Riverkeeper monitoring Fish Kills
The St. Johns Riverkeeper is monitoring the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) investigation of several fish kills in the St. Johns River. FWC notes that many of the recent fish kill events involving primarily tilapia (an invasive species) are likely related to the extreme cold temperatures experienced in January. FWC is also investigating a disturbingly large fish kill at Lake Apopka in early February involving several fish species, including native species.
Samples have been collected from the lake, including samples to detect harmful algae if present. The St. Johns River Water Management District reported at their Feb. 11 Board Meeting that they have ruled out low dissolved oxygen and have not detected harmful algal outbreaks in the area. The results of laboratory analyses are anticipated from late February to early March.
The Riverkeeper notes non-native fish species are significantly altering the native ecosystems of the St. Johns River, with Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) and African blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) being among the most impactful.
Non-native tilapia compete with native species for food and nesting areas, ultimately disrupting the aquatic habitat. The tilapia also disturb natural aquatic vegetation, such as eelgrass, further degrading the ecosystem. Without natural predators in their introduced environment, their populations grow unchecked, outcompeting native species for essential resources like food and space. As a result, species that cause such ecological harm are classified as invasive.
To report a siting of multiple types of dead fish, take as many photos as you can and report as soon as you can with GPS coordinates, number of fish and what species to us at report@sjrk.org and to FWC’s Fish Kill Hotline (1-800-636-0511).
South Florida WMD Celebrates Women of the District
The South Florida Water Management District (District) celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science by recognizing the women who help manage and oversee some of the largest and most complex restoration and water quality improvement projects in the world.
Women working within the District’s 16-county region lead environmental restoration efforts, manage public lands, conduct research and planning, and much more. The District recognized, “from scientists and engineers, to project managers and section leaders, to financial analysts and administrative staff, the women of the District are working every day to advance our public service mission.”
Tampa Boosts Sustainability – Expanding Green Spine Network
The City of Tampa is growing its bike network and becoming even more interconnected as the current Green Spine Cycle Track expands.
The Green Spine is an east-west urban bicycle track that currently begins at Cass Street and North Rome Avenue and runs through the downtown core and on through Ybor City into East Tampa. The next phases will bring the Green Spine north, up Nuccio Parkway and N. 15th Street, to Cuscaden Park at East 21st Avenue.
Like the previous phases, the additions will include two-way bike lanes with three-foot raised separators between bicyclists and drivers. from East 7th Ave. to E. 17th Avenue. From this point, a 14-foot widened and improved shared-use sidewalk will carry pedestrians and cyclists to E. 21st. The project also includes the addition of 67 on-street parallel parking spaces.
When construction of these two phases is completed in the summer of 2025, the total length of the Green Spine Cycle Track will be increased to about three miles offering safe connections through neighborhoods like North Hyde Park, Downtown and Ybor City, as well as access to the Tampa Riverwalk.
“Building new, safer bicycle lanes ensures everyone has easy access to all that makes Tampa great,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. “These additions to the Green Spine provide secure pathways to parks and essential services, promote a healthier lifestyle, and reduce harmful pollutants. We look forward to this significant improvement to the city’s transportation network.”
Pensacola Receives Stormwater Park Grant
The City of Pensacola has been selected to receive $5 million from a U.S. Department of Transportation grant to complement and further fuel the construction of the Hollice T. Williams Stormwater Park.
The grant will help finance the construction of the Hollice T. Williams Stormwater Park Underdeck and Community Connector Project. This project will remove the barrier beneath Interstate 110 uniting the Eastside neighborhood adjacent to the project area.
“We have a vision of what the Hollice T. Williams Stormwater Park can become,” says Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves. “This is the first money we can use to make this more than a stormwater collection system. This enables us to connect the surrounding neighborhoods in a transformational way.”
Plans include a 1.7-acre multi-modal pathway network, a 9-acre public open space, as well as a multiuse trail and Class I bicycle path to connect North Palafox Street to the park, which will provide direct and safe access for people traveling to jobs, resources, and local destinations.
UF/IFAS Researchers Work to Prevent a Disease Threatening Chocolate
A group of UF/IFAS plant pathologists has partnered with the Mars confectionary company to safeguard the elongated, ribbed pods of the cacao tree – and the precious beans nestled inside that produce chocolate – from a devastating disease: black pod rot.
IFAS reports that black pod rot is a disease caused by species in the genus Phytophthora. Meaning “plant destroyer” in Greek, Phytophthora is infamous as including the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in the mid-19th century.
Phytophthora megakarya is an especially aggressive species responsible for destroying up to 80% of farmers’ cacao crops, said Mariana Herrera Corzo, a UF/IFAS doctoral student leading part of the project and working under the supervision of Erica Goss, professor, and Jeremy Brawner, courtesy faculty member, both in the plant pathology department.
“Nearly 70 percent of the global cacao production takes place in Africa, where black pod rot caused by Phytophthora megakarya is rampant,” Herrera Corzo said. “There, we have an epidemic.”
Researchers are conducting preventive breeding to identify cacao plants resistant to Phytophthora species. The team’s research is expected to conclude later this year with the publication of a formal study and the release of their prediction model, which will guide cacao breeders and farmers.
Jacobs Designing Florida Water Treatment Plant Upgrades for PFAS Removal
Jacobs has been selected by the City of Boynton Beach to evaluate and design upgrades at two water treatment plants to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the city’s groundwater supplies. The city received a loan from Florida’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program for project planning and design.
The City hopes to comply with the new U.S. federal drinking water regulations.
The two plants provide drinking water to more than 112,000 people and have a combined treatment capacity of 30 million gallons per day. In addition to addressing new PFAS regulations, the facility upgrades will replace aging infrastructure to meet the community’s growing demand for water.
“Considering potential federal compliance deadlines, we’re working with the City of Boynton Beach to help deliver an effective, long-term PFAS treatment and disposal solution,” said Jacobs Senior Vice President Katus Watson. “We’ve supported the city with their water system challenges for more than 40 years and look forward to planning and designing this next important project for the community.”
Jacobs will evaluate the city’s existing facilities to assess treatment capabilities for PFAS removal and develop a comprehensive facilities plan for the city’s treatment plants, associated source water supply and residuals management systems. Upon completion of the facilities plan, Jacobs will design the improvements and provide construction management services.
Orange County Celebrates Lake Apopka Trail Connector
Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings and District 2 Commissioner Christine Moore recently hosted the groundbreaking for the Lake Apopka Trail Connector. The $9.65 million project includes construction of a 10- to 14-foot-wide shared-use path with a boardwalk section between Magnolia Park, Binion Road, and Clarcona Horse Park, Damon Road, for a total distance of 3.23 miles.
Crews will construct a 3.23-mile multi-use trail connecting the existing West Orange Trail along McCormick Road to the Lake Apopka Loop Trail at Magnolia Park. The asphalt pavement/concrete trail will vary from 10 to 14 feet wide, allowing pedestrians and bicyclists to safely and comfortably use the trail.
The project also includes a 100-foot boardwalk section in the Northwest Orange Water Reclamation Facility segment. Two rest areas are included in the project along with new pedestrian/bicycle picket railing, fences, and gates.
County Public Works has issued a Notice to Proceed for the Trail project, “paving” the way for a new section of trail that connects two existing trails. Construction should be complete, and the Connector Trail open to the public by March of 2026.
Duke Energy Celebrates Milestone Delivery of Nearly 750-megawatts of Solar in Florida
Duke Energy Florida’s Clean Energy Connection ten solar energy generation sites are now fully operational, and the company is celebrating delivering on its commitment. The utility’s goal is part of a 2020 filing with the Florida Public Service Commission to provide nearly 750 megawatts of solar generation in Florida from 2022 to 2024.
“Solar development is critical to maintaining a modern, diverse and resilient electric grid,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “I look forward to building on the important work we’ve done in recent years as we continue to upgrade our generation fleet, ensuring we are providing reliable, affordable energy for our customers and the communities we serve – now and in the future.”
Each 74.9-megawatt Clean Energy Connection solar site will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of approximately 23,000 homes at peak output, while displacing 1.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, 15,000 barrels of fuel oil and 12,000 tons of coal annually. The Clean Energy Connection sites are located throughout Florida, from Bay County down to Hardee County.
The 10 Clean Energy Connection solar sites also are intended to promote economic development across Florida, creating more than 1,500 temporary jobs during construction and contributing significant tax revenue to their respective counties.
FPL Saves $16B in Fuel Energy Savings
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) has achieved more than $16 billion in overall fuel savings for customers from its highly efficient and diverse power generation fleet, including natural gas, nuclear power and solar and battery storage, according to the utility
In 2024, the company reports that it saved customers $867 million in fuel costs. The company has leveraged the latest technology to help drive down costs and improve efficiency for customers since 2021 and today operates one of the country’s most efficient and reliable generation fleets. FPL’s efficiency and diversity in power generation has been a key enabler allowing the company to provide a superior combination of reliability, resiliency and low bills. FPL delivers reliability, which is 59 percent better and bills that are nearly 40% lower than the national average. The utility notes this is not by accident, but rather due to a decades-long pursuit to modernize and diversify the FPL power generation fleet.
“At FPL, we are working for our customers every single day, leveraging the latest technology to generate electricity more efficiently and save them money,” said Armando Pimentel, president and CEO of Florida Power & Light Company. “Continuing to diversify our power generation helps us deliver reliable electricity to customers and also protects them from fuel price volatility to keep their bills as low as possible.”
FPL reports $1.1 billion in fuel savings from low-cost solar energy centers and delivery of 3,500 megawatts of energy from the combined Turkey Point and St. Lucie nuclear power plants in addition to savings resulting from upgrading to combined cycle fuel efficient natural gas generation facilities. The utility has also been using battery storage technology for years and operates one of the world’s largest solar-powered batteries, the FPL Manatee Energy Storage Center – a 409-megawatt/900-megawatt-hour system that has enough capacity to power approximately 329,000 homes.
Army Corps Issues Scoping Letter for Intercoastal Waterway Dredging in Nassau County
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District is preparing a National Environmental Policy Act document for the maintenance dredging and channel re-alignment of portions of the federally authorized and constructed Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) in Nassau County, northeastern Florida.
The Corps is currently gathering information to define issues and concerns to be addressed in an Environmental Assessment analysis to be completed in compliance with NEPA.
The project is being undertaken to provide safe navigation within the federal channel through the removal of shoaling (i.e., accumulated sediments in the channel) to maintain the authorized depth of -12 feet mean lower low water (MLLW). The NEPA analysis will evaluate maintenance dredging of Reach 1, which occurs from AIWW Mile 3.74 near Fernandina Beach to Mile 13.99 (including potential channel realignments within the AIWW) inland from Black Hammock Island. Analyses will also consider proposed placement of dredged material within existing Florida Inland Navigation District Dredged Material Management Areas, as well as potential beneficial use of dredged material opportunities, such as placement of beach quality sand from the AIWW on Amelia Island Beach in Nassau County, Florida.
