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I'm a Lifelong Titusville resident. Being born and raised here my friends and I got to experience the Indian River when it was still mostly pristine. We would ride our bikes down to the river just about every morning when school was out during the summer. We would wade out into Crystal clear water with sandy bottom with miles of thick seagrass beds that held innumerable species of life. You could run a seine net through the grass and catch juvenile shrimp, crabs, minnows, and all species of fish all the way up to sail fish and marlin believe it or not. The river was a giant nursery and a wonder to behold. We had a goal of catching 100 trout every morning and easily hit it most mornings. All catch and release unless one of our parents requested some for dinner. These were very nice fish too, grown big and fat on the endless schools of mullet traveling over the grass flats.

The causeways were the first detriment to her, almost totally blocking the water flow except for a few hundred yards of bridge in the middle with massive pilings restricting the water flow even there. The causeways enabled more development and before the 70's were done there were homes on virtually all available waterfronts and developers made even more waterfront wherever they could because they could sell it for more. Such as all the canal homes on Merritt Island and beyond.

New developments, neighborhoods, and country clubs all along her western shore running storm water filled with fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and even sewage right down into the river. Titusville had a developer mayor and a condo developer as well as realtors on city council in the 2000's whose only goal was to exploit the city and its lands and riverfront for their own greed and benefit any way they could. They, meaning the council, decided to revote on a matter pertaining to riverfront deeds which many years ago aloted so many acres of river bottom for every acre of riverfront owned which allowed owners to literally fill in the river creating new land to build on. Several parcels including a few hotels, apartment complexes, and condos were created using this zoning which blocked the natural flow of the river even more creating water flow dead zones on the north and south sides of these places. Wind driven sea weed and river grass piled up in these corners and degraded creating noxious smelling black muck feet thick over the natural sandy bottom where nothing could or wanted to live. Because of citizens concerns the city council some time in the 60's voted these river bottom parcels null and void and put a thirty foot maximum height limit for buildings along the river. This virtually stopped all building along the river. Until the transplant greedy council saw dollar signs and revoted to allow the river bottom deeds and before most of the town knew what was happening we had eleven story monstrosity condos going up on every available riverfront lot. Only the very south end of town was saved from the onslaught thanks to a few great residents forming a PAC and getting enough signatures to get on the ballot a referendum that allowed the citizens to tax themselves in order to buy up the remaining riverfront properties. It passed easily and the then mayor said he couldn't believe that the citizens voted to tax themselves the way they did. Well just like the council we have now he and his council wasn't listening to his constituents meeting after meeting telling him enough is enough we love our beautiful river we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it any more. The now city attorney grew up here as well. So he knows exactly how things used to be and why the people want to regain it as much as possible. Coach Diesel you were a great coach whether in middle school basketball or high school football. Yes I remember you at both and you gave your all for your players. Now it's time to listen to and give your all for the community and if it costs us more in the long run then we'll pay it like we have up till now because we love our river.