Oceans Week is here! From restaurants to fishing guides and boating to beach trips, water is essential to our way of life in Florida. 

Our waterways, estuaries, and lagoons are a natural treasure. But like any treasure, they have to be protected and kept secure. Polluters, profiteers, and even OUR government are constantly looking for ways to undermine the quality of our water. 

Sadly, this problem is not new. For decades, the federal government has treated our community like Florida’s septic tank, dumping polluted water from Lake Okeechobee into our estuaries instead of sending clean water to the Everglades where it’s needed.

At best, this complete mismanagement of our waterways destroys the ecology and kills animals. At worst, plagued by harmful algal blooms more than 100 TIMES too toxic to touch, people will die.

The good news is that the end of this story is yet to be written, and together, we can succeed in defending Florida’s water. I’m committing myself today, as always, to the fight for clean water!