As the ecological crisis in the Indian River Lagoon worsens, Audubon Florida has proposed nine specific recommendations to resolve this ongoing problem. Audubon Florida’s Executive Director Eric Draper spelled out the proposals in a letter to Senator Joe Negron (R-Palm City), chair of the Select Committee on Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee. To see the full letter, please visit: http://bit.ly/18Sbsl1.

“The discharges to the coastal estuaries are an ongoing tragedy that demands urgent government response,” said Eric Draper. “Dead and dying fish and wildlife are heartbreaking symptoms of a larger water management problem. The local residents who call the area home and rely on the coastal habitats have given new urgency to get to work on solutions.”

Audubon’s letter to Senator Negron recommends advancing Everglades restoration projects, improving to water management, and reducing water pollution. To see Audubon's detailed recommendations, please visit: http://bit.ly/18Sbk4X.

Florida's weather cycles results in huge diversions of stormwater to the coasts. Before modern drainage, that water sat in swamps and seeped to the Everglades or coasts. Now these huge slugs of polluted water overwhelm the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, cause algae blooms, and kill off marine life.

“The crisis in the Indian River Lagoon is a catastrophe in its own right and is a symptom of a larger drainage and pollution problem,” added Draper. “To help the Lagoon, the natural flow of the Everglades needs to be restored to allow clean water to flow more naturally through the Kissimmee River south towards Florida Bay.”

Citizens are encouraged to add their name to Audubon’s letter, please visit http://bit.ly/18ScHkn for more information.