Informing and inspiring clean-water advocates at an unprecedented level.
Informing and inspiring clean-water advocates at an unprecedented level.
A YEAR OF MAJOR PROGRESS FOR FLORIDA'S WATERS AND AMERICA'S EVERGLADES
Thanks to your help, we’re reaching more people, educating them about our water-quality issues, and inspiring them to advocate for solutions.
Support for clean water and a restored Everglades is spreading like wildfire, and this groundswell of a movement continues to grow.
OUR WAVE OF CHANGE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE POWERFUL
With your help, we’re shaking up the status quo every day and inspiring new clean-water warriors to help turn this effort into an unstoppable force.
Here’s how our focus programs helped make sure 2024 was another year of growth for the clean-water movement.
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Major Impact Moments
EAA Reservoir Construction Continues
The EAA Reservoir, a cornerstone of Everglades restoration, is the most critical project for reducing harmful Lake Okeechobee discharges and restoring natural water flow to the Everglades. Fast-tracking its completion remains one of our top policy priorities. In 2023, we celebrated the reservoir’s groundbreaking, followed by the completion of the first stormwater treatment area (STA) cell in 2024. As damaging discharges from Lake Okeechobee occurred early in the year, we leveraged the moment to educate the public on the reservoir’s urgent importance and its role in preventing future crises.
Awareness Campaign
1M People Reached*
LOSOM OFFICIALLY ADOPTED
In August 2024, the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) was officially adopted as the new plan for managing Lake Okeechobee’s water. Throughout the five-year process, we mobilized 30,000 Captains For Clean Water supporters to secure a more equitable plan that significantly reduces harmful discharges. Despite numerous efforts by Big Sugar to derail the plan, we launched awareness campaigns and advocacy actions to protect its progress and ensure LOSOM was implemented, preserving its vital benefits.
Advocacy Campaign
89K
30.5K
Defeating the “Toxic Spill Bill”
We successfully stopped House Bill 789, which aimed to protect major polluters and strip legal rights from citizens harmed by pollution. By rallying public pressure through social media and mobilizing calls to representatives, we prevented the bill from advancing, leading to its defeat before the legislative session concluded.
Advocacy Campaign
234K
*on Facebook & Instagram
484K
*on Facebook & Instagram
16.5K
Exposing Big Sugar’s Lawsuit On the EAA Reservoir
Three industrial sugar corporations, known as “Big Sugar”, filed a lawsuit challenging the EAA Reservoir, threatening years of restoration progress. Despite losing in trial court, they have appealed. This lawsuit is yet another attempt to undermine LOSOM and monopolize public water for private gain. We launched an awareness campaign exposing their actions, with over 16,500 people signing a petition urging the companies to drop the lawsuit.
Advocacy Campaign
Exposing a Concerning Proposal to Mine in the Everglades
We exposed a proposal to mine in the Everglades Agricultural Area, disguised as a “water resource project.” Although it was withdrawn during our investigation, active permits from U.S. Sugar, Florida Crystals, and Phillips & Jordan indicate ongoing efforts to advance the project. We launched an awareness campaign and formally opposed it at a South Florida Water Management District meeting. While temporarily halted, we expect the proposal to resurface in some form in 2025.
Advocacy Campaign
412K
*on Facebook & Instagram
OUR PROGRAMS THAT MADE THOSE IMPACT MOMENTS POSSIBLE
ADVOCACY IN ACTION
This year kicked off with a bang, celebrating the ribbon cutting of the critical EAA Reservoir Stormwater Treatment Area (STA), marking another pivotal moment for the future of South Florida’s waters.
We made trips to both Tallahassee and D.C. to meet with senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle, primarily emphasizing the importance of continued bold annual appropriations for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and advocating for the 2024 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which passed with overwhelming support.
Our major Economic Impacts of Water Quality study, published in January with our partners at SCCF and the Everglades Foundation, highlighted the multi-billion dollar impacts of poor water quality and was a critical tool in advocating for Everglades Restoration in Tallahassee and on Capitol Hill.
Our advocacy efforts were also instrumental in taking down the proposed harmful “Toxic Spill Bill” during the Florida State Legislative Session as well as seeing the new Lake Okeechobee operations plan, LOSOM, fully implemented in August.
ADVOCACY IN ACTION
The key to improved water quality is better water-quality policy. So, everything we do, we do with one goal in mind: influence policy and legislation at the state and federal levels to restore and protect our waters for generations to come. That means we must be bold advocates for our waters. That means we must show up in Tallahassee, Washington D.C., or wherever else our waters need a voice. And that means we must always remind our policymakers that these are critical issues for their voters—issues that impact the livelihoods, lifestyles, and economies essential to millions of Americans.
This year kicked off with a bang, celebrating the ribbon cutting of the critical EAA Reservoir Stormwater Treatment Area (STA), marking another pivotal moment for the future of South Florida’s waters.
We made trips to both Tallahassee and D.C. to meet with senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle, primarily emphasizing the importance of continued bold annual appropriations for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and advocating for the 2024 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which passed with overwhelming support.
Our major Economic Impacts of Water Quality study, published in January with our partners at SCCF and the Everglades Foundation, highlighted the multi-billion dollar impacts of poor water quality and was a critical tool in advocating for Everglades Restoration in Tallahassee and on Capitol Hill.
Our advocacy efforts were also instrumental in taking down the proposed harmful “Toxic Spill Bill” during the Florida State Legislative Session as well as seeing the new Lake Okeechobee operations plan, LOSOM, fully implemented in August.
DIGITAL EDUCATION & AWARENESS
We’ve always believed that if everyone just knew about these water-quality issues, they would’ve been fixed years ago. More people aware and educated about our movement translates directly to more political will, which ultimately leads to true progress. So, our ability to reach new people, educate them on the issues, and inspire them to be a part of the solution is critical to the success of our mission. Our digital education and awareness efforts helped us reach MILLIONS of people this year, growing our army to help fight for the future of our waters.
By leveraging the power of social and digital media, we reached 4.5 million people and made over 19 million impressions online this year, generating over 455K visits to our website and growing our “army” by 21,716 clean-water warriors, an increase of 72% YOY. We also maintain a highly engaged educational channel through our weekly email newsletters, where we can directly deliver educational information to our army of advocates, while also offering other ways for supporters to be more involved in the fight.
OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT
The passion from our community of supporters is what fuels this movement. Just as important as engaging people through their digital devices, our ability to reach, educate, and engage with existing and potential advocates in person is a huge part of what keeps this movement fired up. Our Outreach & Engagement program works nonstop to deliver education and awareness directly into the hands of communities across the state.
From community events to speaking engagements to fishing tournaments to business collaborations, we hosted, participated in, or spoke during over 140 in-person events, exposing our water-quality issues and highlighting our mission to more than 23K total attendees.
Our annual Guide Rendezvous circuit gives us a chance to engage deeply with our fishing guide network, core to the roots of our organization. With stops in Fort Myers, Jensen Beach, and The Keys, we brought over 250 guides together for a science-based program to help empower them to be stronger advocates of the resource that their livelihoods—and our way of life—depend on.
Engagement within the local business community leveled up in a big way, with dozens of partnerships and events supporting the fight for clean water. Culminating with our inaugural Preserving Paradise program, which was an overwhelming success, our business outreach program brought businesses into the fold in a monumental way.
OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT
The passion from our community of supporters is what fuels this movement. Just as important as engaging people through their digital devices, our ability to reach, educate, and engage with existing and potential advocates in person is a huge part of what keeps this movement fired up. Our Outreach & Engagement program works nonstop to deliver education and awareness directly into the hands of communities across the state.
From community events to speaking engagements to fishing tournaments to business collaborations, we hosted, participated in, or spoke during over 140 in-person events, exposing our water-quality issues and highlighting our mission to more than 23K total attendees.
Our annual Guide Rendezvous circuit gives us a chance to engage deeply with our fishing guide network, core to the roots of our organization. With stops in Fort Myers, Jensen Beach, and The Keys, we brought over 250 guides together for a science-based program to help empower them to be stronger advocates of the resource that their livelihoods—and our way of life—depend on.
Engagement within the local business community leveled up in a big way, with dozens of partnerships and events supporting the fight for clean water. Culminating with our inaugural Preserving Paradise program, which was an overwhelming success, our business outreach program brought businesses into the fold in a monumental way.
CAPTAINS ALLIANCE
Since Captains For Clean Water was founded in 2016, fishing guides across the state of Florida have been instrumental advocates in the fight for clean water. By uniting into a collective voice, we’ve won some major battles together over the years with fishing guides leading the charge. The mission of the Captains Alliance is to engage and educate guides about the issues our waters face while introducing ways to become an active voice in the fight for clean water.
Through the program, we ensure all our Captains Alliance members have the resources they need to educate interested clients and fellow guides on the challenges facing Everglades restoration, what’s at stake, and the solutions we’re advocating for. After launching the program in September, we already have 254 full-time fishing guides enrolled!
OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT
Water quality in Florida impacts many different industries throughout the state and across the country, maybe none more so than the fishing and outdoor industry. So, it’s extremely important that the multi-billion-dollar nationwide outdoor industry is unified and active in support of the fight for clean water.
We’ve worked hard with our brand partners to rally the industry into a powerful, unified voice for clean water, and this year, the industry’s engagement and support to us and our mission was more committed than ever.
Industry brands truly stepped up this year, leveraging their platforms to help spread the word—from our keystone fundraiser event (the World’s Finest Skiff Raffle) generously made possible by Hell’s Bay Boatworks, to collaborations and awareness campaigns with brand partners like Columbia, Orvis, Costa, AFTCO, Marsh Wear, YETI, Simms, Richardson, Power-Pole, Z-Man, Mercury, and Pelagic.
We saw unprecedented activation from dozens of brands at this year’s ICAST (the world’s largest fishing tradeshow), and our annual Industry Summit, hosted in November, saw truly inspiring participation from industry leaders and brand executives.
Special thank you to the support of our Legacy Partners: Costa, YETI, Hell’s Bay Boatworks, AFTCO, Richardson.
PRESERVING PARADISE
The Preserving Paradise Program is a unique initiative that brings together a select group of business leaders who share a common goal: restoring and protecting water quality to safeguard Southwest Florida’s economic and ecological future. This program aims to equip business leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to advocate for Everglades restoration, emphasizing the economic benefits and the role businesses can play in ensuring clean water for the overall economic health of the region.
In partnership with the San-Cap Chamber, SCCF, and the Everglades Foundation, we completed the first cohort of the program this year. Through the immersive program, we engaged 23 high-level CEO and business owners across six different sessions over three months. From group discussions and classroom lectures to field excursions and trips into the Everglades, the program provided a comprehensive understanding of the ecological and political challenges facing SWFL, empowering participants to become a driving force for positive change.
PRESERVING PARADISE
The Preserving Paradise Program is a unique initiative that brings together a select group of business leaders who share a common goal: restoring and protecting water quality to safeguard Southwest Florida’s economic and ecological future. This program aims to equip business leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to advocate for Everglades restoration, emphasizing the economic benefits and the role businesses can play in ensuring clean water for the overall economic health of the region.
In partnership with the San-Cap Chamber, SCCF, and the Everglades Foundation, we completed the first cohort of the program this year. Through the immersive program, we engaged 23 high-level CEO and business owners across six different sessions over three months. From group discussions and classroom lectures to field excursions and trips into the Everglades, the program provided a comprehensive understanding of the ecological and political challenges facing SWFL, empowering participants to become a driving force for positive change.
OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT
Water quality in Florida impacts many different industries throughout the state and across the country, maybe none more so than the fishing and outdoor industry. So, it’s extremely important that the multi-billion-dollar nationwide outdoor industry is unified and active in support of the fight for clean water.
We’ve worked hard with our brand partners to rally the industry into a powerful, unified voice for clean water, and this year, the industry’s engagement and support to us and our mission was more committed than ever.
Industry brands truly stepped up this year, leveraging their platforms to help spread the word—from our keystone fundraiser event (the World’s Finest Skiff Raffle) generously made possible by Hell’s Bay Boatworks, to collaborations and awareness campaigns with brand partners like Columbia, Orvis, Costa, AFTCO, Marsh Wear, YETI, Simrad, Stiffy, SeaDek, TH Marine, Penn, Simms, Richardson, Power-Pole, Z-Man, Mercury, Ram-Lin, Free Fly, Mossy Oak, Turtlebox, MANG and Pelagic.
We saw unprecedented activation from dozens of brands at this year’s ICAST (the world’s largest fishing tradeshow), and our annual Industry Summit, hosted in November, saw truly inspiring participation from industry leaders and brand executives.
Special thank you to the support of our Legacy Partners: Hell’s Bay Boatworks, Costa, Orvis, YETI, AFTCO, Richardson, Columbia.
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