Page 12 - Martin Downs Bulletin - January '25

Page 12, Martin Downs

In Your CommunItY

Harbour Ridge Members Marina Reconstruction Project Approved management, and staff, in conjunction with valued

Approve Master Plan And Similarly, the Marina Reconstruction Project garnered members, share an unwavering dedication to upholding our
significant support, a remarkable 83.02 percent of members
commitment to financial prudence and stability. Together,
Marina Reconstruction participated in this vote, underscoring the importance of this we strive to foster an environment that empowers everyone
to enhance their quality of life. For more information, visit
initiative to our community.
Projects The Marina Reconstruction Project will: www.harbourridge.com.
• Modernize Harbour Ridge’s waterfront facilities to For more information on Harbour Ridge, please contact
Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club is thrilled to meet the evolving needs of our members. our Membership and Sales Office at (772) 336-1800 or
announce that the membership has officially approved both • Ensure long-term financial sustainability through a l.pahl@hrycc.org.
the Master Plan Clubhouse Renovation Project and the strategic and cost-effective plan.
Marina Reconstruction Project. These critical initiatives mark • Strengthen Harbour Ridge’s position as a unique
a transformative step forward for our community, ensuring and desirable waterfront
that Harbour Ridge remains a desired location for current community.
and future members. H arbour Ridge
Master Plan Clubhouse Renovation Project Approved is a private, 885-acre
With an impressive 82.59 percent voter participation waterfront community
rate, the Master Plan Clubhouse Renovation Project is the with 695 residences
culmination of over 18 months of collaboration, research, that overlook its two
and feedback collection led by the Master Planning picturesque championship
Committee. Their dedication has resulted in one of the golf courses, acres of
most comprehensive and thoughtful proposals in Harbour Audubon-certified nature
Ridge’s history. preserve, and perfect
The Master Plan includes key renovations to the location on the north fork
clubhouse, such as: of the St. Lucie River.
• Enhanced dining and social gathering spaces, The Board of Directors,
including a reimagined Grille Room with indoor and
outdoor dining options.
• Expanded and modernized kitchen facilities to support
exceptional dining experiences.
• New and improved employee lounge and dining areas
to attract and retain top talent.

Treasure Coast

Outdoors

Seagrass Return? Let’s Hope
New Discharges Don’t Kill It

By Jim Weix
Anglers are reporting
seeing seagrass growing
back north of the power
plant on both the east and
west sides of the river.
No surprise, but that has
attracted trout again.
Forgive me if I am a
bit of a killjoy, but I’m so
tired of getting my hopes
up. Every time we start to
finally make a little bit of progress, we get another toxic
waste dump from Lake Okeechobee.
Twenty years ago, as an idealistic new resident. I joined
several groups active in stopping the discharges. I was
enthusiastically trying to recruit a Florida native fishing
buddy to my cause. He just shook his head and said that
I was wasting my time. He said that Big Sugar and the
Army Core of Engineers ended all hope when the canals
were dug so that water could be dumped into the St. Lucie
River. Thus, the C-44 Canal was dug between 1916 and
1924. This pretty much doomed the St. Lucie River.
Yes, some progress does get made to try and minimize
the discharges, but at the end of the day, it fails. We began
another oyster and seagrass killing discharge on Dec. 7.
The purpose of the discharge is to supposedly protect
the lake’s ecology, namely aquatic plants and animals
that have been inundated with rainfall runoff. Four
years of high-water levels have killed 31,250 acres
of subaquatic vegetation, which could have a severe
impact on bass fishing, said Lawrence Glenn, the South
Florida Water Management District’s water resources
division director. There’s supposed to be 35,000 acres,
but there remains only 3,750 acres, he said.
I can’t help but wonder if there was no such thing as
the C-44 canal.
Editor’s note: Jim Weix is an avid hunter, angler,
conservationist, as well as an outdoor writer. Jim is
included in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s
Hall of Fame for helping restore thousands of acres
of wetlands. Jim is a broker associate with The Keyes
Company. He can be reached at (772) 341-2941 or by
email at jimweix@jimweix.com.