July 14, 2026 – Recently, Craig Wallace, Chair of Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition, was given the opportunity to provide information about the upcoming referendum in support the Lagoon. The article appeared in the July 9 edition of Florida Today.
The future of the Indian River Lagoon in Brevard County is on the ballot this year.
In May the Brevard County Commission voted unanimously to place a referendum on the November ballot to ask voters if they want to renew the ½ cent sales tax which supports the Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) restoration program. The wording of the referendum is a little convoluted, but essentially a “Yes” vote continues the lagoon cleanup for another 10 years, the same way we’ve had it for the past 10 years.
Recently a voter survey commissioned by the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition found that nearly half of Brevard voters were either not aware of the Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) program or were not familiar enough with the program to have an opinion. Many are new residents to our area over the past 10 years and were not aware of the devastating fish kill in 2016, or may not have been here for the massive manatee starvation deaths in 2021 because of widespread die-off of sea grasses in the lagoon.
All of us, especially the newcomers, need to be educated on the history of the lagoon and why this restoration is so critical to our local economy and way of life. A study by the National Estuary Program recently estimated the economic impact of the lagoon at more than $23 billion dollars a year. And the lagoon has directly created more than 71-thousand jobs in the six county area the lagoon reaches.
Whether you are fishing or boating in the lagoon, hiking its shoreline, photographing a brilliant sunset, or enjoying dinner at a restaurant overlooking the lagoon, you at some point have been touched by the magic of our waterway.
Seagrass is coming back in many areas of the lagoon, 17 thousand acres of it. Millions of clams and oysters have been planted in the lagoon to help improve water quality. Hundreds of polluting septic systems have been upgraded or connected to sewage treatment plants. Polluting stormwater has been diverted to catch basins to filter the polluted water before it gets to the lagoon. We have banned polluting fertilizer during the summer months to keep phosphates out of the lagoon. Thousands of acres of the lagoon bottom have been dredged to remove layers of muck that contribute to the pollution of the water.
This is the work that needs to continue.
The Coalition, in coordination with all Lagoon Stakeholders, is leading the campaign for voter approval. This campaign will require hundreds of volunteers to talk to neighbors, wave signs at street corners, and distribute fliers and yard signs throughout Brevard County. Please visit our signup page to find out what best fits your interests: https://helpthelagoon.org/volunteer/.
Many of you know the history and understand the importance of this program, so we need your help in spreading the word. One of the easiest things to do is talk to your neighbors and friends. We are developing information flyers and door hangers with the key information points that you can leave behind. We also have yard signs ready for distribution, so let us know if you need some for your neighborhood. Signs are a great way to communicate the message to people driving by.
The lagoon is essential to our way of life in Brevard County. Over the past 10 years great progress has been made to bring the lagoon back to life. We are seeing promising results from the work done by the first lagoon sales tax. That work needs to continue.
We need to finish the job.
Source: Florida Today
What You Can Do Today:
Support the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition.
Explore MEMBERSHIP and benefits. Or make a DONATION.
Be part of the solution.
Right now there are vital VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES available.
SIGN UP today for talking to your neighbors, linking us to groups and organizations where we can speak, pointing us to events and other opportunities to provide educational materials, and how to share LAGOON Education social posts with people you know.