waterways , resulting in harmful algal blooms . Well-known sources such as septic tanks , fertilizer runoff from yards and farms and , in some places , discharges from old wastewater treatment plants all contribute to the problem .
To their credit , our local leaders in Volusia County have attempted to do better . For example , our County Council passed a restrictive fertilizer ordinance in 2014 with the express intent of reducing nutrient runoff into our Aquatic Gems . Several local governments are also moving forward with septic to sewer conversions in certain areas of the County , which is a proven strategy for improving local water quality in sensitive locations . However , I ’ ll be frank in saying that our current efforts , while undoubtedly well-meaning , are not proving to be enough .
One of the most promising set of “ new ” technologies for doing more to improve our waters goes by the fancy moniker of “ green infrastructure .” I use the scare quotes around “ new ” to indicate that much of what we call green infrastructure isn ’ t really new at all but instead represents more thoughtful ways of utilizing our native soils , wetlands and plants for storage and filtration of water from the built environment . Living shorelines , rain gardens and stormwater wetlands are just a few of the green infrastructure practices that can provide restorative benefits throughout our communities .
Some examples of such green infrastructure practices put into action can be seen in demonstration projects at Stetson ’ s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience in DeLand , the
Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach and the Riverside Conservancy in Edgewater . But we need to move rapidly from a place where green infrastructure is seen as a novelty being put into action by a few early adopters and into a standard – even required – development practice in support of restoring our waters . Similarly , we need to evolve away from the unfortunate “ businessas-usual ” development that too often involves over-paving , overfertilizing and over-watering within our built landscapes .
I ’ ll conclude with more optimism that the water resource solutions we develop here in Volusia County , and other areas of central Florida , will be highly transferable to other areas of the country and the world . Clean technology solutions , such as green infrastructure , promise to be one of the biggest growth industries in the 21st century . I am confident that our local community is positioned to be a global leader in these industries through the talents of our citizens , as well as the richness and complexity of our natural laboratories , i . e ., the Aquatic Gems . I have faith that , together , we can and will make this future happen .
Dr . Jason Evans is Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Executive Director of the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience at Stetson University . Trained as a systems ecologist , Dr . Evans is one of the nation ’ s leading researchers in the fields of coastal resilience and climate adaptation planning
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