PALM BAY, Fla. – More than years, it could take decades to restore the polluted Indian River Lagoon to its healthy state prior to large-scale algae blooms and fish kills.
Brevard County voters chose to raise their taxes for a decade back in 2016 to do their part, and since 2018, a group called the Marine Resources Council has updated the public each year on the results of multi-million dollar cleanup projects like muck removal and septic tank to sewer conversions are getting.
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Monday at the Lagoon House in Palm Bay, the latest lagoon report 2024 Report | Marine Resources Council presented in part by Laura Wilson showed signs of optimism.
“There are stories of progress, for sure, to be told,” the MRC’s executive director said about improved qualities like seagrass growth in certain areas.
Dr. Wilson then told News 6 reporter James Sparvero about the importance of keeping up the good momentum.
”This was a better year in 2024 than 2023, but we’re in no way saying that the lagoon is healthy and restored,” she said. “There’s a lot of work to do, and we need multiple years of progress before we can really start rebuilding the ecosystems to what they were before we started having these major algal blooms.”
Wilson said she would support Brevard County approving another 10-year sales tax increase when the current tax expires in 2026.
”We have big problems in the lagoon and big problems take big money,” she said.
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