The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is pleased to announce our support for the Right to Clean and Healthy Waters Amendment initiative. The full text of the proposed amendment can be viewed here.
Why we support:
- Southwest Florida’s water quality is in crisis, with no improvement in sight. The Conservancy has published three Estuaries Report Cards in the past 20 years, grading the water quality in 10 Southwest Florida watersheds. The grades have been consistently poor, with a majority of watersheds, as determined in the 2011 and 2017 report cards, earning no better than a D for water quality.
- Pollution discharge from agricultural and urban runoff can result in harmful algal blooms that are devastating to natural resources and harmful to humans and pets. In addition, nutrient runoff can exacerbate red tide events.
- Poor water quality impacts not just our environment, but our economy. A water quality economic report released in 2024 by the Conservancy, Captains for Clean Water, and Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation determined that one harmful algal bloom, such as the event Southwest Florida experienced in 2018, costs the local economy $5.2B in coastal economic losses.
- In Florida, our environment is what attracts visitors and leads many of us to choose the Sunshine State as our home. There is no doubt that our quality of life in Southwest Florida is impacted by poor water quality, with over $8B in economic losses tied to outdoor recreational activities, according to findings in our water quality economic report.
- Wetlands are foundational to human health, water quality, drinking water resources, floodwater protection, fish and wildlife habitat and resilience against the effects of climate change. Unfortunately, wetlands continue to be destroyed through permits that allow for their conversion to development and other intensification. In Southwest Florida, ten projects alone anticipate directly destroying over 1,100 acres of wetlands. If developed, this would deprive our community of the water quality and storage benefits associated with retaining and protecting wetlands.
- Each year, the Florida legislative session brings the threat of new legislation that could decrease pollution control standards or further limit the public’s ability to challenge harmful permits, regulations, or policies.
It is clear the current regulatory and enforcement system is broken.
Unless something changes dramatically, polluted waters will continue to enter into our public waterways, creating costly restoration projects for future generations and burdening us all with the environmental, economic, and quality of life impacts of poor water quality.
The Right to Clean and Healthy Waters Amendment provides an important tool for organizations, community groups, and individuals to take a stand and protect one of our most precious resources…..clean and healthy waters.
For more information, visit floridarighttocleanwater.org.