Water district backs project
Redirects Lake O water
By Tyler Treadway
tyler.treadway@scripps.com 772-221-4219
WEST PALM BEACH — The South Florida Water Management District board unanimously gave the goahead Thursday to a project designed to ease, but not end, catastrophic Lake Okeechobee discharges to the St. Lucie River estuary and Indian River Lagoon.
The board approved a resolution supporting and saying it will go 50-50 with the Army Corps of Engineers to pay for the $1.9 billion Central Everglades Planning Project. Known as CEPP, the project is designed to move water from Lake O south — rather than to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee River estuaries — by using land already in public hands.
According to the district, the project would move about 68.5 billion gallons a year to the Everglades. That’s about 15 percent of the 456.2 billion gallons dumped into the estuaries —
"If you're counting on CEPP to save the Everglades, it may not happen," Moran said, noting Congress has to authorize the project and appropriate the money to pay the federal share at a time when the Corps has a backlog of $48 billion worth of projects because there's no money for them.
"I have serious doubts that Congress will keep its part of the bargain," Moran said.
Most environmentalists throughout the state are in favor of the project, as long as it's a first step toward sending all water from Lake Okeechobee south.
Thirty-four people spoke about the project to the board, all in favor.
Noting there were no speakers against the project, Board Chairman Daniel O'Keefe said, "I think I see a trend here." District staff reported board members also received more than 200 emails about the project, but did not give a pro-con breakdown.
Speakers from the Treasure Coast included: Mark Perry, executive director of the Florida Oceanographic Society in Stuart: "We need storage, treatment and a conveyance of water moving south, and this is a big, big start." Nyla Pipes, an environmental activist from Port St. Lucie: "This is a start ... and the relief for us on the (Indian River) Lagoon is huge. We're at a point in the estuaries that every drop counts." Sarah Heard, Martin County Commission chairwoman: "The state needs to show strong support for restoring the largest wetland in the country." The most persuasive argument, however, came from 10-year-old Aidan Lewey, son of Katy and Noah Lewey of Port St. Lucie, who spoke with his 8-year-old sister, Hannah, by his side.
"Please consider all us children who depend on clean water for play, education and enjoyment," Aidan told the board. "My mom explained to me, in order to have a chance at getting clean water, we need some of the water to flow south, (and) in order for the water to flow south, you have to complete CEPP. ... Please find it in your hearts to complete this for the kids and the mammals that are dying every day because there is too much pollution coming into our 'playground.' "