Next Rivers Coalition Meeting

Our next general membership meeting will be Friday, August 25th at the Blake Library at 11:00 a.m. so put it on your calendar now! Take an early lunch and come on down!

Meetings of Interest

Monday,August 21st, the Martin County Conservation Alliance will hold another public meeting at the Blake Library, 2351 SE Monterey Road, Stuart ( near East Ocean Avenue) at 6:30pm. PROGRAM - Update on CERP/IRL-S Plan following WRDA (Water Resources Development Act.). What next for river restoration? Speakers: Michael B. Rogalski, SAF, Project Manager for the Corps of Engineers and Beth Kacvinsky, Project Manager for South FL Water Mgmt District.

Thursday , August 24th, the Water Resource Advisory Commission (WRAC) is holding a public meeting at The South Florida Water Management District, B-1 Auditorium, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33406. This meeting is to discuss the preliminary design for the structures of the Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir A-1 project, a component of the Acceler8 program.

Citizens are urged to challenge the District on just how much it's projects might reduce the discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the ocean that have caused so much damage to the estuaries in most years. Our own experts say District plans will have little, if any, effect on the wasteful releases.

Monday, September 18th , at the Blake Library, the Martin County Conservation Alliance will have a general meeting and the speaker is Dr. Brian Lapointe, Marine Biologist with Harbor Branch who will discuss the latest studies about water quality, the impact of growth, Everglades issues, our reefs and our oceans.

Seagrass Awareness

The 'revealing' of the Seagrass Awareness Calendar took place last week in Vero Beach at the River House and I obtained several calendars signed by the girls and, unbelievably, including phone numbers! To claim one of these 2007 calendars for the bargain price of $15, Email me and I will reserve one for you!

Visit this website for more information on the calendar http://www.riverscoalition.org/links.htm . A portion of the proceeds of all calendar sales will be donated to the Rivers Coalition.

Seagrass in the St. Lucie?

Think what you don't know can't hurt you? Think what you can't see can't hurt you? THINK AGAIN!

Right here, in our own backyard, 855 billion gallons of water flushed from Lake Okeechobee last year to the east and west coasts continues to wreak havoc with our estuary and experts think we can expect major declines in new adult fish within the next few years!

For more information on Seagrasses and their vital relationship to a healthy estuary, please take a side trip to read Jerry McBride's article "Grassbed Blues" at http://www.floridasportsman.com/confron/0607_grassbeds/ m

Last Month's General Membership Meeting Notes

Reports of illness in the resident dolphin population in the St. Lucie and southern Indian River Lagoon continue to surface along with more reports from the West Coast on blue green algae.

Gathering of evidence continues for the Rivers Coalition Defense Fund.

Mark Perry, of Florida Oceanographic Society, was named Vice-Chairman.

PASS ON THIS NEWSLETTER! Tell all your friends to come out and support us!

Thank You for your Support!