“Turtle River” — that is the meaning of the word Loxahatchee. The residents to the south of Okeechobee Blvd. in Loxahatchee Groves can enjoy dropping a line in a canal and fish with their children, as we all have in the past. Not long ago, Loxahatchee Groves Town Council members were up in arms because people who did not live in our town were taking turtles on trout lines to sell for meat. The same councilmen are still there but no longer care about the turtles. The canals on the north side of Okeechobee are dry, no turtles, no fish, no birds that feed on fish. What is happening to the structure of our canals being always dry? This is also driving critters into our yards that would normally drink from the canals. How can the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District and the town council not be responsible for the destruction of this long-lived habitat? Our council does not hold the LGWCD responsible for any negative impact of our town or environment, and that makes them responsible for the destruction as well. Half of them have bounced back and forth from council to board.
Is there anyone out there who can help get the water back into our canals and restore the wildlife? The mighty LGWCD is now dredging the canals. Are they aware of or care about spawning and breeding seasons for the fish, birds, turtles and other wildlife, as many animals are having offspring now? That should be a part of “water control” in such a place.
LGWCD board members and town council members, why do you live here? Why do you need control to destroy what people love about Loxahatchee Groves? Why is it called a water control district, if there is no water to control?
Stop the stupidity. Vote out the current LGWCD board members, vote out current town council members. Let’s take our town back from these self-serving, political backstabbers who are ruining our place to live and going to sell us out to the urban machine.
Phillis Maniglia, Loxahatchee Groves
