Water is the fabric that binds Floridians together.  Florida's waterways are responsible for connecting the natural, social, and financial communities of our beautiful Sunshine State. However, this once tightly woven fabric is fraying, and is in danger of being completely torn apart.

     A core American value is to forever push forward, and forever to pioneer. However, we, as Americans and Floridians, must ensure that the pursuit of progress does not lead to the demise of our natural communities. Rather, we must learn to find innovative ways to allow our societal and natural communities to coexist. Florida legislature has long attempted to rectify the disagreements between economic and ecological goals of the state. For example, the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation strictly regulates the trimming or altering of mangroves because they are recognized as important locations for fish nurseries as well as homes for other marine life (Florida Department of Environmental Protection). Although such regulations are beneficial to the environment, these efforts are not enough to save our deteriorating waterways. Floridians must take action to address the real problem: water mismanagement.

     The amount of damage inflicted on our Florida ecosystems because of discharges from Lake Okeechobee is alarming. “It’s frustrating to see the releases because it means the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers are being inundated with even more freshwater than our local run-off has poured in; further reducing salinity and creating more damage in our estuaries,” writes Mitch Hutchcraft of the Sun Sentinel. The disrupted flow of Lake Okeechobee is damaging Florida’s economy as well. Tourism is what sustains the Florida economy, and Florida’s waterways are what sustain that tourism. “Toxic blooms will directly affect some of our most important economic and fiscal drivers,” states Florida TaxWatch President Dominic M. Calabro, in an article for The Washington Post.

So what can we, as the people of Florida, do to fix the problem?

     “This man-made crisis has a man-made solution. The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir has been part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan since it's authorization by Congress in 2000. Authorizing this much-needed storage project as part the Central Everglades Project (CEP) allows us to reduce polluted discharges to Florida's coastal communities by over 50% while increasing critical freshwater flow to the Florida Keys.

       The EAA Reservoir is needed to stop threats to our health and impacts to Florida's tourism, real estate, and fishing industries. Please approve the post-authorization change report for the Central Everglades Project to include the EAA Reservoir in the upcoming Water Resources Development Act to protect America's Everglades and the fishing capital of the world”(Captains for Clean Water).

     The purpose of this project is to significantly reduce polluted discharges to Florida’s coastal communities while increasing the freshwater flow to the Florida Keys and Everglades.

Coleen Henn, an associate of the organization Surfrider, says it best: “In coastal communities, our water is our life. Everything we love to do involves the water - we surf, paddle board, kayak, fish, and just enjoy the view. Our economy depends on healthy waterways so that we can continue to do the things we love. Clean water supports our quality of life. It’s time that we take accountability for our actions, and work together to protect our local waterways on which we depend.”

     Floridians, we are the people- and we the people constitute the government. We are students, law enforcement, teachers, landscapers, boaters, small business owners, healthcare professionals, and more: we are individuals with a vision for the future of our beautiful state, and for our families and businesses. We want a solution to the water mismanagement crisis. Politicians haven’t paid attention to the flood of polluted water- so let’s send a flood of Floridian voices and make ourselves heard.

     -How else can you get involved? Please send this petition to two other people who want to make a difference and visit this link to contact your government representatives.

 https://captainsforcleanwater.org/take-action/contact-your-elected-official/

*Image courtesy of SlideShare.net