LAKE OKEECHOBEE DISCHARGES TO BEGIN-- HOW WILL THIS IMPACT THE ST. LUCIE RIVER ESTUARY?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced they will begin discharges on Saturday, February 17th from Lake Okeechobee into the northern estuaries. 

Hear representatives from the USACE and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) explain the reasons for the discharges and what we can expect in the days to come. 

Featured speakers will be Col. James Booth, USACE District Commander of the Jacksonville District, and SFWMD team members John Mitnik, Assistant Executive Director, and Lawrence Glenn, Division Director of Water Resources.

This meeting is in person and via Zoom, and is open to the public, with plenty of free parking available.  Email info@riverscoalition.org for Zoom link. 

Attend this free lecture for Indian River State College Continuing Education program by St Lucie Audubon conservation chair and Master Naturalist, Diane Goldberg at IRSC Pruitt Campus, 500 NW California Blvd., Building E, 2nd Floor, Room 210.  The lecture will be about native edible and historically medicinal plants.  These will benefit our health, clean water, healthy waterways and to help our native wildlife.  No fertilizer or pesticides should be used on these plants. Free native seeds and plants will be given out. 

Register at: https://irsclifelonglearning.gosignmeup.com/Public/Course/Browse or call/email Shauna Monahan smonahan@irsc.edu or 772-462-7085. 

To keep our waters clean and preserve our unique Florida Habitat in Indian River County, Pelican Island Audubon invites you to the 5th annual conference, Transforming Landscapes for a Sustainable Future..

Registration starts at 8 a.m.; speaker presentations a 9 a.m.  Register $25 in advance ($35 at the door). Attendees will be served a box lunch. Native Butterfly Flowers Nursery and Nancy’s Nursery will have native plants for purchase and experts demonstrating how to plant them.

As you are aware, our Lagoon and waterways are in trouble from runoff from our lawns and roadways. The Pelican Island Audubon and its sponsors feel that we can greatly reduce this pollution by reducing grass lawns and planting native plants that do not require lots of fertilizer, herbicides, and precious water, but are still attractive to us and our birds, butterflies, fish and other animals, which are in decline. These plantings will save money by reducing precious drinking water use. A Central Florida study found that, on average, 64% of our precious drinking water is used by homes for irrigation. In the summer, this water use rises to 88%. In addition to reducing water use, replacing lawns with native plants will retain soil, preventing erosion into the Lagoon, and reduce fertilizers and herbicides going into what used to be our pristine waters.

For tickets and more info, contact PelicanIslandAudubon.org or phone 772 567-3520. Free tickets to HOA board presidents.