Tuesday President Trump signed the Water Resources and Development Act which includes the authorization for a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee to reduce harmful discharges into the St. Lucie Estuary.
Kim Streiber, a co-founder of the Toxic 18 Facebook page called a big step forward.
"It's a long-term and it's going to take time to complete," said Streiber.
The EAA Reservoir is expected to reduce discharges by about 65 percent according to the South Florida Water Management District.
"It's a piece of the puzzle," said Streiber.
Many on our WPTV Facebook page commented on this story and said this project is not enough.
The candidates for District 18 agree.
Congressman Brian Mast is now looking into an effort to keep Lake Okeechobee lower during the dry season.
"Instead of shooting to get the lake at 12.5 feet, they should shoot to have the lake at 10.5 feet at the beginning of hurricane season. That's free, it doesn't cost a dollar to do it," said Mast.
Lauren Baer sent us a statement saying in part:
"The EAA Reservoir is absolutely essential to move water south from Lake Okeechobee and stem discharges into the St. Lucie River, but it's only one of the dozens of CERP projects that must be funded in order to restore our environment and save our state."
