July Water News
- CWC
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Progress Report on the Pumpout Boat
The Clean Water Coalition is so grateful to IR County’s Natural Resources Department – Melissa Meisenberg and Kylie Yanchula, for their strong leadership on this Lagoon improvement project.
A pumpout boat operator has been hired as of June 26th. Carlos Williams, a licensed boat captain, has completed the break in period for the outboard and his pumpout training with Pumpout Boat USA as of July 7th. The County has communicated with Vicki Gambale, the Sea Grant Agent in charge of the Pumpout Nav App. The flyer above has been distributed and static cling decals are being printed with the pumpout symbol and the scheduling phone number to provide boaters a quick reference.
The boat is performing pumpout service now but will need to come out of the water at 20 hours for the first scheduled maintenance. At that time, a Garmin will be installed for navigation and hopefully it will be ready to “wrap”. The wrap is eye-catching and will draw attention to the boat’s purpose.
The purchase, operation and maintenance of the boat was partially funded by grants from the Indian River Land Trust and the Clean Water Coalition of Indian River County.
We look forward to an official celebration in the near future!
Connected By Water: Indian River Lagoon
The Indian River Lagoon is one of North America’s most diverse estuaries, supporting incredible wildlife, recreation, and the communities that depend on it. This project by the SJWMD highlights why protecting this remarkable ecosystem matters and many of the people working together to make a difference.
Sewage Sludge Setback: Governor Vetoes Biosolids Bill
On June 30, Governor DeSantis vetoed the bipartisan Biosolids Management Bill, which passed the Florida House and Senate unanimously. This bill would have ensured that increased production of Class AA Biosolids does not result in increased nutrient pollution runoff in our local waterways.
In separate 2026 legislation, the land disposal of Class B biosolids (aka sewage sludge) is prohibited beginning in 2028. This will end the inequitable transfer of South Florida’s sewage sludge to the Headwaters of the St. Johns and is a huge win for our river by significantly reducing pollution at its source.
However, this Class B ban will lead to increased production of Class AA biosolids. While it is a higher quality treated sewage sludge, Class AA is not currently regulated in the state of Florida. Over-application can still cause excess runoff of nutrient pollution into our waterways. Reasonable, responsible guardrails are needed to ensure there are no unintended consequences from the use of Class AA. Governor DeSantis vetoed the bill that would have provided those needed protections.
Reprinted with permission from St. Johns RiverKeeper Newsletter.
Jones Pier, a 16-acre conservation area rich in Indian River County history, sits along the Jungle Trail and offers walking trails, a dock, and a pavilion. Its wetlands and uplands have been restored to provide additional treatment for stormwater before it discharges into the Indian River Lagoon, a project partially funded through federal grants. Congressman Darren Soto recently toured the site along with several other Lagoon improvement projects in the area to learn about the restoration work underway.
Solar Over the Canals: California Just Did It, and Florida Should Be Watching
California just wrapped up a first-of-its-kind experiment that tackles two problems at once, and it's worth a look for anyone who spends time thinking about water and the grid in Florida.
The project is called Project Nexus, a $20 million pilot built by the Turlock Irrigation District along with the state Department of Water Resources, UC Merced, and a company called Solar AquaGrid. The idea is simple enough that you wonder why it took this long: instead of clearing land for solar panels, string them up over the irrigation canals that already crisscross the state. Construction finished in the summer of 2025, with two sites now running over canals ranging from a narrow 20 feet wide to a broad 110 feet.
The early results are the interesting part. The two sites together generate about 1.6 megawatts of clean power. The shade from the panels cuts evaporation off the water below (early findings point to reductions as high as 70%) and knocks back algae growth by around 85%, which trims the maintenance bill for keeping the canals clear. There's even a bonus loop: the cooler water helps keep the panels running efficiently, and the panels keep the water cooler. One researcher team is also testing iron-flow batteries at a site to see how storage fits into the picture.
The bigger prize is scale. A UC Merced study estimated that shading California's roughly 4,000 miles of open canals could save about 63 billion gallons of water a year from evaporation while generating a serious chunk of renewable power. That's land you don't have to clear, water you don't lose to the sun, and electricity you generate on infrastructure you already own and maintain.
Which brings it home. The Indian River Farms Water Control District alone maintains 227 miles of canals here, and that's before you count the hundreds of miles managed by other districts across the county, all of it baking in the sun and feeding into a lagoon we're fighting to protect. Panels over even a stretch of that could mean less algae in the water headed to the Indian River Lagoon, and clean power generated on ditches we're already paying to keep clear. It's at least worth a look. After all, Florida’s not the Sunshine State for nothing.
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