From our renowned beaches and diverse estuaries, to our protected wildlife, and all our small businesses and neighborhoods, our communities run on water. And it’s that same water that’s under attack—because if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opens a levee on Lake Okeechobee’s eastern edge, all the legacy nutrients, pollutants, and toxic blue-green algae we don’t need can get flushed into the St. Lucie River.

Those contaminants are detrimental to the Treasure Coast, leading to people getting sick, pets dying, the estuaries perishing, and our businesses negatively impacted. 

The good news is that we’ve come a long way—it’s been eight years since a toxic algal bloom emergency inundated the Treasure Coast, and fifteen consecutive months since the last time the floodgate to the St. Lucie River was opened. 

Up in Washington, our most effective tool to push back against toxic discharges is called the Water Resources Development Act—or WRDA. 

Congress authorizes the bill—and the President signs it—to give the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers  instructions for how the water is managed, where resources and manpower should be, and what a timeline for projects must look like.

This week, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee opens debate for drafting WRDA 2026, meaning that, in a few days, I have another chance to fight for our community in the bill. As always, I’m committed to securing more relief and more support for waterways across the Treasure Coast and the people who depend on them.

Here’s the bottom line: every eastbound drop of water from Lake Okeechobee is a drop that carries toxic conditions that have plagued our communities for decades. It’s been my number one fight since I came to Congress, and this year is no different. I look forward to keeping you updated on everything you need to know.