TOXIC BLUE-GREEN ALGAE
THE PROBLEM
South Florida’s coastal communities suffer from the impacts of Lake Okeechobee’s toxic blue-green algae.
This water, which is loaded with nutrient pollution, is currently released to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries, when the lake is high, because the water cannot be sent south to the Everglades and Florida Bay.
Discharges from the lake harm our health, environment, real estate, recreation, and tourist-based economies.
STORING, CLEANING & SENDING WATER SOUTH
THE SOLUTION
Everglades Restoration is about storing, cleaning and sending Lake Okeechobee’s water south through reservoirs, stormwater treatment areas (STA) and canals.
The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, and its accompanying STA, is the most vital component of Everglades Restoration.
The Reservoir, along with other restoration projects, will cut discharges to our estuaries by 55% and send much needed clean water south to the Everglades and Florida Bay during the dry season.
We must expedite completion of the EAA Reservoir because a healthy Everglades supports tourism, real estate, outdoor recreation, and many other key Florida industries.
Everglades restoration also provides drinking water security for millions of Floridians and tourists, serves as a massive carbon sink and builds ecological and community resilience.
