Meeting Notes

July 30, 2025

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Amy Eason, Martin County Environmental Resource Engineer, told the July 24 Rivers Coalition meeting how the county was addressing sea-level rise. They look at three factors that create flooding: sea level rise, rain runoff and storm surge from hurricanes, and assess how every project (such as the recent raising of MacArthur Boulevard) can mitigate those factors as far as 75 years in the future. It’s a big job… 

Drew Bartlett, the Executive Director of the South Florida Water Management District, then gave an update on their projects. One of the biggest: Raising 6.7 miles of the Tamiami Trail to allow a whole lot more water to flow from Lake Okeechobee and the Northern Everglades past the man-made barrier and into Florida Bay. It hasn’t been completed yet, but the “River of Grass” is already getting bigger and bigger – which is what Mother Nature originally intended.
 
He also mentioned the current problems in the St. Lucie River are coming from discharges from the north and not, as usual, from the west. They have been forced to discharge water from the C-23 and C-24 canals into Ten-Mile Creek and the North Fork this summer, so it’s the North Fork that is currently suffering from too-much sediment. Unfortunately, the two new reservoirs that will alleviate this problem won’t be operative for at least another two years. Bartlett then gave us status updates on five other ongoing/just completed projects, and also mentioned the District hasn’t observed any adverse Alligator Alcatraz-related impacts on their operations.
 
Another speaker noted, almost as an aside, that the highest sugar subsidy increase in history was tucked somewhere deep inside the now-signed 980-page “Big Beautiful Bill”.
 
The next Rivers Coalition meeting will be in September. Back in two months…     

-- Walter Deemer, League of Women Voters Martin County Chapter Representative
 

By Walter Deemer June 30, 2025
The June 26 Rivers Coalition meeting featured a update on Martin County’s land acquisition program from Merritt Matheson, Vice-Chair of the Environmental Lands Oversight Committee, and John Maehl, Martin County’s Environmental Resource Administrator.
By Patrice Fiverr June 16, 2025
By Environment Team May 30, 2025
Water Ambassador Field Trip: Eyes on the Seagrass Bitz Kayak Tour was on May 27 th . Lyn Aal-Magee attended this program which can be extended to others who are interested. Water Ambassador is collecting sightings of seagrass in the Indian River. To participate in the Eyes on Seagrass Blitz, they recommend that you download the ArcGIS Survey123 app in your phone's app store. Download the app and then access the form via the link bit.ly/ReportSeaGrass once before heading out on the water. After you have accessed the form via the link for the first time, you can then open the app to access the form directly. Alternatively, if you do not want to download the app you can enter data through the direct link to the online form: bit.ly/ReportSeaGrass but the app will make it easier while on the water. More information about the Eyes on Seagrass in the IRL Blitz can be found here: https://bit.ly/EOSBlitz  The Water Ambassador Program in Martin County, FL , is an educational initiative aimed at empowering residents to protect local waterways. The program includes monthly webinars on stormwater-related topics, providing residents with opportunities to learn about water quality, conservation, and restoration. It is a partnership between Martin County and UF/IFAS Extension, focusing on community engagement and education. Participants can register for webinars, which cover various water resource topics and are every third Tuesday.