Today I will share aerial photos of the Manatee Pocket area around Sandsprit Park taken yesterday by my husband, Ed Lippisch, and a short written update by Dr Gary Goforth dated 6-12-16.

Manatee Pocket lies close to the St Lucie Inlet just across from Sewall’s Point. It once was the mecca for the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon commercial fishing business. The Lake Okeechobee discharges continue having started by the Army Corp of Engineers January 29th of this year and are approaching the level for all of 2013.  Lake Okeechobee yesterday was reported to stand at a very high for this time of year 14.77 feet—-There is no end to discharges in sight for the St Lucie River.  Conditions are very bad and the state and federal government are stuck in a pattern that is  killing our quality of life and economy.

There must be a better way…

For the St. Lucie, the 2016 Lake discharges:
– exceeded 133 billion gallons (compared with 136 billion gallons for 2013)
– dumped more nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment than the “Lost Summer” of 2013
– dirtier than 2013 (higher concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended sediment)
– have exceeded the nitrogen and phosphorus TMDLs for the C-44 Canal by 600%
For the Caloosahatchee, the 2016 Lake discharges:
– have exceeded 302 billion gallons (compared with 456 billion gallons for 2013)
– are dirtier than they were in 2013 for nitrogen and phosphorus

Gary Goforth, (garygoforth.net), 6-12-16

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch