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$8 billion over 30 years. Of concern, these the sooner the better. Let’s be ready for the next El Niño flood year.
estimates have now doubled.
OUR ELEPHANT (MANATEE) IN THE ROOM:
Also underway are repairs on the failing ADDITIONAL LAND ACQUISITION
Herbert Hoover Dike, and a number of
state and federal programs for water storage, The final missing piece of the puzzle, fraught with sensitive
treatment, and conveyance. These include political issues, is the purchase of additional land south of Lake
Kissimmee River Restoration, Modified Okeechobee. I urge passage of my proposed land acquisition bill
Water Deliveries to Everglades National (H.R. 4793). While land purchases are typically the responsibility of
Park, Picayune Strand Restoration, Indian the State of Florida,my bill would serve as another option to get water
River Lagoon, C-43 and C-44 initiatives. I flow south – and away from the Gulf and Atlantic. Any money spent
appreciate,and support the significant efforts by H.R. 4793 would be credited to the federal government’s 50%
and investments being made in executing these projects. Nonetheless, overall share. My bill would enable the purchase of land sufficient to
the citizens and coastal communities of South Florida still unfairly create one million acre-feet of additional storage, which experts say
bear too much of the state’s drainage and flood protection burden. would achieve a 90% reduction in lake-triggered discharge to east
and west estuaries, meet 90% of the Everglades dry season targets,
PROGRESS IS TOO LITTLE AND TOO SLOW and provide approximately 350,000 additional acre-feet of annual
flow to the Everglades.
Despite on-going investments, today’s crisis tells us that we’re not
acting fast enough – even with the creative and admirable emergency LET’S ACT NOW – BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
actions taken by the Governor, South Florida Water Management
District (SFWMD), and ACE to move water away from the Lake These solutions are not cheap. But in the long run, the initiatives
and relieve pressure on the Dike.The current polluted waters heading I’m proposing will help us avoid catastrophe – and will save significant
into the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean are a resounding wake-up call for money over the long run. Let’s focus investments on filtering and
immediate additional steps to avoid further calamity in subsequent moving water south, as opposed to endlessly building lakes and
rainy years. storage reservoirs that would become stagnant and nasty anyway.
We need to move faster on CERP, a series of more than 60 Human intervention with nature created today’s Florida – with
projects, each of which needs authorization. Completion of CERP is some pretty amazing results. We’ve enabled the growth of Florida’s
now seen as beyond 2050. agriculture, cattle, tourism industries, and coastal communities
– Florida’s advanced technology leadership in aerospace, space,
As currently anticipated, the critical repairs needed on the Dike medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biotech, clean-tech, and other
will not be completed for a decade. industries – and America’s fourth largest state economy. Florida’s
Gross State Product (GSP) will exceed $1 trillion this year. Over 20
Then there is the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP), million people currently reside here. And over 100 million tourists
the next planned Everglades restoration project. Once implemented, visit Florida annually.
CEPP will store, treat, and convey 200,000 acre-feet of Lake
water south into the central Everglades. But CEPP is not yet even Nonetheless, the current water situation is not sustainable.
authorized – and completion could also take another decade. The estuaries of the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie, and the Gulf
and Atlantic Ocean, receive the disastrous discharges from Lake
Moreover, Congress has historically authorized water projects Okeechobee, hurting our citizens, wildlife, and affected businesses.
(WRDDA) every seven years. We need to speed this up to at least Our rivers to the east and west of the Lake should not remain the
every two years – to stay on top of things. drain pipes for the state. This is simply not fair. Meanwhile, the
Everglades and Florida Bay are often hollering for clean fresh water.
While I support CERP, Dike repairs, CEPP, and WRDDA – as And finally, our fresh groundwater, the source of 90% of Florida’s
critical in restoring water flows and protecting South Florida – current drinking water, is in jeopardy, because of the water diversions and
schedules are simply unacceptable – especially when considering development.
the high likelihood of another El Niño. Today’s problems will only
become more expensive to solve – unless we prioritize and speed up Our economy and way of life are at risk. I appreciate the actions
the pace of projects underway and in the pipeline. by the federal and state governments to implement CERP. However,
my call now is to go faster; fix the Dike quickly; and buy more land
LET’S MOVE FASTER – ASAP for water filtration and a flow-way south to the Everglades.
AND SAVE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN
This is an environmental issue, a business issue, and a moral
Specifically, here’s what I propose: imperative. The time for action, political will, and teamwork is now. I
First, Congress should reauthorize federal water projects will do all that I can to make it happen.
(including additional CERP projects) every two years, to avoid
delays in projects critical to Florida. Congressman Clawson represents Florida’s 19th District in the House
Second, I support authorizing and immediately beginning work of Representatives (Marco Island, Naples, Bonita Springs, Ft. Myers,
on CEPP. Sanibel, Estero, Lehigh Acres, Cape Coral) and is the former CEO of Hayes
Third, I urge passage of H.R. 4436, my bipartisan legislation to Lemmerz International, the world’s largest manufacturer of automotive
expedite Dike repairs. I acknowledge that completion of these repairs wheels. Clawson was first elected to Congress in a special election in 2014.
is not a panacea – and that there would be negative ecological impacts
with prolonged high lake levels. But the repairs must be done, and
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