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Rivers Coalition
February 2026 Newsletter |
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Thursday, February 26, 2026
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. |
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Stuart City Hall Chambers
121 SW Flagler Ave, Stuart, FL |
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| This meeting is in person and via Zoom, and is open to the public, with plenty of free parking available. Email contact@riverscoalition.org for Zoom link. |
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HOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TALLAHASSEE IMPACTS OUR RIVERS
Eve Samples, Exec. Dir. of Friends of the Everglades, and
Gil Smart, Exec. Dir. of VoteWater |
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As the 2026 Florida legislative session enters the home stretch, Big Sugar is losing traction on a bill it's pushing to silence citizens, developers are trying to steam-roll growth management, and land conservation is hotly debated.
Join Eve Samples of Friends of the Everglades and Gil Smart of VoteWater at the February 26 Rivers Coalition meeting for a rundown of where this year's most important bill stand, how they impact our rivers, and what to look for in the final weeks before session adjourns March 13. |
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Business Matters:
· Call to Order and Chairman’s Comments: Mark Perry, President
· Business matters and membership roll call
Presentation:
HOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TALLAHASSEE
IMPACTS OUR RIVERS
Eve Samples, Exec. Dir. of Friends of the Everglades, and
Gil Smart, Exec. Dir. of VoteWater
Government & Agency Progress Reports:
· Martin County: Amy Eason
· City of Stuart: Ruth Holmes
· State and Federal Agencies:
· SFWMD: TBD
· USACE: Maj. Cory Bell
· Lake Okeechobee Update: Dr. Paul Gray
· State and Federal Legislation: Gil Smart
Coalition Reports:
· Rivers Coalition Committee Updates:
· River Kidz: Casey Darling Kniffin
· Speakers Bureau: Ed Killer
· Local Issues & Estuary Water Quality: Mark Perry
· Seagrass Update: Todd Thurlow
· Riverkeeper Update: Jim Moir
· Member Comments and Announcements
· Adjourn |
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Rivers Coalition Meeting January 2026
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USACE Update on Restoration Efforts
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Col. Brandon Bowman, USACE Commander, Jacksonville District, shared updates on Indian River Lagoon-South projects and also on the status of the Lake Okeechobee Recovery Operations After-Action Report.
Photos courtesy of Darrell Brand |
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| Col. Brandon Bowman, USACE Commander, Jacksonville District |
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| Barbara Osborn introduces her granddaughter and friend, both actively involved in fighting for clean water. |
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| Hannah Angelo-Walker, former River Kidz member and current Development Director for Captains for Clean Water |
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| Diane Goldberg, St. Lucie Audubon's Conservation Chair |
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Martin County Forever Update
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| The Perry Beach Addition is expected to close within the next month following BOCC approval. Funded by the voter-approved ½-cent sales tax for conservation lands, this highly visible parcel—located about 100 yards north of the House of Refuge—was previously at risk for residential development. Stretching from the lagoon to the ocean, it will now be preserved for public use. |
6th Annual Sand Spike Shootout
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March 7th at Conchy Joe's Seafood Restaurant
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| The Indian Riverkeeper's 6th annual surf fishing tournament fundraiser will be headquartered at Conchy Joe's in Jensen Beach. Join us for a great day of fishing while supporting our mission to protect and restore the Indian River Lagoon and its tributaries. Youth ages 12 and under may participate free with a registered adult. Learn more and register online here! |
Environmental Stewardship Awards
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April 23, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at Willoughby Golf Club
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Celebrate the leaders, innovators, and businesses making a difference at the 2026 Environmental Stewardship Awards—an inspiring evening honoring those advancing environmental stewardship in Martin County. The event features a cocktail hour, auction, and seated dinner as we recognize the people and programs creating meaningful local impact.
Seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Reserve your seat today! |
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Family Fun at Waterways Day
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| The River Kidz had a great time at Waterways Day on January 24 at the Florida Oceanographic Society! Families stopped by to check out River Kidz in action and enjoy a fun-filled day celebrating our waterways, with hands-on activities, learning, and lots of smiles from kids of all ages. |
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Rescue the River of Grass
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Sign Now to Join the Movement!
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The Everglades is one of the most critical ecosystems in the world, providing unique habitat for wildlife, protecting the water supply for millions of Floridians and safeguarding our coastal communities and economies. However, this precious resource remains imperiled due to a lack of water storage and treatment. More land is needed to store and clean water from Lake Okeechobee so it can flow into the Everglades and prevent harmful discharges to the northern estuaries.
To address this urgent issue, Friends of the Everglades has launched a campaign aimed at public acquisition of land in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) for environmental restoration.
With your support, we can take meaningful action to restore the Everglades and protect Florida’s environment for future generations. |
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Rivers Coalition Meeting Minutes
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January 22, 2026 Summary of Comments
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Mark Perry called the meeting to order at 11:00 am. There were 50 attendees in person, 19 attendees on ZOOM call.
Minutes taken by Miki Blumenthal, Administrative Assistant.
Business Matters:
Member roll call was taken. Mark Perry welcomed everyone and recognized Rivers Coalition board members and general members present. Hannah Angelo-Walker, former River Kidz member, introduced herself as the East Coast representative for Captains for Clean Water.
Presentation: From the Lagoon to the Lake: A USACE Update on Restoration Efforts
Col. Brandon Bowman, USACE Commander, Jacksonville District, discussed the status of various Indian River Lagoon-South projects, along with updates on the Lake Okeechobee Recovery Operations After-Action Report and the upcoming future LOSOM 2.0 operating schedule.
An extended Q&A session followed the presentations. The above presentations in its entirety can be seen at www.riverscoalition.org.
Government & Agency Reports:
Martin County: Amy Eason, Martin County’s Environmental Resource Engineer, gave a Martin County update, including the news that the county is on track to meet its BMAP nutrient reduction targets by the 2028 deadline.
City of Stuart: Ruth Holmes, City of Stuart Environmental Attorney, stated the City of Stuart is considered to be 100% compliant with the BMAP goals, and is directing focus to muck removal.
SFWMD: No representative present, as their Governing Board meeting is today.
Diane Goldberg, a Rivers Coalition member, briefly addressed the group about the importance of prioritizing flood-prone areas when planning septic-to-sewer improvements and encouraged greater attention to this issue by the South Florida Water Management District.
USACE: See main presentation.
Lake O Update: Paul Gray (via Zoom) gave an update on Lake Okeechobee levels and discussed the SFWMD inhibiting flows to the Caloosahatchee.
Todd Thurlow, Rivers Coalition board member, introduced a new feature on his website that provides detailed live and historical data on Lake Okeechobee going back to 1912. The chart is titled “The Big O Chart” and is full of detailed features, including a number cruncher feature. Todd’s website is eyeonlakeo.com.
State and Federal Legislation: Gil Smart stated the Florida Legislature began session last week and will continue until March 13th. The theme this year appears to be “Session of Sprawl on Steroids,” with countless pro-development bills. Check out the Legislative Accountability section on Friends of the Everglades’ website at everglades.org for updates.
Coalition Reports:
River Kidz: Casey Kniffin stated the River Kidz will be participating in Waterways Day at the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center from 10-2 on Saturday, January 24th. She also reminded the group that the deadline for kids to enter the Wavemaker Challenge is January 28th.
Speakers Bureau: Ed Killer, Rivers Coalition board member, announced that he would be representing the Rivers Coalition’s Speakers Bureau now that Todd Weissing has resigned from the board. He thanked Todd for his service and reminded the group of the importance of becoming and staying informed even in the absence of Lake O discharges.
Water Quality Report: Mark Perry updated the group on water quality, stating that this is the 28th year of the FOS’s Citizen Science water quality monitoring program.
The Florida Oceanographic’s lecture series has begun and will occur every Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm at the Blake Library.
Seagrass Update: See Lake O update.
Riverkeeper Update: Jim Moir stated that though the seagrass is better than last year in our area of the lagoon, other areas are in danger, referring to the increased affluent from the Space Center.
Member Comments and Announcements:
Greg Braun with Guardians of Martin County gave an update on the Chancey Bay Ranch project in western Martin County. There will be a public hearing in the Martin County Commission Chambers on February 24th.
Harvey Nation of the Rio Civic Club expressed his appreciation for Todd Weissing's presentation to his group at their annual meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:34 p.m. |
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· February 26, 2026 - Thursday
· March 26, 2026 - Thursday
· April 23, 2026 - Thursday
· May 28, 2026 - Thursday
· June 25, 2026 - Thursday
· July 23, 2026 - Thursday
· August 2026 - no meeting
· September 24, 2026 - Thursday
· October 22, 2026 - Thursday
· November 19, 2026 - Thursday
· December 2026 - no meeting |
All Meetings are at 11:00 a.m.
Stuart City Hall Chambers
121 SW Flagler Ave, Stuart, FL |
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· Mark Perry, President
· Eve Samples, Vice President
· Jim Moir, Secretary
· Darrell Brand, Treasurer
· Charles Grande, Director
· Todd Thurlow, Director
· Gil Smart, Director
· Merritt Matheson, Director
· Casey Kniffin, Director
· Ed Killer, Director |
PO Box 2627
Stuart, FL 34995
772-225-6849 |
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Rivers Coalition Organizational Members
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| Atlantic Point Yacht Club & Marina of Stuart, Audubon Florida, Audubon of Martin County, Ballantrae Anglers Club, Ballantrae Yacht Club, Citizens for Clean Water, Conservation Alliance of St. Lucie Co. Inc, Dolphin Ecology Project, Environmental Studies Center, Everglades Foundation, Florida Oceanographic Society, Florida Sportsman, Florida Wildlife Federation, Fort Pierce Yacht Club, Four Rivers Property Association, Four Winds Condo Association, Friends of The Everglades, Friends of Harbor Branch - FAU, Guardians of Martin County, Harborage Yacht Condominiums, Harbour Ridge Yacht Club, Humanists of the Treasure Coast, Hutchinson Island Preservation Initiative, Indian Riverkeeper, Indian River Plantation POA, Joe's Point HOA, Keep Martin Beautiful, Lake Okeechobee Restoration Initiative, Lake Worth Waterkeeper, Leadership Martin, League of Women Voters of Martin Co., League of Women’s Voters of SLC Co., Lighthouse Point Association Inc., Locks Landing HOA, Marine Cleanup Initiative Inc., Marine Industries Assoc. of Treasure Coast, Marine Resources Council, Martin County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, Martin County Conservation Alliance, Martin County Democratic Environmental Caucus, Martin County Farm Bureau, Miramar POA, North River Shores Prop. Assoc., Ocean Research and Conservation Association, Palm Cove Yacht Club, President’s Council of Hutchinson Island, Realtor Association of Martin County, Rio Civic Club, River Kidz, River Warriors, Sailfish Point POA, Sailfish Point Yacht Club, Sandhill Cove Retirement Living, Save the Manatee Club, Seagate Harbor Homeowners Assoc., Sierra Club-:Loxahatchee Group, Snug Harbor Yacht Club, St. Lucie Audubon Society, St. Lucie River Yacht Club, St. Lucie Sailing Club, St. Lucie Settlement Inc., Stuart Corinthian Yacht Club, Stuart Heritage, Stuart Rod & Reel Club, Surfrider Foundation, The Yacht Club of Stuart Yacht and Country Club, Treasure Coast Rowing Club, Treasure Coast Unitarian Universalist Church, US Sailing Center of Martin County, Venture Three Community, VoteWater, Windjammer Condo Association. |
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Support and
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