Last week we discussed a few “rear view mirror” challenges that are creating some very significant issues in our area.
In about 1956 General Development Corporation was formed by the Mackle brothers, Elliot, Frank, Jr, and Robert. They offered “paradise for sale” for $10 down and $15 a month for a total purchase price of $725.
General Development dredged hundreds of miles of canals (153 miles give or take in Charlotte County) and took much of the dredge spoils and built homes on them.
I don’t believe this company ever imagined 1.3 million people living in this area.
Have you ever looked at an overview of the canal systems in our county?
Did you notice that many of the canals have no outlet and thus have little to no flow of water?
Most of the canals dug are dependent on natural tide flows to flush out the water.
This water exchange is dependent on our harbor and other tributaries to provide a fresh, clean, oxygenated water supply during the ebb and flood process.
If the canal water does not completely flow through our canals with the tide and does not efficiently exchange water, then the tide merely moves toxic/hypoxic water in and out of the small sections of our canals.
Keep in mind, our canals were never designed with flow in mind and because of the magnitude of pollution contributed by fertilizer, pesticides, septic systems, wastewater processing spills, runoff from our roads and an exploding population we have developed a very serious situation that we must all work together to help solve.
Are you one of the many people still convinced Lake Okeechobee is the cause of all of our water issues?
If you are, let’s just focus on that one small region to show you it’s not the only broken process adding to our water quality issues.
If you try and count the vast number of small lakes in Florida you will lose count very quickly.
Using Lake Okeechobee as just one example, let’s explore what estuaries and lakes make their way into Lake “O” while recognizing that each of the areas north of Lake “O” eventually flows into Lake “O”.
That means, that each person who owns a waterfront home or a home that can leach into a waterway or owns a business such as a golf course can negatively contribute in some way to the water that eventually flows into an estuary, that eventually flows into Lake “O”.
Still not convinced? Let’s use Lake Kissimmee as a northern contributor that eventually makes its way into Lake “O”.
Lake Kissimmee makes its way to Lake Okeechobee via the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee.
Just how much and what direction(s) water flows is much bigger than most of us can fathom.
In this example the leaching of the toxic items as mentioned above start far north of Orlando by Shingle Creek, each of these tributaries eventually makes their way into Lake Kissimmee and eventually into Lake “O”.
With this in mind, each community member north of Lake “O” must understand the impact they can have on Lake “O’s” water quality and do their part to make sound environmental choices.
Merely changing the direction of the water flow south vice east, west or any other compass heading will do nothing but divert polluted water, polluted is polluted.
Additionally, each person in this region should understand that the current level of contamination in these norther lakes and rivers is far greater than the Everglade marshes can ever filter out and the excess pollution will eventually make its way into Florida Bay causing additional permanent and possibly irreversible damage to our ecosystems.
You want to help fix the process?
Then start by making personal, responsible environmental choices to improve our water quality, each and every day.
Pointing the finger at the government is only a fraction of the solution.
How much fertilizer do you use on your lawn? And what happens to the excess fertilizer? It drains into our lakes and tributaries.
What about poorly maintained septic systems that can’t function properly due to high water tables and via capillary action cause our drain fields to discharge into our waterways?
How many herbicide and pesticide products do you use?
What about businesses that are mining phosphates and leaching poisons into our rivers?
Is there not another location to mine phosphate that does not discharge poison into our rivers and eventually into Charlotte Harbor? Can’t that same company start making organic fertilizers?
Can you make the commitment to start using organic materials only at your home or business? Does your lawn need to be picture perfect and weed free? Do you even need a lawn?
What about designing your own hardscape?
If you are a government employee in a leadership position that is responsible for our roadways, can you help make a change to retrofit our road drains and have them run through filters before entering our waterways?
Just brainstorming here, each of us should spend some time trying to figure out how we can make a difference.
In summary, it’s so simple to point the finger to whomever you feel is responsible.
But this is a “perfect storm” that has been silently developing for quite some time and has plagued our area for at least 60 years in one form or another.
Make no mistake, if all 1.3 million of us made sound, responsible choices to help reduce pollutants from entering our waterways we can and will make a difference.
Get involved, make your voice and vote heard.
Remember, polluted is polluted.
The issues discussed in this column each have several contributing factors that need to be addressed before we can fix the water quality issues that plague our environment.
We can’t reverse the flow of water from south to north or any other compass heading.
The water will continue to flow (or not flow), just how clean it can or will be is up to each of us and to those charged with leading our State Government.
Let’s fix the process not throw money at the problem.
And remember, looking back in the rear-view mirror will yield nothing but indigestion, focus on the future and make a commitment to do your part to help reverse this deadly trend in southwest Florida.
