ENSURING A BETTER TOMORROW
In 2015, the IRL Council was created in response to the IRL water crisis with the primary goal to lead a historic reorganization of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program. Successful ecosystem restoration requires a science-based plan to restore water quality, ecosystem health and resilience to the IRL. They identified seven common-sense, best practice actions that, if followed, would help restore and protect the lagoon.
IRL Vital Signs
The primary goal of the CCMP is to steer the IRLNEP and its partners toward implementing corrective actions that will restore the IRL to health. The IRL Vital Signs wheel is the heart of the CCMP. It contains the 32 Action Plans that were developed to guide improvements to lagoon health. Imagine 32 lanes of a highway all leading to a healthy lagoon. Federal and state agencies, counties, cities, community groups and individuals can each determine which Vital Signs align with their areas responsibility and work to address the problems over which they have control. As more work gets completed, the Lagoon becomes more healthy.
Click one of the sections on the wheel to get started!
TEN STEPS TO SUCCESS
REDUCE
freshwater, sediments and nutrient loads such as stormwater from entering the lagoon and improving systems to treat and control them before they reach the lagoon.
REMOVE
high-nutrient muck impacting sediment health and water clarity in the lagoon as well as obstructions to natural water flow and ending high-volume freshwater discharges.
RESTORE
water quality, habitats and species that have been lost or diminished such as oysters, clams and seagrasses, which help restore the water quality in the lagoon.
RESPOND
to new information, technological advances, changing conditions and research results to help keep our efforts impactful, proficient and coordinated.
REBUILD
our aging and inadequate wastewater and stormwater infrastructure as well as converting septic to sewer, upgrading wastewater treatment and rethinking biosolids management.
RESEARCH
new and innovative opportunities to strategically invest in coastal research and development along the IRL resulting in resilient infrastructure, and clean water and renewable energy technologies.
REPORT
current conditions, trends, discoveries, progress and even failures to our communities in order to keep us connected and on the right path toward success.
RESOLVE
to do your part! There is little doubt that the problems in the lagoon are large, expensive and hard to fix; the lagoon community is one community, and we each have a role to play in preventing pollution from entering the lagoon.
RESPONSIBILITY
for the health of the lagoon is everyone’s job. Whether a regulatory agency, local government, individual property owner, car or boat owner, or even a pet owner, stay mindful of your responsibility to help keep our lagoon clean and safe.
RESILIENCE
is achieved with anticipating and planning to make ourselves more resilient to impacts from natural disasters, climate change and the expected impacts from sea-level rise.
