we’ve noticed something interesting: Both sides — that is, Republicans and Democrats — take money from polluting special interests. But the amount they get coincides with the…

Wetlands protections, preserving local fertilizer bans top our 2024 Legislative Priorities

November 2, 2023

Another Florida legislative session is right around the corner, and you know what that means: More bad bills destined to result in dirtier water, more giveaways to special interests and good bills left stranded without sufficient support. It’s how we…

Deep Dive: Here’s what Big Sugar can do to fix flooding in the Everglades

October 27, 2023

All is not well in the central Everglades. High water levels in the water conservation areas south of Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades Agricultural Area are flooding tree islands, and those dependent upon them — people, and creatures like deer…

With billions needed for water projects, Florida needs to get better organized

October 20, 2023

Did you know that for all the money being spent on water quality projects in Florida, the state has no comprehensive, well-vetted list of which projects should get priority in terms of funding and start date? And wouldn’t it be…

Dirty money: How ‘pay for play’ media helps special interests slant the story

October 12, 2023

Just when you think you’re being too cynical about Florida politics, you realize you aren’t being cynical enough. Tallahassee, the Florida capital, has no shortage of hacks and flacks, would-be “journalists” who’ll print anything for a buck. So we were…

VoteWater Deep Dive: Get ready for the fight over fertilizer

October 5, 2023

New study based on flawed past studies could be used to justify permanent ban on fertilizer bans — leading to dirtier water One of the more dubious actions (and there were plenty) taken by the 2023 Florida Legislature and rubber-stamped…

Sugar spin ALERT: That mailer you got about septic was mean, green – and totally bogus

September 27, 2023

“Listen to the Science,” screamed the headline of the flyer that showed up in Martin County mailboxes (and perhaps elsewhere) last week. “SEWAGE is Killing Our Local Waterways.” The ALARMING WORDS were framed in multiple pictures of blue-green algae. Flipping…

Using tech to fight algae – so we don’t have to crack down on polluters

September 21, 2023

Another day, another “technological” fix for Florida’s dirty water. Today’s news story comes to you from the Indian River Lagoon, where Florida Today recently reported on how attempts to “harvest” harmful algae via a floating barge could make the lagoon…

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