Last Chance for Forum Tix, IRNA PFAS Testing, and much more!
- IRNA
- 23 hours ago
- 7 min read
SUNDAY IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER!
The Lagoon Is Everyone's Business Come Learn How to Protect It
If you've ever eaten fresh seafood at a waterfront restaurant, taken a kayak out on the Indian River, or simply felt that particular exhale of relief when you cross one of the bridges and see water stretching out in both directions, you already know something important: the Indian River Lagoon is the economic and cultural backbone of this community.
Real estate agents know it. Businesses know it. The tourism industry knows it. Studies have confirmed it. The Balmoral Group's economic analysis found that every dollar invested in Lagoon restoration generates significant economic returns for the region, returns that show up in property values, in the health of restaurants and charter fishing operators, in boat sales, in the kind of quality of life that makes people want to move here (and stay here).
But the Lagoon is in trouble. Decades of inadequate stormwater management, aging sewer infrastructure, and excess nutrients flowing into the water have taken a serious toll. The problem is well understood. The solutions are known. What's missing is sustained public pressure… ordinary people showing up, staying informed, and demanding that their elected officials make the Lagoon a priority.
That's exactly what the "Land & Water: Issues & Solutions" Public Education Forum is designed to address.
On April 25, the Clean Water Coalition (CWC), the Indian River Neighborhood Association (IRNA), and the Pelican Island Audubon Society (PIAS) are bringing together some of the region's foremost subject matter experts for a full day of public education at The Emerson Center (8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Speakers from the Indian River Lagoon Council, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Marine Resources Council, Indian River Land Trust, the City of Vero Beach, Indian River County, and several universities will cover everything from wastewater systems and biosolids to habitat restoration, stormwater solutions, and what it would actually take to turn things around for the Lagoon and Blue Cypress Lake.
With November 2026 elections on the horizon, this kind of knowledge matters. Candidates need to hear from an informed public. Voters need a basis for assessing where candidates actually stand on land and water issues. This forum is a step toward both.
Tickets are $25 per person and include a boxed lunch. (Bring a reusable water bottle.)
And here's a little extra incentive: registered attendees will have the chance to win one of three raffle prizes: a guided fishing trip for two, a boat excursion on Blue Cypress Lake, or a lagoon boat tour with the ELC. These are the kinds of experiences that remind you exactly why protecting this place is worth the effort.
Sign up now!Registration closes tomorrow and is required for admission!
Register here and invite your neighbors, your fishing buddies, your book club, your coworkers. The more ordinary people show up informed and engaged, the stronger the public voice for protecting the water that makes this place worth living in.
The Lagoon needs all of us. April 25 is a good place to start.
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 hosting a series of upcoming informational webinars concerning this PFAS study on April 22 at 9:30am and April 28 at 6pm. Visit https://www.indianriverna.com/pfas-testing to register.
Open to Indian River County home and business owners on private wells only (not connected to municipal water). Questions? Contact Missy@IndianRiverNA.com
Indian River Neighborhood Association In the News
Vero News covered our PFAS program in their papers last week. Check out the article here.
Our water testing was also covered this past week in WQCS. Click here to read more.
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Join the IRNA in building a stronger voice for our community. Your support empowers us to safeguard our natural resources, demand transparency from elected officials, and champion the changes we need to see—together, we can create lasting impact.
Education and advocacy are essential to protecting our water resources and building a more sustainable future. Recognizing this, our Water & Lagoon Committee has recently focused its efforts on two critical areas: water supply and stormwater management. These issues are deeply interconnected and have direct impacts on water quality, public health, and environmental sustainability across our community.
As we begin to champion reliable water supply and improved water quality, alongside stronger stormwater management practices throughout the County, we know that education must be at the heart of our work. An informed community is better equipped to understand challenges, support solutions, and drive meaningful change.
That is why you will see us actively engaging with the public in a variety of ways. From participating in community outreach events to visiting elementary and middle school classrooms, we are committed to making these topics accessible and relevant. We are also expanding opportunities for community science, such as our PFAS testing study, and continuing to offer our popular Lunch & Learns to foster deeper understanding and dialogue.
We believe that when people are equipped with knowledge, they become powerful advocates for their environment. As IRNA moves forward, we remain dedicated to providing educational opportunities for all ages, focusing on our waterways, sustainable growth, water supply, and the innovative technologies helping to protect and restore our environment.
Sebastian to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day at Riverview Park (Sebastian Daily) - Look for the Indian River Neighborhood Association here! The City of Sebastian is hosting a free Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration at Riverview Park on April 18, 2026, featuring live music, environmental exhibits, and specialized recycling services for electronics, paper, and bulk household items.
Sebastian approves 204-acre annexation (Hometown News) - More coverage of how the Sebastian City Council unanimously approved the annexation of 204 acres for a proposed residential development called Sebastian Pines, which aims to include approximately 502 homes and dedicated recreation space while giving the city governing control over the project's design and density.
Vero Beach breaks daily rainfall record twice last week (Vero News) - Vero Beach surpassed two daily rainfall records last week with over five inches of total precipitation, resulting in minor flooding and a continued shift away from the region's earlier dry conditions.
Bridge closure causes big traffic mess (Vero News) - The week-long total closure of the 17th Street Bridge for road sealing and re-striping has triggered significant traffic congestion in Vero Beach as thousands of vehicles are diverted to the Merrill P. Barber Bridge and Indian River Boulevard.
Lagoon funding lags - and manatees pay the price (VoteWater.org) - Concerns are mounting as Florida legislative proposals for the 2026-27 budget fall significantly short of a promised $100 million annual commitment to the Indian River Lagoon, threatening vital water quality projects and the survival of manatees facing starvation and habitat loss.
We talk about wetlands all the time, but what actually is a wetland?According to Florida Statutes § 373.019(25) and Florida Administrative Code Rule 62-340.200(19), a Florida wetland is defined as:
Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and a duration sufficient to support, and under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soils. Soils present in wetlands generally are classified as hydric or alluvial, or possess characteristics that are associated with reducing soil conditions.
In plain English: a wetland is land that's wet enough, often enough, that only certain plants can survive there, and the soil itself shows the evidence of that regular saturation. Think marshes, swamps, mangroves, cypress domes. If the ground is soggy long enough to change what grows there and how the soil looks, it's probably a wetland.
Wetlands do a lot of heavy lifting for our environment. They filter pollutants and excess nutrients before they reach the Indian River Lagoon, recharge the aquifer that supplies much of our drinking water, and absorb stormwater that would otherwise flood our neighborhoods. They're also critical nursery habitat for the fish and shellfish that define the Lagoon's ecosystem. In short, wetlands aren't just soggy inconveniences standing between developers and a permit. Wetlands are infrastructure, doing work that no engineered system can fully replace.
That's why their loss matters so much. Florida has lost nearly half of its original wetland acreage, and every acre lost is an acre that's no longer filtering our water, feeding our aquifer, or sheltering juvenile fish. Knowing what a wetland actually is (legally and ecologically) is the first step toward understanding why protecting what's left isn't optional.
Mishaps plague Sebastian Inlet dredging project (Vero News) - The Sebastian Inlet dredging project is more than a year behind schedule and over budget by $1.3 million due to a series of equipment failures, boat strikes, and weather-related damage that has pushed the expected completion date to May 30, 2026.
Indian River County OKs $3.5 million for sheriff’s office, $4 million more ahead (Sebastian Daily) - The Indian River County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved an immediate $3.5 million funding boost for the Sheriff’s Office alongside a commitment of $4 million for future fiscal years to resolve a long-standing budget dispute and ensure continued public safety operations.
Vero accessory structure gets another variance (Hometown News) - The Vero Beach Planning & Zoning Board approved a variance for a second-story accessory structure at a Vero Isles home despite neighbor concerns, imposing conditions to remove a north-facing window and alter a balcony to protect privacy after the permit was initially issued in error by city staff.
Basic Disaster Supplies Kit (FEMA) - Maintaining an emergency water supply requires storing at least one gallon per person daily and utilizing treatment methods like boiling, chlorination, or distillation to ensure safety when regular sources are compromised.
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