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Subject: RE: SJRWMD Reponse to TCCLG's Letter to the Governor Thank you Commissioner, I am glad you found it helpful. It is good sometimes to put together a comprehensive outline-of issues-and-acticrT"u&v as that, especially with an issue of such great importance as the recent seagrass losses. I am also pleased to hear you'll be attending the lagoon symposium in a couple of weeks. I wish more elected officials in the lagoon's watershed had the concern for the lagoon that you do and the desire to bring about positive change. I am excited to learn from the many scientists and students who will be presenting their research, and for the Forum on Friday that will hopefully bring some consensus and a plan forward that the community can get behind. In regard to problematic canals, each man-made canal discharging directly to the lagoon is a problem. Of course the bigger the canal and the greater basin that the canal drains the more non point pollution is discharged. Certainly C-44 with its connection to Lake 0 and the combination of C-24&C-23 discharging into the north fork of the St. Lucie are the biggest canals impacting the St. Lucie and southern IRL. The Main Relief Canal in Vero, operated by the Indian River Farms WCD is the biggest contributor in the Vero 'Narrows' portion of the lagoon, but all three relief canals in Indian River County cause a lot of problems when their gates are opened wide in anticipation of a tropical rain event. Further north,the C-1 Canal in Palm Bay also drains a large urban area (100 square miles) but the SJRWMD is working to re- divert about 50%of the discharges from this basin back into the Upper St.Johns River, where the basin historically flowed before the canal. The C-54 canal, a big Army Corp built canal that serves as the border between Brevard and Indian River counties and discharges into the St. Sebastian River use to be a problem, however with the completion of the Upper St.Johns River Basin Project no significant discharges have occurred from C-54 since Tropical Storm Fay in 2008. 1 don't know if I'll have any new info to share before the next TCCLG meeting on Feb 6. But I'll send you a note either way. I look forward to seeing you at the Symposium. Troy Troy Rice, Director Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program St.Johns River Water Management District 525 Community College Pkwy, SE Palm Bay, Florida 32909 (321) 984-4950 lfookw,d a lagwn licen%t pt;0 Net? From: Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch [ma iIto:jthurlowlIppisch@comcast.net] Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 3:18 PM To: Troy Rice gb . q - i -7 3