For now, the green algae on the Saint Lucie has subsided. On the stretch of river that I live on, the birds have returned. I have noticed more mullet jumping out of the water. So I guess things are returning to normal. But what is normal for the Saint Lucie?

Is normal now the cycle we went through this summer? Is it releases of water from Lake Okeechobee that kill oysters and sea grass, turn the water green and keep tourists and locals in fear of being in contact with it? Will the cycle repeat itself as it has in 2014 and 2016, or will it happen every year?

Our Washington representatives have gone away. Their caring faces, fact finding tours and photo ops duly noted. News crews have departed for the next story of disaster. Even our local paper has moved on to the next headline.

Once our state legislative session has begun, will Joe Negron’s bill to buy land south of the lake move forward, or will it die in the morass of Tallahassee? Even if it passes in some form, it requires federal dollars also. We know Washington hasn’t even made good on the dollars to help Florida that it has already pledged.

What I have learned, though, is that we need to keep on plugging away. I am not about to let Washington and Tallahassee forget about us. It would be great if the news media continued to take interest in this story. It would be marvelous if everyone came together and continued the fight. We do not need vitriol and accusations.

There is not just one solution to our problem. Every project that brings us closer to where Florida needs to be should be welcomed. The Saint Lucie, Indian River Lagoon, Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades will require many steps before we can all say the work is complete. We need to keep the pressure on and not despair. It took 100 years for this travesty to reach this level. I am hopeful it won’t take a century to be reversed.