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Come join us at the

Sunshine Water Control District Board & Budget Approval Meeting

Friday

September 12, 2025 @ 9:30AM

La Quinta Inn

3701 N. University Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33065

WASTE OF OUR TAX DOLLARS

Sunshine Water Control District: Wastes Our Tax Dollars, Causes Soil Erosion and Harms our Family and Pet’s Health with Their Spraying of a Probable Carcinogen

The Sunshine Water Control District (SWCD) continues to waste taxpayer money on outdated, dangerous, chemical-heavy spraying programs while other Florida water agencies have modernized with Integrated Weed Management (IWM) — a proven, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible approach.

Integrated Weed Management: Smarter, Cheaper, Cleaner

Integrated management combines biological, mechanical, and limited chemical tools to reduce costs and improve results. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and University of Florida experts both recommend IWM as the statewide standard.

Proven IWM Tools Used Across Florida:

Triploid Grass Carp (sterile fish) – Stocked under FWC permit to control submersed weeds. Successfully used by the South Florida Water Management District, the City of Palm Coast, and the Lake County Water Authority.

Mechanical Harvesting – Removes plants at the root, maintaining flood-control capacity while reducing chemical dependence.

Monitoring & Adaptive Management – Data-driven adjustments ensure long-term cost savings and protect water quality.

Where SWCD Wastes Our Money

Instead of adopting these smarter strategies, SWCD remains stuck in a “spray-first” mindset — paying repeatedly for chemical applications like glyphosate that deliver short-term results but create long-term risks.

Financial Waste – Repeated spraying drives recurring costs year after year, with no lasting control.

Outdated Practices – Integrated management has been the statewide standard for decades, yet SWCD continues a one-dimensional chemical approach.

Health Risks – Glyphosate is classified by the World Health Organization as a “probable carcinogen”, banned or restricted in California, the European Union, and dozens of other countries. Bayer/Monsanto has already paid over $11 billion to settle cancer-related lawsuits.

Environmental Damage – Overreliance on chemicals kills beneficial shoreline grass, accelerates soil erosion, and degrades water quality — undermining flood protection and increasing future taxpayer liabilities.

Taxpayers Deserve Better

Residents are footing the bill while SWCD fails to modernize. Other districts across Florida have already proven that fish stocking and mechanical harvesting can be implemented legally, effectively, and affordably under FWC oversight.

It’s time for SWCD to stop burning tax dollars on endless spraying and start managing our waterways responsibly — using the same integrated standards that responsible water managers across the state already follow.

Florida agencies and water control districts already using Integrated Weed Management (IWM) follow:

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) uses a mix of sterile grass carp, mechanical harvesting, and limited herbicides, along with public education and cultural controls.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) coordinates and funds integrated plant control statewide, setting annual management plans and issuing permits for fish stocking and mechanical harvesting.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Jacksonville District) applies an Integrated Pest Management strategy that blends biological agents, harvesting, and herbicides, especially around Lake Okeechobee.

The Lee County Hyacinth Control District (LCHCD) also follows a research-driven, integrated approach to manage invasive vegetation. Across Florida, these agencies demonstrate that IWM is already the statewide standard, making the Sunshine Water Control District’s reliance on chemical-heavy spraying outdated and inefficient.