Here's how we made an impact in 2025 thanks to your support

At VoteWater, we fight for smarter policies — and leaders with the backbone to stand up to powerful special interests like Big Sugar. We help voters make informed choices at the ballot box, and work every day to protect the natural beauty of our waterways and the vital role they play in Florida’s economy and quality of life.



In 2025 we made real progress — and we’re excited to share our 2025 Impact Report as part of #GivingTuesday.

In 2025 WE FOUGHT TO PROTECT OUR STATE PARKS: VoteWater was on the front lines of the campaign to protect Florida’s state parks from development from the very beginning. In 2025 we stepped up pressure on lawmakers and worked with partners in the conservation movement to help get legislation passed that provides permanent protections for these cherished wild places.

In 2025 WE BATTLED BIG SUGAR’S ROCK MINE: VoteWater has been (and will continue to be) a prominent opponent of the plan to build an 8,600-acre rock mine on Big Sugar-owned land in the Everglades Agricultural Area. VoteWater Executive Director Gil Smart spoke against the rock mine at government hearings and our open letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that his legacy of Everglades restoration could be at risk if mining operations damage the adjacent EAA Reservoir.

In 2025 WE JOINED THE FIGHT AGAINST ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ': We used our social media megaphone to marshal opposition to the Everglades detention center, which continues to inflict irreparable damage to the greater Everglades ecosystem. And we joined several other conservation groups in filing an amicus brief asking a federal appeals court to affirm a lower court ruling that effectively shut down the detention center until a proper environmental impact review is completed.

In 2025 WE TRACKED ‘DIRTY MONEY’: Dirty money to dirty politicians is a root cause of dirty water, so this year VoteWater updated and expanded our online "Dirty Money Project" database of campaign donations from polluters to elected officials to keep you up to speed on how special interests buy influence in the halls of power. And we continued to shine a spotlight on campaign cash from "Big Sugar" in particular, spelling out how the industry's "generosity" has helped it amass unprecedented clout.

In 2025 WE ENDORSED CLEAN-WATER CANDIDATES: Though it was an off-year election there were some important local races, and VoteWater endorsed candidates for Miami Mayor and Miami Beach Commission who put clean water at the top of their agendas. Look for more endorsements in the pivotal 2026 midterm elections.

In 2025 WE STEPPED UP OUR ORIGINAL INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING: Our “Deep Dive” series took on complex but crucial clean-water topics like the increased use of algaecides and herbicides in our waterways; the growing problem of lyngbya/Dapis in the Indian River Lagoon and beyond; and the potential harm the proposed EAA rock mine could inflict on the local environment — and the multi-billion dollar EAA reservoir right next door.

There’s much more ahead in 2026. This giving season, your support can help us do even more — push harder, aim higher, and deliver greater impact for Florida’s fragile, irreplaceable waterways.