WELCOME!
ARE YOU A RESIDENT FOR RESILIENCE?
Are you concerned about:
POLLUTED BEACHES AND WATERWAYS?
COASTAL FLOODING?
STORM SURGE?
IF IT'S SAFE TO DRINK TAP WATER?
:
"Residents for Resilience is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocating for safe-clean drinking water, flood mitigation, coastal resiliency, and waterway restoration in Florida. We aim to bridge the information gap between government leaders, experts, scientists, and the general public, fostering education, communication, advocation, and collaboration.
"It’s hard to care about ...what you don’t know about!"
Our primary focus is addressing the pressing water issues that threaten the health, safety, environment, and economy of our residents, visitors, and marine ecosystems throughout the state. By empowering individuals and communities, we strive to ensure that residents' concerns are heard and that they are actively involved in important decision-making processes.
Join us as we advocate for change, providing a strong collective voice and promoting preparedness in the face of an ever-changing environment. Together, let us champion resilience and make a lasting impact.
Let your voices be heard!
Suzee Bailey
Founder - Residents for Resilience
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as we share even more informative articles on important water issues!
SOMETIMES THE BEST SOLUTIONS COME FROM THOSE OF US WHO KNOW OUR COMMUNITIES BEST...
THE RESIDENTS
WATER-LOGGED
Beyond the Surface
Sending a Big Thank You to all who helped to make our first Live Water-Logged Series a big success including all of you who came out to support this amazing event! Our audience was so impressed with our guest, speaker 11 year old Cruz Yturraide, who spoke on his scary experience contracting 2 forms of samonella poisoning from enjoying fishing on our canals. Bravo Cruz and thank you!
I also want to thank Harry Rozelle and LarryYturraide for co-sponsoring this event along with Katherine O’Fallon and Marine Research Hub and
The Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science!
And a big round of applause for our guest panel, Dr. Keith Van de Riet, Mangrove Reef Walls, Associate Professor, The University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design, David Punchard, The Oyster Institute, Dr. Esber Andiroglu, Associate Professor of Practice in Dept. of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Univ. of Miami,
Stacy Brown, Urban Farming Institute and South Florida Association of Environmental Professionals, and Linda Sunderland, Environmental Program Supervisor and Broward County Enviornmental Permitting
Missed our event?
See video clips and more pictures here Visit: https://www.residentsforresilience.com/missed-our-event
The Humble Oyster Goes High Tech
By Patricia Roth
April 16, 2024
Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
What do the humble oyster and high tech 3-D printing have in common?
Together they can clean up our Fort Lauderdale waterways!
This was what I learned at a fascinating evening symposium organized by Residents for Resilience,
led by Suzee Bailey, and the Marine Research Hub’s Katherine O Fallon. It’s called the Blue Economy.
In a fast paced two hour session, Suzee Bailey peppered the guest speakers with questions and asked for details and examples. And the speakers didn’t disappoint. We heard about Dr. Keith Van de Riet’s Living Seawall panels, which create artificial reefs. These Marine Friendly additions called, "Mangrove Reef Walls” are made with openings where fish and other marine life can thrive. It’s like having a coral reef in your own back yard, under your existing sea wall, or along your canal. And this was followed by Oyster Institute’s David Punchard, who explained how we could enhance these sea wall additions even further by adding oysters, and other marine friendly additions, to help filter the water. Who knew that one lonely oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day!
Another remediation option mentioned was Biochar sleeves or buoys. Yes, biochar, like the carbon filters you have in your refrigerator! Can you believe for around $50 a buoy or sleeve, you will be able to add one on to your dock and the filtering begins. Discussions are now on the table for permitting which is needed before any additions go in to our waterways to prevent any type of contamination, as another panelist, Linda Sunderland, Environmental Program Supervisor, Broward County Environmental Permitting, stated. SEE PICTURES BELOW.
But it wasn’t all theory and pie in the sky. There are a number of proposed projects underway right now. One is an Educational Waterway Quality Floating Research Lab to begin gathering the much needed data to encourage our city, local business and our residents to be open to adding these living enhancements to their docks and seawalls. This group is hoping that their informative data wil also ease the permitting process to eliminate any roadblocks, for an easy installation process. They plan to share their information with the public and neighboring cities,...so stay tuned!
As a local resident who thinks twice about paddleboarding in our canals, this timely symposium and the projects actually underway right here in Fort Lauderdale give me hope. There are practical solutions out there. Scientists working to are gather data. The answers don’t have to be horrendously expensive or complicated. And, best of all, if we act now we can actually have a positive impact on our City’s waterways!
IN THE NEWS
As residents in a handful of coastal communities — including Dania Beach and Oakland Park — anxiously waited for floodwaters to drain out of their neighborhoods and roads, the opposite was happening. A few critical canals designed to move water east were overflowing, spilling into streets, parks and yards. The multi-day rain event coincided with a king tide, one of the highest tides of the year. That high tide effectively backed up the canals South Florida relies on to drain water to rivers, bays and the Atlantic Ocean. They’re largely the same canals dug hundreds of years ago to drain the Everglades and open what were once wetlands to sprawling development.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article282144963.html#storylink=cpy
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LIVING SHORELINES...
Living shorelines are softer, greener alternatives to stabilize shorelines from erosion, sea level rise, and other damage. They protect, restore, or enhance natural shoreline habitat and maintain coastal processes through the strategic placement of plants, oyster shell, and other structural organic materials. Living shorelines offer many benefits. They:
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The water that comes out of your household tap travels through miles of pipes, aquifers, and treatment systems before landing in your glass. One of the easiest ways to boost the quality of that water is by using a water filter, be it under your sink, in your fridge, or on your countertop.
While many people buy water filters simply to improve the taste or appearance of their tap water, filtering your drinking water can also potentially protect you from harmful contaminants.
"These 'green solutions' won't prevent the impacts of climate change, but they offer us a way to try and mitigate some of the effects while blending in with Mother Nature's constraints," he said. "Climate change is very dynamic, and the rate of problems are happening at such a pace that this will be a good snapshot in time to see if projects like these are worthwhile as we see climate change happening over the next 10 to 15 years.”....
Some states – including California, Florida, Louisiana and Texas – are facing more significant storms and extreme swings in precipitation.
Landlocked states won’t have to adapt to sea level rise, though some – including Appalachian states like Kentucky and West Virginia – have seen devastating flooding from rainstorms...
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At a new factory under construction in Washington State, a startup called Twelve will soon begin using captured CO2, water, and renewable electricity to make jet fuel that could eventually compete on cost with conventional jet fuel. Alaska Airlines will be one of the first customers when the factory begins production next year...
LOCAL NEWS!
WILL ROADS HAVE TO BE RAISED TO ADDRESS NEW STORMWATER
FLOODING DATA?
By Tricia Halliday
R4R Executive Director
The City of Ft. Lauderdale invited the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to analyze flood prone City roads and recommend criteria for a policy to determine which roads to elevate and how to prioritize and fund the improvements. Quite a tall order for this group of panelists and staff!
Who is the ULI? The Urban Land Institute is a 75 year old organization that provides independent, unbiased recommendations (Advisory Services) from outside the community. The panelists from all over the US, volunteered their time - in this case, 4 days, to listen and learn, then offer their proposed solutions. During their 4 days, this esteemed group held a listening meeting at MODS, toured our local neighborhoods with City Staff, held Stake-Holder interviews, then presented their findings at another public meeting held at the Mizell Community Center.
Our R4R Founder, Suzee Bailey was invited to participate in the “Stakeholder” listening session, sharing many of our residents concerns and questions. She stressed the need for options from flood mitigation experts, which will be needed as homes, neighborhoods and communities will strive to become more resilient, (which hopefully may help mitigate the insurance crisis). Presentation sessions can be viewed on our website. We will provide you with a link to the ULI’s written report which should be posted on the City’s website soon.
During their presentation, the ULI took a broader view to the task at hand. Before elevating roads, they stressed we need to address the compounding risks - Rising Seas and King Tides. Resilience is THE guiding approach, and protecting people with the highest risk in neglected areas needs to be included on the Top Priority List!
Raising the roads is only one of the tools in the toolbox and most likely the one of last resort, since adjusting adjacent lower elevated properties to heightened roads can present a very costly and difficult solution for all parties involved.
The City has and is currently working on updating stormwater drains, raising seawalls, installing tidal valves and pumps which are also some of the important tools in that box. Antiquated infrastructure and utilities also need to be considered before addressing road elevation, especially with the rising watertable and salt water intrusion.
Most importantly, the ULI discussed the need for strong regional collaboration and cooperation and suggested Fort Lauderdale work with Broward County, which has been actively addressing these alarming flooding issues, (see below). The ULI also stressed the importance of public outreach, so that residents receive the most up-to-date data to aid in important decisions that may have to be made as we all adjust to this ever changing climate.
We look forward to the written report and how our elected officials respond.
FOR YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY
Miami Waterkeeper test these 13 sites in our Fort Lauderdale Waterways for bacteria levels
IS IT SAFE TO GO INTO THE WATER?
Based on the marine water quality testing data provided by Miami Waterkeeper, it appears unsafe to engage in recreational activities in Fort Lauderdale's waterways. Any measurement exceeding 70 MPN (most probable number) is considered risky and potentially dangerous. Such high readings typically result from a sewer line break or intense rainfall. However, since no alerts have been issued for a sewer line break and there hasn't been heavy rainfall on many of the dates showing high numbers, the cause of these concerning test results remains unclear.
Miami Waterkeeper conducts weekly bacteria level monitoring in the above areas of our Fort Lauderdale waterways, to provide you with up-to-date safety information. You can easily access these results, along with the Department of Health's (DOH) Healthy Beaches testing data, using the free Swim Guide app or their website. (See Below)
Miami Waterkeeper and the DOH perform water sampling every Monday morning, with the latest test results becoming available by Tuesday afternoon. In cases where a site exhibits high bacteria levels, they are committed to re-running our samples daily until the issue is resolved.
EPA has set the following standards for water considered safe for swimming,
which are used by DOH and Miami Waterkeeper:
0-70 CFU/MPN per 100 mL enterococci per sample: Safe for swimming
70+ CFU/MPN per 100 mL enterococci per sample: Not safe for swimming
Learn more about our water testing and what the results mean here.
For all of you who live work and play on our precious waterway and canals, don't you think it is time our city leaders decree their critical condition an emergency and begin their restoration immediately!
Join our movement as we advocate for restoring the health and vitality
of our precious waterways, and for safety signage in contaminated areas!
Important information on harmful waterway conditions after heavy rains
Sea Secrets 2024 with Andy Mann, Photographer and Co-founder of SeaLegacy
The Wavemaker: A Quest to Save the Ocean, One Story at a Time
THE SAD STATE OF
FORT LAUDERDALE WATERWAYS
From one of our R4R member!
Jeff Maggio- Lunkerdog
YES WE CAN MAKE OUR WATERWAYS SAFE AND SWIMMABLE ONCE AGAIN!
In 2021, The Nature Conservancy in Florida and partners began construction on 33 oyster reefs along 6.5 miles of Santa Rosa County shoreline to restore oyster populations in East and Blackwater Bays, a region where oysters once thrived. This animation shows how oysters grow on the reefs, promoting growth of seagrass and attracting fish, birds and recreational anglers.
Oysters: Nature’s water filtration system
Oysters
Natures Amazing Water Filter
Join R4R as we advocate to bring oyster life back into our
Fort Lauderdale waterwaters to begin remediations efforts!
We have 5 marine water quality pilot projects in the works for 2024!
JOIN HERE to recieve our monthly newsletter
HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM
Climate Change Forces a Rethinking of Mammoth Everglades Restoration Plan
Even as the $21 billion effort unfolds, officials realize that its water infrastructure cannot contend with rising seas, violent storms and Florida’s non-stop influx of residents.
By Amy Green
May 9, 2023
STORM RESILIENCY
&
FLOOD MITIGATION
This vicious cycle also increases reinsurers’ rates. Reinsurers globally raised prices for property insurers by 37 percent in 2023, contributing to insurance companies pulling back from risky states like California and Florida. “As events are getting bigger and more costly, that has raised the prices of reinsurance in those areas,” said Carolyn Kousky, the associate vice president for economics and policy at the Environmental Defense Fund, who studies insurance. “It’s called the hardening of the market.” ...
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"The usual suspects — climate change plus El Niño — go a long way toward explaining the excess heat of this summer," Marvel said. She cautioned that other sources of internal variability may be at play too and historically have led to unexpected outcomes.
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"There is always the possibility that something is going on that we've missed, but the Earth system is a strange beast even when it's not being disturbed," Marvel said...
Among the most concerning evaluations are the flows of phosphorus and nitrogen, which are both widely used as crop fertilizers and freely run out into ecosystems, wreaking havoc by, for example, triggering dangerous algal blooms. The researchers find that humans are releasing far more chemicals that contain these elements into the environment than the boundary limits the scientists calculated...
But as the third most populous state in America, whose population continues to boom thanks to its attractive low taxes and more affordable homes, Florida is also consuming water faster than it can be replaced despite its close proximity to major water and aquifer systems...
Florida is more vulnerable to climate change compared to other parts of the US; the state is dealing with unprecedented flooding, water contamination, coastal erosion, and more frequent and destructive hurricanes, often at the same time. Florida also faces a higher risk of sea level rise from global warming. Though global sea levels have been increasing for decades, we are just starting to experience the real and potentially catastrophic effects of this phenomenon.
Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project
The Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) Project is an integrated coastal protection initiative aimed at reducing flood risk due to coastal storms and sea level rise in Lower Manhattan. The LMCR Project area spans the Lower Manhattan coast and seeks to increase resiliency while preserving access to the waterfront and integrating with public space.
INNOVATIVE IDEAS FOR FLOOD MITIGATION
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE MOST INNOVATIVE, UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON
CLIMATE RESILIENCY VISIT THIS WEBSITE BELOW
Do you feel residents deserve to know the truth on flood mitigation and storm surge resiliency data?
I’ve been trying to encourage our Comissioners to invite this groupt to a special City meeting where they could share their ideas with City Leaders and residents on storm surge resiliency, flood mitigation, updating antiquated infrastructure and advise on outside funding sources... unfortunately I haven’t had any success. So stay tuned...R4R will be hosting a number of “LET’S TALK RESILIENCE” lectures and Zoom meetings to hear from the experts in person!
The seawalls in Florida’s future: Higher, stronger and better for marine life
WLRN 91.3 FM | By Alex Harris | Miami Herald
Published April 14, 2022 at 6:01 AM EDT
Some notes from my R4R message
at the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact Summit event.
DID YOU KNOW...
Mangrove forests capture massive amounts of carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and then trap and store them in their carbon-rich flooded soils for millennia. This is an important ecosystem service as we face climate change.
IS IT SAFE TO DRINK THE WATER?
New report warns about human health risks from PVC pipes used in drinking water systems
USA TODAY
