Good News for Seagrass, Last Chance for Lunch signups
- IRNA
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
May 23, 2026 Weekly Newsletter
Indian River Lagoon Seagrass Coverage
Nearly Doubles in Two Years
The St. Johns River Water Management District released its 2025 seagrass monitoring data last week, and the numbers tell of real recovery. Lagoon-wide seagrass coverage jumped from 9,924 hectares in 2023 to 17,042 hectares in 2025 (an increase of roughly 7,000 hectares, or about 13,000 football fields). Field surveys show the grass beds are spreading farther from shore and growing in significantly thicker.
We have watched the lagoon's seagrass beds decline since their peak around 2007-2009. These numbers show the most significant turnaround in over a decade. Seagrass is the foundation of the lagoon's ecosystem, providing habitat, stabilizing sediment, and filtering nutrients from the water column. When the grass disappears, the whole system suffers. When it comes back, everything else has a chance to follow.
The District attributes the progress to years of coordinated restoration work, particularly four canal diversion projects (C-54, Fellsmere Main, C-1, and the recently completed Crane Creek/M-1 Flow Restoration Project) that redirect freshwater and nutrient loads away from the lagoon and back toward the St. Johns River. These projects address a fundamental hydrological problem created over a century ago, when canals built for agriculture and flood control began pushing excess freshwater and nutrients eastward into the lagoon instead of allowing them to flow west along their natural path.
Additional efforts continue to build on that momentum. Brevard County's Save Our Indian River Lagoon Program is advancing a muck dredging project north of the Eau Gallie Causeway targeting decades of accumulated nutrient-laden sediment.
District Executive Director Mike Register struck a cautiously optimistic tone, emphasizing that continued investment in restoration and science-based management will be critical to sustaining the trend. That's the right framing. Two years of recovery data is genuinely encouraging, but the lagoon's problems were decades in the making and won't be solved on a single good report. What the data does confirm is that the restoration strategy is working (and that sustained commitment to water quality improvement can produce measurable results).
PFAS Well Water Testing
IRNA is offering free, certified lab testing for PFAS ("forever chemicals") in private drinking water wells. Sign up, submit your water sample, and get your results, plus learn what they mean for your health.We are especially searching for wells at or near Blue Cypress Lake, Fellsmere, Gifford, and Wabasso.
Open to Indian River County home and business owners on private wells only (not connected to municipal water). Questions? Contact Missy@IndianRiverNA.com
New here? If this was forwarded to you, we'd love to have you join our community! Click here to sign up and receive our newsletter weekly.
Stand with the IRNA and help us amplify our community's voice. Your support fuels the fight to protect our natural resources, hold elected officials accountable, and drive the real change our neighborhoods deserve. Together, we don't just speak up, we make an impact that lasts.
Celebrating Jean Catchpole:
13 Years of Dedication to IRNA
At the May 14 board meeting, the Indian River Neighborhood Association honored longtime leader Jean Catchpole for 13 years of service to the organization and the community.
Jean joined IRNA in 2013 and went on to serve in nearly every leadership capacity the organization has to offer: board member, board chairman, and chairman of the Water and Lagoon Committee. As board chair Mike put it, Jean has been IRNA's "Swiss Army knife," someone who does everything and knows everything. When Jean speaks, people listen (and learn).
Board member Gretchen Hanson presented Jean with an engraved cutting board on behalf of the organization, reading: "Our sincere appreciation and recognition to Jean Catchpole for her dedication, service, and impact as a board member, board chairman, chairman of the Water and Lagoon Committee, and Indian River Neighborhood Association member from 2013 to 2026."
In true Jean fashion, she deflected the praise, saying she had learned far more from her fellow board members than she ever dispensed. She expressed her gratitude for the support she's received over the years and her hope that IRNA will continue to grow and prosper.
The board wasn't quite ready to let Jean go entirely. By unanimous vote, Jean was named a Board Member Emeritus, ensuring she'll always have a seat at the table (and a chance to put in her two cents, as she put it). Jean accepted the honor graciously.
Thank you, Jean, for 13 years of leadership, institutional knowledge, and tireless commitment to our neighborhood and our environment. IRNA wouldn't be where it is today without you.
LAST CHANCE: IRNA Lunch & Learn:
"Growth, Sprawl, and the Density Dilemma"
Due to an unavoidable emergency, Thomas Lanahan, Executive Director of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, is unable to join us on May 27. But we're excited to welcome Dana Little, TCRPC's Urban Design Director, as our featured speaker. Dana brings years of hands-on experience working directly with communities and stakeholders across the Treasure Coast to shape how growth actually looks and feels on the ground, including leading the design process for Vero Beach Arts Village. If you want to understand how planning decisions get made and what choices we still have in shaping what comes next, Dana is a great person to have in the room.
May 27 | 12–1:30 PM · IG Center, 1590 9th St SW, Vero Beach, FL 32962 · $25/pp (lunch included). Vegetarian and gluten-free options available. Seating is limited. Ticket sales close Monday at noon!
Register at IndianRiverNA.com/Tickets
Sebastian moves to annex over 600 acres for new housing developments (cbs12.com) - The Sebastian City Council has approved the annexation of nearly 600 acres for new residential developments to maintain municipal regulatory control over future growth, despite significant opposition from residents concerned about infrastructure strain and traffic.
‘Substantial doubt’ Brightline can stay in business (Vero News) - Despite achieving record-breaking ridership and revenue, Brightline faces substantial doubt about its future viability due to a multi-billion-dollar debt load and massive operational losses that have prompted credit downgrades and urgent negotiations to avoid bankruptcy.
County backs special exception for Vero Classical (hometownnewstc.com) - The Indian River County Commission approved a special exception and site plan allowing Vero Classical School to build a new three-phase, K-12 campus near 58th Avenue Southwest despite traffic and noise concerns from several local residents.
Florida budget negotiations intensify; final vote next week (WFLA) - Florida lawmakers are working long hours during a special session to resolve key spending differences and finalize the state budget before a final vote scheduled after Memorial Day weekend.
The Florida Legislature is in special session right now finalizing the state budget, and Florida Forever hangs in the balance. Neither the House or the Senate's proposal is anywhere near what voters have demanded and what our lagoon and natural lands need.
We're asking IRNA members to contact Senator Erin Grall and Representative Robbie Brackett and tell them Florida Forever needs real, meaningful funding in this year's budget and that the program must retain the ability to acquire land for public use, not just private easements. The special session runs through May 29, so the time to act is now. We've put together a template letter you can personalize and send. Click the button below to make your voice heard!
Discover how Indian River County is protecting one of its most important natural assets — our coastline. Learn why restoring sand is essential, what happens if we do nothing, and how smart, science‑based coastal management keeps our coastline resilient.
Land Trust donors hear ‘a lot of good news’ on conservation front (Vero News) - The Indian River Land Trust recently honored its donors at a reception where leadership shared significant updates on local conservation efforts, including protecting 1,300 acres of land and establishing vital habitat and recreation corridors throughout Indian River County.
Alligator Alcatraz: 'Efficient, low-cost' debacle is Uthmeier's folly (VoteWater.org) - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier faces severe political and financial backlash over Alligator Alcatraz, an Everglades immigration detention center that is now shutting down after costing taxpayers over one million dollars a day and failing to secure promised federal funding.
Florida native plants for best ground cover (tcpalm.com) - Twin flower, spider lily, gopher apple, sunshine mimosa, and muhly grass serve as five low-maintenance native plants ideal for Florida ground cover due to their resilience and unique visual characteristics.
Comments