This summer, Florida PIRG launched a campaign to win stronger protections for three of the state’s most treasured waterways—Wakulla Springs in north Florida, Cypress Creek in Tampa Bay and the Everglades.

Despite the fact that each of these waterways has been designated an Outstanding Florida Waterway, they face imminent threats from newly proposed developments and ongoing pollution problems.

World famous Wakulla Springs continues to decline in health because of sewage pollution from the City of Tallahassee.

Cypress Creek, a tributary to the Hillsborough River, is threatened by developers’ plans to build a mall adjacent to the creek.

The Everglades, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, is imperiled by a proposal to extend Miami-Dade’s urban development boundary farther west.

Working to convince both local and state-level policymakers that these treasured waterways must be protected will continue to be a top priority for Florida PIRG staff.

Since the launch of Florida PIRG’s Protect Our Treasured Waters campaign this summer, staff have generated thousands of postcards, e-mails and letters to key policymakers.

Florida PIRG staff has also helped turnout hundreds of concerned citizens to public hearings from Miami to Tallahassee and visited the homes of tens of thousands of Floridians, educating residents about the plight of these waterways.

This fall and into the winter, Florida PIRG and its allies will continue the fight to protect these waterways.