We’re spending $4.4 billion to solve what in part amounts to less than a $50 million a year spending problem. Chemical herbicides should not be used in waterways as a means of controlling invasive aquatic plant growth. We should be using mechanical treatment options to remove plant matter from water columns, taking with them the nutrients that are causing so many problems through South Florida.

The $4.4 billion expenditure is what the Federal and State Government are spending to build four water treatment reservoirs around Lake O to remove nutrients, chemicals, and pollution in general from water before being sent to the Atlantic, Gulf, or Everglades. Outside of C43, the other reservoirs will use plants growing in the reservoirs to sequester pollution present. Meanwhile the Army Corps of Engineers and State of Florida are spending 10’s of millions of dollars to kill plants growing in waterways that are doing the same thing. The rotting plant matter than releasing large spikes in pollution that fuel algae and bacteria growth that kills the fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates present before more spraying is needed to kill the algae and bacteria. Rain than washes the toxic, stagnant water into the Gulf and fuels Red Tide blooms.