Right now, there are two communities in Florida, on opposite sides of the state, both of which are currently struggling to save the main bodies of water in their area that are the cornerstones of their livelihoods.
The situation is so bad in the Panhandle that just last week federal officials declared a fishery disaster for the folks in Apalachicola Bay. They’re struggling from a lack of freshwater flowing into the bay from Georgia which, in turn, has decimated the oyster population there.
The following day, I headed to Apalachicola for a Senate Commerce Committee field hearing with U.S Sen. Marco Rubio. We heard from officials with the Northwest Florida Water Management District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, local fisherman and more. And while there’s still a lot of work to be done, last week was a significant step in finding a solution.
A few days later, I traveled down to Stuart to meet with experts and local community leaders there about the health of the Indian River Lagoon. I grew up on the Indian River in Melbourne, so I know first-hand how important the river is to the fishing, tourism and trade it supports.
And, it’s clear from the recent, unexplained spike in the number of dolphins, manatees and pelicans dying in the area that Mother Nature is in distress.
Algae is turning the Lagoon green, and killing the sea grass that helps anchor soil on the river bed.
Scientists at the roundtable cited multiple possible causes for the downturn, including septic tanks, deep-well injection and discharges on nutrient-laced water from Lake Okeechobee.
We’re seeing similar problems in the Caloosahatchee River in Southwest Florida near the Gulf Coast.
Right now, there’s a bill I cosponsored in the Senate that would increase research into these algae blooms and give communities the resources they need to respond. I’m trying to get my colleagues to pass this bill soonest.
Florida’s natural environment is a key part of our state’s identity. And, I’m hopeful that by acting now we can start to turn things around for these two essential waterways.
Sincerely,
Sen. Bill Nelson
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