Environmental groups react to Florida ban on balloon releases
Balloons have long been used to celebrate or commemorate life’s biggest moments. However, celebratory releases will soon be a thing of the past in Florida. House Bill 321 will ban the intentional release of all balloons, including those that are biodegradable.
Billions of Gallons of Freshwater Are Dumped at Florida’s Coasts. Environmentalists Want That Water in the Everglades
Environmental groups want to use engineered wetlands to help replenish the river of grass and address toxic algae. The state’s politically powerful sugar growers say those wetlands are for their own polluted water.
Is wet weather in South Florida impacting Lake Okeechobee water levels?
The rain has been coming down all throughout the Sunshine State, so what impact will that have water levels at Lake Okeechobee?
Why new way to measure Lake Okeechobee levels may be confusing
Out at Lake Okeechobee, there is visible blue-green algae on both the lake side and canal side of the Port Mayaca Lock.
Army Corps of Engineers releases new water management plan for Lake Okeechobee
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced an updated schedule for releasing water from Lake Okeechobee, focusing on environmental impacts and downstream effects.
Environmental groups, Stuart to request EPA to intervene in clean water efforts
The biggest takeaway from Thursday's Rivers Coalition meeting was an announcement that five environmental groups and the city of Stuart will submit a formal request to the Environmental Protection Agency asking them to intervene in Florida’s water management efforts.
Manatee deaths decline for first time in five years, researchers skeptical that will last
Manatees had been dying off in record numbers in Florida in recent years, but that has changed for the first time in five years.
Environmental issues prompt opposition to new street lighting on Hutchinson Island
Sea turtle safety and light pollution are reasons some South Hutchinson Island residents want a section of A1A darker than state transportation officials are proposing.
Maritime structure marks 100 years in existence, so why is no one celebrating?
For the past two weeks, the St. Lucie Lock and Dam in Martin County has been quiet as there has been a pause in freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee.
Eastbound discharges from Lake Okeechobee are over, Army Corps says
Last week, officials announced a two week pause in eastbound discharges from Lake Okeechobee.
2-week pause in Lake Okeechobee discharges is 'woefully inefficient,' US Rep. Brian Mast says
For the second time this month, U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., has sent a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the ongoing discharges from Lake Okeechobee.
Water releases from Lake Okeechobee to continue through March 29
Water releases from the lake will continue through March 29 followed by a two-week break. However, environmentalists said it is not enough time for the fragile St. Lucie Estuary and its marine fisheries to recover.
Marine biologist calls state's fine against Sandpiper Bay and Resort for mangrove cutting 'slap on the wrist'
May the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) was investigating more than 17,000 square feet of mangroves cut down along the shoreline of the Sandpiper Bay and Resort on the South Fork of the St. Lucie River in Port St. Lucie.
Resort pays high fine for destroying mangrove forest that will take 25 years to regrow
A Treasure Coast resort has paid one of the steepest mangrove-cutting fines in state history for illegally cutting about 944 mangrove trees to nubs along the St. Lucie River shoreline. The state also has issued a second fine in the case to an unpermitted West Palm Beach landscaping company.
Army Corps will continue Lake O releases despite algae found in St. Lucie River
Lake Okeechobee discharges have not sparked toxic algae blooms in the St. Lucie River yet, but Treasure Coast scientists, residents and business owners are worried about the impending possibility.
Treasure Coast residents rail against Lake Okeechobee discharges at Rivers Coalition
Treasure Coast residents railed against Lake Okeechobee discharges to the St. Lucie River in Stuart Thursday during the River Coalition’s monthly meeting.
'It impacts our health': Treasure Coast residents voice worries as discharges from Lake Okeechobee continue
Concern over water releases from Lake Okeechobee was front and center Thursday at a Rivers Coalition meeting.
Army Corps attends public meeting in Stuart, discusses Lake O discharges with residents
Lake Okeechobee discharges have started, and people who live in communities near the impacted waterways are not so happy.
Environmental experts respond to Lake Okeechobee discharge into Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie River
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun releasing water from Lake Okeechobee after citing higher-than-average water levels from El Niño conditions. Many local environmental experts say they are worried.
Massive Lake Okeechobee discharges to come this weekend, officials announce
This weekend, the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is going to begin a massive release of water from Lake Okeechobee for the first time in months.
El Niño rains to blame for Lake Okeechobee water sent to the St. Lucie River, Stuart
Lake Okeechobee water will start pouring into the St. Lucie River on Saturday.
Environmentalists warn of impacts ahead of Lake Okeechobee discharges
Residents along Florida's east coast are bracing for the floodgates, which hold back water from Lake Okeechobee, to open Saturday.
Lake Okeechobee discharges coming Saturday; Army Corps says lake too high
The Army Corps of Engineers will begin discharging water from a swollen Lake Okeechobee on Saturday.
What would discharges mean for Martin County?
People in and around Martin County are anxiously awaiting whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will announce discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie Estuary.
Army Corps of Engineers considering discharges from Lake Okeechobee to St. Lucie Estuary
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering "different release scenarios" of discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie Estuary ahead of the wet and hurricane seasons.
DEP issues final order to punish Port St. Lucie resort for destroying mangrove forest
Sandpiper Bay Resort has five months to restore a mangrove forest it destroyed to create a beach and unobstructed view of the St. Lucie River, according to a Jan. 23 state order.
Dune remains strong following December storm, though expert warns of erosion potential going forward
The recent string of winter storms has had an impact on our coastal beaches, especially along the Treasure Coast.
Expert warns of potential for Lake Okeechobee discharges this winter
This summer, experts braced for a flurry of discharges from Lake Okeechobee that would threaten local waterways on the Treasure Coast, including the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon.
Decrease in weekend temperatures expected to attract manatees to West Palm Beach waters
Every year, the manatees bring people from near and far, all of them hoping to catch a glimpse.
This weekend, temperatures are expected to be in the low 50s and 60s, which means our waters will also be a little cooler.
Dr. Zack Jud, with the Florida Oceanographic Society, says for hundreds of years when the waters start getting colder, the manatees go searching for a place to warm up.
How DEP plans to punish a Port St. Lucie resort for destroying a half-acre mangrove canopy
DEP proposes punishment for Sandpiper Bay Resort in Port St. Lucie.
