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We know how to manage stormwater runoff into the Indian River Lagoon. Let's implement it | Opinion

Written By: Dave Botto

The Indian River Lagoon is one of the most valuable coastal wildlife habitats in Florida. It is an estuary of national significance and has been internationally featured as one of the most diverse estuaries in North America.

Currently, it does not meet federal water quality standards and is designated an impaired estuary. The Lagoon is being badly damaged by pollution caused by humans, which produces algae blooms that kill seagrass. Seagrass is the heart of the Lagoon, providing a clear water habitat for the fish, shrimp, crabs, clams and oysters that once thrived there in great numbers. Many are working to repair the damage done by years of polluting indifference. We have to stop this pollution at its sources.

We clearly are facing increasing storms and rain. Sea level rise is occurring and some coastal cities are adapting to meet these threats. Improving our Lagoon and sustaining our coastal communities demand that we control those things that cause problems now and even greater problems in the future. 

We know that major sources of Lagoon pollution include nutrient and sediment runoff from developed property. Roofs, streets, parking lots, fertilized lawns, driveways and walkways quickly carry these pollutants to the nearest storm drain and out to the Lagoon. Impervious surfaces such as these do not let rainwater infiltrate into the soil as nature intended. The resulting stormwater runoff from the entire watershed carries these pollutants into the IRL.

Development decisions made without considering their impacts on the IRL, along with traditional development practices such as clear-cut, fill and grade, are adding to the already severe pollution in our Lagoon. Outdated land-use and stormwater regulations at local and state levels are enabling development to continue as before, making the same mistakes that got us where we are today. These outdated regulations also increase the risk of flooding to adjacent and downstream properties. We must change this way of development to save our Lagoon for the benefit of all.

A good way of making that change is a well-known stormwater management concept called "Low Impact Development/Design." LID is a globally proven approach to the site design and development of land that minimizes impervious surfaces and maintains natural areas and tree canopies. It holds stormwater on site to infiltrate and recharge our coastal aquifer. It treats rainwater as an asset rather than a liability. This prevents seagrass loss and reduces flooding. It is a significant change from the old ways of development but can be less expensive, reducing development costs overall. LID reduces the need for costly stormwater infrastructure and large, ineffective retention ponds. It is a sustainable and reliable approach that works for developers, homeowners, and the lagoon.  

The Marine Resources Council (MRC), in partnership with 22 other Florida organizations, has sent letters to state officials and all local governments in the six counties on the Lagoon. These letters ask for immediate action to rewrite outdated stormwater rules and establish LID as the new development standard. The full text of these letters can be found at www.SaveTheIRL.org.

Brevard citizens came together in 2016 to approve the half-cent sales tax that provides funding for the Save Our Lagoon Project Plan. All communities on the IRL have stepped up their game to address Lagoon pollution. We need to join with landowners, developers and real estate brokers in support of our elected officials and move to enact new development standards embracing Low Impact Development/Design throughout the Lagoon watershed.

Restoring and preserving the Indian River Lagoon is good business for all of us.

Dave Botto, an Air Force veteran and Brevard County resident for 38 years, is the chair of the Intergovernmental Committee of the Marine Resources Council. 

Read more at floridatoday.com