THE “SOLUTION TO THE POLLUTION” Michael Valiquette

“SOLUTIONS TO THE POLLUTION”
BY:
The P.U.R.R.E. WATER COALITION, INC.
People United to Restore Our Rivers and Estuaries

Treatment
Don’t spend millions of taxpayer dollars and years of valuable time building storage reservoirs (ie: Acceler8). We need STA’s along the Kissimmee, Caloosahatchee and the St. Lucie rivers as soon as possible. Use the millions of dollars to build water treatment facilities (STA’s) both north and south of the lake and along the rivers as well as along the canal system so that we can begin to move water south. We recognize the importance of sending clean water to the Everglades, which is why additional STA’s are a critical part of the solution.
AG Retention
Let Agriculture, both north and south of the lake, retain and filter their storm water runoff on privately owned lands during increased or emergency water release periods by closing the gates that feed the main canals and rivers. We can then direct the Lake O water in the southern running feeder canals such as the Miami(C-123), North River (L38), Hillsboro (L-39), and West Palm Beach(C-52) canals to move the Lake water south.

Existing Flow Canals
Clean and widen the Miami(C-123), North River(L38), Hillsboro(L-39), and West Palm Beach(C-52) canals to move the Lake water south to additional STA’s and ultimately to tide south. This will also move water in four or more southern directions feeding domestic use water treatment facilities.

I-75: Alligator Alley
Clean and utilize the entire I-75 canal system with existing bridge culverts that are already in place to move this filtered water farther south. Many of these bridge culverts and underpasses are now standing dry and are not in service. Find a method to clean the water to tolerable levels along the way.

US-41: Modified Waters
This project should be implemented as soon as possible, and in particular, the Tamiami Trail feature should be built so that additional flows can be sent south into Everglades National Park. While the long-term solution is being built, water managers should clean and utilize all of the US-41 culverts and spillways. These spillway and culvert were never put into use when the Corps built them as they where immediately closed.

Dike Safety
Study further the actual dike safety as it relates to the emergency lake level and elevate this emergency level to a higher range to benefit the river and estuaries. Col. Carpenter stated that the SFWMD report on imminent dike failure was not completely accurate and the dike has been and will be maintained properly by the Corps of Engineers in the future. We question whether it makes sense to cause annual devastation in the estuaries to protect against a few days of potential risk over a several decade period.

Lake Okeechobee Cleanup
Fund and start the clean-up of Lake Okeechobee immediately. Very little, if any, money is currently being spent on the cleanup of the Lake and this is the main source of the pollution in the rivers and estuaries and prevents southern water movement.

Kissimmee River
Continue to fund and expedite the restoration of the Kissimmee River oxbows including additional STA filter marshes. In addition, a regulatory BMP program for all tributary basins (similar to the program for the EAA) should be implemented to significantly reduce inflows of phosphorus and other pollutants.

FL Dept. of Environmental Protection
Apply pressure on the Dept. of Environmental Protection to do their job and enforce Florida law, the Clean Water Act, and the Outstanding Florida Waters Rule.
Assist in the prevention of the FL DEP from changing the water quality standards in Florida that will degrade existing bodies of water and/or allow the un-permitted movement of polluted water between water bodies.
Set TMDL’s (Total Maximum Daily Loads) for all watershed inlets throughout the State and enforce them.

TSP Release Schedule
Build into the revised TSP:
1. Protection components for the rivers and estuaries. The goal should not be just an incremental improvement in the discharges to the estuaries, but elimination of the high water releases that have caused so much devastation in recent years.
2. Elevation of the Lake emergency level back into the 18.5’ range.
3. Write into the new TSP procedures that would, in the event of an approaching critical lake level, close the gates leading from the AG fields, both north and south of the lake, to the main south flowing canals (Miami, etc.) and rivers to allow lake water to be evacuated South rather than east or west.

Conclusion
Although these concepts may seem extreme, they utilize existing Corps of Engineers infrastructure and concepts. The only true short term “Solution to the Pollution” is to implement a policy that will benefit the environment and not protect special interest groups. Once we admit that and truly make an effort to change we can then see the results that we all desire.