Miami commissioner tours St. Lucie River with Stuart officials amid water-quality concerns

Treasure Coast Newspapers

STUART — Local officials and environmental advocates crowded into boats with a Miami city commissioner Thursday morning to tour the St. Lucie River Lock and Dam and talk water-quality issues surrounding Lake Okeechobee discharges.

Commissioner Ken Russell, who grew up in Stuart and attended Martin County High School, and his colleagues from the Everglades Trust discussed with Stuart officials the the need to redirect waterflow to South Florida and away from the east coast.

More:Army Corps: Lake O coming back down but discharges will continue

Hats, masks and sunglasses practically were the uniform of the day as an almost-cloudless day set the scene for an informal discussion as the group cruised along the river.

"I recognize that Stuart is the recipient of water they don't want. And Miami is not the recipient of water we do want," Russell told TCPalm Thursday. "I believe there's a good partnership to be had there."

Miami Commissioner Ken Russell (front) observes the St. Lucie Lock and Dam where Lake Okeechobee water is discharged throughout the year during a boat tour of the St. Lucie River with Stuart Commissioner Merritt Matheson (center), Florida Oceanographic Society Executive Director Mark Perry (third from right) and representatives from Captains for Clean Water and the Everglades Trust on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Martin County. Russell, a Stuart native, said Miami is "fighting the same fight" with water quality issues. "There's no reason we shouldn't be talking between cities because we're stronger together," Russell said.

Lake Okeechobee discharges stopped earlier this month after billions of gallons of water poured into the St. Lucie River over an almost-three-month period. But the Army Corps of Engineers fears lake water levels could be too high after the dry season ends, possibly requiring more discharges next year.

As of Thursday, Lake O's water level was 15.6 feet, almost a foot higher than average for this time of year.

Participants also stressed the importance of sending lake water south, and its long-range benefit to the Everglades.

More:What are Lake Okeechobee discharges? A multimedia primer and historical data

"We want this water to go south. It should go south like it historically did, and recharge the Biscayne Aquifer ... We need to hydrate the Everglades right now, even during the dry season," Mark Perry, executive director of the Florida Oceanographic Society, said on the boat trip.

Everglades Trust Director Kimberly Mitchell emphasized the need for water storage to control when and how much water flows to the famous wetlands preserve. The ongoing battle to make this a reality has been complicated by political roadblocks and inconsistent outreach from state and federal officials, she said.

"The Everglades doesn't care what your [political] party is," Mitchell said.

Stuart Commissioner Merritt Matheson (left) and Miami Commissioner Ken Russell tour the St. Lucie River together Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Martin County. After a wet season rose the Lake Okeechobee water level and caused discharges that stopped Jan. 9, Matheson showed Russell the St. Lucie Lock and Dam and described what it looks like when billions of gallons of lake water filled with toxins are pushing through to the St. Lucie River, comparing it to Niagra Falls.

The goal of reducing, and then stopping, discharges to the river are on the Army Corp's radar, Stuart Vice Mayor Merritt Matheson said, but a source of funding is needed to accomplish it.

"When we work with the city of Miami, when Commissioner Russell and I can work together, our voice can be louder, hopefully to our state legislators, to the South Florida Water Management District and the Army Corp of Engineers," Matheson said.

Staff writer Max Chesnes contributed to this report.

Lina Ruiz is TCPalm's watchdog reporter for Martin County. You can reach her at lina.ruiz@tcpalm.com, on Twitter @Lina_Ruiz48 or at 321-501-3845.