Brewing Up Solutions | For the River

St. Johns Riverkeeper (SJRK) is expanding its Brewing Up Solutions brewery series this year to be watershed-wide. We’re Brewing Up Solutions For the River with people who love the St. Johns from the headwaters to the mouth of the river. Beginning in the headwaters of the St. Johns River in Indian River County, we will travel downstream stopping along the way until we reach the Atlantic Ocean in Mayport, Duval County. Join us for monthly roundtable discussions that highlight various parts of our vibrant river, adjacent watersheds, and key figures along our journey.

Future locations for this series will include Sanford, Palatka, St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Mayport.

Launch Date: June 26, 2024 from 4-6 p.m. at Walking Tree Brewery (3209 Dodger Road, Vero Beach) – Register Here

Topic: Grove Land Reservoir – Risks to the St. Johns and the Indian River Lagoon (IRL)

On June 12, the Governor signed his budget that included a last-minute maneuver that appropriates $400 million dollars to the SJRWMD to acquire, permit and construct the Grove Land Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area, which will flood the Upper St. Johns River with polluted water from South Florida.

As currently designed, Grove Land will deliver the majority of water to the St. Johns River basin when the river is already high. The additional water would either cause downstream flooding in the St. Johns or would require discharge to the IRL via the C-54 canal. It would also increase phosphorus loads in violation of downstream water quality protections.

Advocates for the health of the IRL and the St. Johns River will join forces to ensure that both water bodies are protected equally from this unsustainable project.

Register

Please RSVP here to let us know you plan to join us.

Host: Lisa Rinaman, St. Johns Riverkeeper: The chief advocate and public’s voice for the St. Johns River

Her responsibilities include holding regulatory agencies and those polluting the river accountable; identifying and advocating for solutions that will protect and restore the river; working with government entities, businesses, community leaders and citizens to resolve problems that impact the river’s health; and communicating with the media and the public to educate and raise awareness about important river-related issues.

Lisa was instrumental in the creation of Waterkeepers Florida, a formal collaboration of 15 Waterkeeper Alliance programs united across the state. She is also one of the founding members of the Reunite the Rivers Coalition working to reconnect Silver Springs, the Ocklawaha and the St. Johns as the Great Florida Riverway. In addition, Lisa serves on the Florida Springs Council Board.

She enjoys Florida’s waters and natural wonders with her husband, Mark, and two boys, Mark Jr. and August.

Special Guest: Jim Moir: Indian Riverkeeper, Executive Director

Jim is a husband and father, Florida native and resident of Stuart, Florida for 24 years. He is civically engaged and passionate about protecting the Indian River Lagoon and its coastal margins.

He is currently Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Marine Resources Council, and has served as Appointee to the Martin County Local Planning Agency since 2002, and is a member of the Leadership Team of the Rivers Coalition, and member and supporter of many local civic and environmental groups.

Jim facilitates ocean science projects specializing in bioacoustics, marine animal surveys, and the deployment of autonomous vehicles and data collection devices. He is currently involved with several citizen science projects and marine mammal stranding networks, he often volunteers with coastal restoration efforts and exotic invasive species control programs.