Drone Releases a Million Baby Clams in Grant-Valkaria to Help Cleanse Indian River Lagoon
To restore a natural defense long lost from the Indian River Lagoon, the Coastal Conservation Association Florida (CCA Florida), a nonprofit dedicated to sportfishing and marine advocacy, is deploying what they call "super-clam cluster bombs."
On Friday, a drone released one million baby clams over Grant-Valkaria as part of ongoing Earth Day-themed activities organized by CCA Florida, Duke Energy Florida, marine products company Star brite, and other conservation partners. The event kicked off a weekend-long initiative known as the Clean Water Collective, aiming to deploy 4 million clams across the lagoon.
This project is part of the broader Indian River Lagoon Billion Clam Initiative, launched in 2017 by CCA Florida in partnership with the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory and Captain Blair Wiggins. Using cutting-edge technology and drone assistance, the initiative has already placed 49 million clams into the lagoon, working to improve water quality and restore ecological balance.
Scientists say these tiny bivalves could be crucial to reviving the lagoon’s health, potentially solving one of Florida’s most significant man-made environmental disasters.
Officials urge Central Floridians to conserve water as dry conditions persist
As the region’s dry season continues, officials are urging communities to try and reduce their water usage.
The National Weather Service says parts of Lake and Volusia counties entered a phase of “Extreme Drought” late last week.
The St. Johns River Water Management District says April marks the third month in a row of lower-than-average rainfall — and that groundwater levels, while relatively stable, are declining as dry conditions continue.
The District encourages Central Floridians to conserve water resources by only watering the lawn when necessary. And **if you have to water, the District says it’s best to do so before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.: on certain days of the week, based on where you live.
Orange County planning commissioners reject big development proposal for Shingle Creek
A proposal to build thousands of apartment units and hotel rooms in Shingle Creek appears to be hitting a wall — with Orange County’s Planning and Zoning Commission voting last week against the project.
The decision marks the county’s second denial of the project this month.
The team behind the Tuscana [[tusk-AHN-ah]] project proposed for Shingle Creek insists the development would come with a larger environmental benefit: by consolidating scattered, privately-owned parcels of land just south of International Drive, and ensuring conservation of the surrounding area.
But Orange County Planning Commissioners decided not to recommend the project move forward — with Planning Commissioner Eric Gray saying the developer’s attempts to mitigate floodplain impacts don’t outweigh environmental concerns.
“An island? In the middle of a wetland, to me, is not buildable, period. An island with a water table six inches under the surface is not a buildable piece of land.”
Gray also said that he would analyze the area more closely to brainstorm other possible solutions.
Endangered sawfish still dying in South Florida waters
Rare endangered sawfish are continuing to die in South Florida waters.
Last week, three smalltooth sawfish grounded themselves in waters around the Florida Keys. One died. That brings the number of dead this year to nine. Since an unusual die-off started last year, 65 sawfish deaths have been confirmed.
Scientists are still trying to determine what’s causing the illness, which also affected dozens of other species.
So far, they suspect it's related to an algae that usually lives on the seafloor that may have spread after an ocean heat wave.
More:www.floridatoday.com
