# The Impact of Florida's Ecological Disaster



## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

Pictures and video need to be posted on social media.

BTW Dr Aaron Adams from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust is going to speak on this topic at the Backcountry Flyfishing Association meeting at Duffy's in Altamonte Springs this Thursday, March 10, 2016 at 6:30PM.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

MariettaMike said:


> Pictures and video need to be posted on social media.
> 
> BTW Dr Aaron Adams from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust is going to speak on this topic at the Backcountry Flyfishing Association meeting at Duffy's in Altamonte Springs this Thursday, March 10, 2016 at 6:30PM.


Wish I could be there, but I'll be flying back from Philadelphia. Post a report on his presentation. Thanks.


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## fishicaltherapist (Mar 9, 2013)

POLITICIANS + BIG $$$$ = DEATH OF OUR ENVIRONMENT


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## jonrconner (May 20, 2015)

In today's paper. Came across it while looking for something else.
JC 
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/carl-hiaasen/article64076762.html


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

it is such a shame that no one looks at the trickle down stream effects of a single action. so many guides along are impacted from an income standpoint that is their livelihood. This being one small element impacted in todays moment. But the future for our children to fish these waters could now be tainted. Who knows the recovery time. And to say these things could be prevented and yet (other more important money makers and vote gainers) were put first. Can society start to think about the world and the future of the world like it once did in the youth of this country when we were setting aside the National Parks and preserves. But to day everyone in power seems to be thinking about themselves and allowing BIG CORPORATE money to drive their decisions only for the seed money needed to expand a campaign and spread the image of that person. 

We need to move from the money hungry corruption and into the simplicity of making life better for all. At the end of the day it does not matter if you are on a $100,000 custom flats boat or a $5 garage sale wooden raft made by a bling man that half floats. you are out their absorbing the nature and enjoying it, yo are relaxed and at peace with life. Becoming fully engulfed in the simplicity of nature. But for some reason our society had been transformed to move all of our life goals to be wrapped around the core and greed of money and they focus so on the bottom line and on enjoying life. 

Well now that greed has cause hundreds of times fold over damage to something that one cannot simply go to the general store and replace. Nature is a fine thing and that is its beauty, that is what makes it so magical. 

I hope that an impact recovery plan is set into place ASAP so that the damages that have already been seen can be reduced and eliminated as much as possible.


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## G_straus822 (Feb 18, 2016)

DBStoots said:


> I fished the 10,000 Islands out of Chokoloskee on Saturday and I know at least a dozen people who also did. One group of 6 or 8 guys camped down near Turkey Key. They are all experienced fishermen. The caught one Red between them. I did not catch a Red nor a Snook. Another friend had no Reds or Snook. Even worse, the guys who were camping Friday through today saw many dead fish and other wildlife, especially up into the Lostman's River (pelicans, turtles, numerous fish--even catfish that are normally very tolerant of dirty water). I am quite concerned about the affects of the Lake Okeechobee runoff. The conditions near Stuart on the St. Lucie and on the west coast at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River and to the South are terrible--huge losses of grass flats. The St. Lucie River Estuary and the Indian River Lagoon are in critical condition due to large discharges of polluted freshwater from Lake Okeechobee and the agricultural canals. These estuaries and coastal ecosystems are habitat for over 4,300 species of plants and animals, including 33 endangered and threatened species, the most bio-diverse ecosystem in North America.
> 
> Now I am growing more concerned about the impact to the waters of the Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. Have others seen the changes? Please make sure you are active in organizations like the Coastal Conservation Association and call and write your legislators. Let them know of your concerns and tell them this is not just a "fishing issue" or a "tourism related issue", but a serious health hazard that deserves the utmost urgency.


Well I was trying to make over this past weekend glad I didn't. My buddy called me Friday from Everglades city and was telling me how bad the conditions are right now along with several big snook floating through the Barron river.


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

jdpber1 said:


> it is such a shame that no one looks at the trickle down stream effects of a single action. so many guides along are impacted from an income standpoint that is their livelihood. This being one small element impacted in todays moment. But the future for our children to fish these waters could now be tainted. Who knows the recovery time. And to say these things could be prevented and yet (other more important money makers and vote gainers) were put first. Can society start to think about the world and the future of the world like it once did in the youth of this country when we were setting aside the National Parks and preserves. But to day everyone in power seems to be thinking about themselves and allowing BIG CORPORATE money to drive their decisions only for the seed money needed to expand a campaign and spread the image of that person.
> 
> We need to move from the money hungry corruption and into the simplicity of making life better for all. At the end of the day it does not matter if you are on a $100,000 custom flats boat or a $5 garage sale wooden raft made by a bling man that half floats. you are out their absorbing the nature and enjoying it, yo are relaxed and at peace with life. Becoming fully engulfed in the simplicity of nature. But for some reason our society had been transformed to move all of our life goals to be wrapped around the core and greed of money and they focus so on the bottom line and on enjoying life.
> 
> ...


A couple of weeks ago they were supposed to start sending water South to the glades, hopefully through the one and only water treatment facility in place Southwest of the lake. I don't know if this has been actually been done, but maybe this is where their 800m gallons per day claimed reduction to the Caloosahatche and St. Lucie is coming from.

In any event many more of these water treatment facilities need to be be constructed both South and along the two estuaries. A few years ago when the lake was at historic lows, there were set hours for opening a closing the locks, rather than currently opening on demand and leaving them open to reduce lake levels. They can again set opening hours and use water treatment facilities at or near the locks to filter the water when the locks are closed. The technology exists to make potable water from sewage, so simple filtering should be very doable. 

Shoring up the **** is only a short term solution to reduce risk to the population, but it doesn't address the problem of toxic water in the lake. They are only doing this so that the lake will hold even more crap.

Unfortunately, sportsmen and environmentalists are the the last groups politicians pay any attention to. Someone with some real stones needs to get involved. JEB! is chillin' in Miami; he would be a likely suspect.


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## RobA (Aug 21, 2015)

Fishing was really slow out there this week and I've heard the same going back three weeks. Everyone caught fish, but good fish were few and far between. We didn't see any dead fish, but one of the boats thought they spotted a dead baby manatee.


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## krash (Jan 9, 2007)

Blue Zone said:


> A couple of weeks ago they were supposed to start sending water South to the glades, hopefully through the one and only water treatment facility in place Southwest of the lake. I don't know if this has been actually been done,.


The drainage canals South in Dade County have been running pretty much full open for over a week dumping into Biscayne Bay.. the water is a mess down there along the West side of S. Bay. The C11 has also been running full on for weeks.
No idea how much actually goes domw L67 then East and South under the Trail into the head of the East ENP.


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## NoeSmyrnaBch (Aug 19, 2013)

I fished north Mosquito Lagoon Sunday and I saw one redfish. A handfull of mullet, and that was it. Normally this time of year the water is very clear, but the algae is out of hand. The water looks neon yellow in the sun, or brown in the cloud cover. No signs of life, and no signs of anything improving. This summer its going to be a total wasteland if its this bad in the winter. While its not the same issue as the Lake O discharge, its just as bad. No sunlight is getting to the grass beds, everything is dying and I don't see anything changing any time soon. I only stayed out for 3 hours and gave up, sad at what I was looking at.

Concerned I won't be able to fish this place with my daughter when she's old enough. Social media and news outlets are our only hope at this point, I think. Its clear the elected officials have no interest in preserving what the people want, only preserving their bank accounts and campaign funds from the biggest polluters.

Makes me furious!


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## NoeSmyrnaBch (Aug 19, 2013)

Also, an article from the Orlando Sentinel about how bad it is all across the state. Don't make the mistake of thinking its only S. Fla and the Lake O issue...

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...ter-catastrophe-statewide-20160304-story.html


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

The current South Florida water management system worked ok(barely adequate) as long as the climate is relatively stable and stays in the long term design variables, but the past few El Nino winters dumped a lot of water. The environmental push can be and in some cases will be exponential. Just like the IRL and Mosquito effects now. Nature can adjust but our manipulation is not as adaptable.


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

sjrobin said:


> The current South Florida water management system worked ok(barely adequate) as long as the climate is relatively stable and stays in the long term design variables, but the past few El Nino winters dumped a lot of water. The environmental push can be and in some cases will be exponential. Just like the IRL and Mosquito effects now. Nature can adjust but our manipulation is not as adaptable.


If you are familiar with the entrance to the rim canal from the lake at Clewiston, here is how it looked 2 weeks ago:








At that point the lake was one foot above the maximum allowable level. This is after dumping billions and billions gallons of water into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee over the winter. They have known several months beforehand that el nino was coming.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

The Corps of Engineers makes the water release route and timing decisions? Are the southern routes at full capacity? Better to flood south of the lake than dump straight to the estuaries.


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## Tuco (Mar 9, 2016)

I was just down that way in January fishing in Chokoloskee launching my Hobie kayak from the Parks kayak rental ramp. First time there and it was an oasis for me. Snook and reds around the islands mangroves plots and oyster bars....I saw a report on the storms that came through a few weeks after I left then the notice of the lake draining. I had plans on going back there in November it was so great. I hope the area heals. I use to fish Flamingo years ago and last I was there there it was dirty as hell. This was before the big freeze and kill off. I hope Chokoloskee clears up and hope some heavy Northeast Winds along with big tides help clear out that crap water and mixes it.


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## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

Just got this off the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust site......send some emails!!!

Contact your local, state, and federal elected representatives and tell them to fast-track CERP, purchase the land to create reservoirs to store and clean freshwater, and implement strategies to reduce nutrients and contaminants in the freshwater entering the estuaries. Stay tuned to btt.org, facebook, and instagram for updates.  

*Ready to Take Action? Call and Email NOW!*

*Contact Governor Rick Scott:* 
http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/ (850) 488-7146

*Contact Florida’s U.S. Senators:* 
U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (FL) https://www.billnelson.senate.gov/contact-bill 
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (FL) http://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-senator-rubio?p=Contact

Find and Contact Your U.S. Representatives: http://www.house.gov/representatives/#state_fl

Find and Contact Your State Senators and Representatives: 
https://www.flsenate.gov/senators/findhttp://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/myrepresentative.aspx


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## grovesnatcher (Sep 25, 2007)

Thank you net for providing the information I just emailed all of them. Squeaky wheels


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

To my surprise someone actually answered at Rick Scott's office. Emails sent as well.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Here's the text of email messages I just sent to my state senator and representative. Emails went to Governor Scott yesterday (no response yet) and to Ron Bergeron, Commissioner of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. That message was forwarded to the Executive Director of the FWC and to contacts at CCA Florida. Keep up the momentum. Feel free to "cut and paste": 

To the Honorable Katie A. Edwards;

Dear Representative Edwards:

This is the second time in the last month or two that I have contacted you. I am increasingly concerned about the ecological disaster that is happening in our state following the billions of gallons of water discharged from Lake Okeechobee. I am an avid inshore recreational- and tournament fisherman, a Lifetime Member of the Coastal Conservation Association and the International Game Fish Association, and a member of the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. Since January, more than 80 billion gallons of polluted water from Lake O have fouled our rivers and estuaries. I have personally experienced the destruction of grass flats in the Everglades National Park, the 10,000 Islands and Florida Bay. Along with that destruction I have witnessed dead fish, water foul, manatees, pelicans and other wildlife. I would like to know where you stand on Senate Bill 1168 and why you have not supported allocation of Amendment One funds (that the voters of Florida approved with almost 80% voting "yes"). The will of the people is not being done. To avert further, perhaps permanent damage and destruction, we must implement the recommendations of the University of Florida Water Institute, which include purchasing land for water to be stored, cleaned and sent south. This is a major ecological and economical issue for our state, and it is becoming increasingly more visible as guides, business owners, boat manufacturers, fisherman and other outdoorsmen, conservation-minded groups and the press become engaged. I look forward to a response to my inquiry and I will be sharing my message on social media (FaceBook, various forums and blogs).


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