Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chair and ranking member for their extremely hard work on the underlying bill and their ongoing commitment to Everglades restoration.

I rise because, at this very moment in my district in Florida, toxic blue-green algae is threatening the environment in our area. The amendment I am offering, along with the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Clawson, will enhance the Army Corps' environmental restoration efforts in south Florida and help put a stop to this vicious cycle once and for all.

The Everglades watershed stretches as far north as Orlando, where runoff eventually flows into Lake Okeechobee. Due to rapid development, the natural flow of water from north to south in the system has been severely disrupted, and we are inundated with freshwater discharges that harm our communities to the east and to the west of the lake.

Meanwhile, Florida Bay desperately needs freshwater to restore its natural ecology. However, moving clean water south to restore the entire ecosystem is no small feat.

I had the chance to explain to President Obama last week on his first trip to the Everglades how freshwater discharges are hurting our community while freshwater is desperately needed in the Florida Bay, and how critical the Everglades restoration efforts are throughout the whole system.

Supporting the Corps' ongoing work in the Everglades is key for water quality in the Caloosahatchee River watershed, which includes Ft. Myers and Cape Coral, the St. Lucie River watershed in the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches that I represent, and throughout Florida.

Right now, a toxic blue-green algae bloom pictured here is threatening waterways in the most biodiverse estuary in all of North America. When toxic blooms hit our water, health advisories like this are posted--right here--warning people do not touch the very water that is the center of their livelihoods.

Supporting the Corps' Everglades work can help move restoration projects closer to completion, like the C-44 reservoir in Martin County, which will help hold water back from further harming the local population and ecologically fragile areas.

This is not the first time I have come to the House floor to address this issue. Every year, our communities face this same threat. And to the people that I represent, it is unsustainable, and it is time to stop this before lasting damage is done.

I, along with many people committed to protecting our water and our community, will not rest until the health advisories posted along our rivers and estuaries disappear once and for all. These aren't just our precious Everglades in Florida. This ecosystem is America's River of Grass with no place like it in the world. It must be protected at all costs.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Clawson), who has been a tireless champion on Everglades restoration.

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