Last October, the Indian River Lagoon Restoration Feasibility Study Team unveiled five alternatives for cleaning the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon. The IRL Study Team, as it is called, is the component of the CERP responsible for Martin and St. Lucie Counties. Like the CERP itself, it is the Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District that are responsible for local river clean up. While Martin County actively supports and advocates river clean up, it is ultimately these two agencies that actually have the authority to get the job done. They are currently under a deadline to present a report to the United States Congress this June which will name specific projects to be completed.
Martin County accelerates eight water quality improvement projects .
During their December strategic planning session, the County Commission asked staff to make an immediate priority to fast track river cleanup projects. The Commission has strongly expressed the need to make river clean up a high priority with visible demonstrable projects. Included on the river cleanup list are Palm Lake Park, Fern Creek, Old Palm City, Golden Gate, Poinciana Gardens, Salerno Creek, and in the south county, Tropic Vista. All of these projects provide water quality improvements or retrofits and are expected to be ready to begin by September 1, 2001. Martin County creates Water Quality Office .