The condo my sister Susan and I own in Stuart, Florida is a short walk away from the South Fork of the St. Lucie River, as seen from the pier of our condo complex. It is a really pretty river, but is plagued by discharges instigated by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to lower the level of Lake Okeechobee, which is surrounded by a series of levees. This Lake Okeechobee water has been polluted by the many sugar plantations that let pesticides flow into the lake, and in addition to this, fresh water mixing with salt water also causes problems. Years ago, an algae bloom formed all along the banks of the St. Lucie, bringing national attention to the problem, with promises of solutions, but those solutions have not yet happened. Recently, the Army Corp of Engineers announced that they will begin discharges once again to lower the lake, which has been met by protests from environmental groups. Will it help? I hope so. God forbid that Florida politicians make wealthy sugar plantation owners clean up their act.
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