Letter to Green, Fisk, and Gihring of SJRWMD

Dear Mr. Green, Mr. Fisk and Ms. Gihring:

Please accept the attached letter for consideration under your suite of stakeholder strategy components.  I will also mail a hard copy to you by U.S. Mail.  Thank you once again for all of your efforts to keep the organizations and residents concerned about lake recovery informed and included in the strategy discussions.   I have encouraged Lake Area Water Alliance members to attend the meeting on June 23^rd and look forward to seeing you then.

Sincerely,  Jackie Host

DuPont Permit Request

The following is a June 15, 2011 email exchange between Jackie Host, President of LAWA, and Jennifer Gihring, Project Manager for SJRWMD.

Hello all,
During our meeting last week Friday, you requested District assistance in evaluating the proposed DuPont facility permit revision currently under consideration by FDEP. Tom Bartol has asked Carol Brown, an engineer in our Water Supply Planning Division, to assist you.

I provided Carol copies of your correspondence to-date with Kathryn Jarvis, FDEP. To help us provide better assistance, it would be very helpful if you could pull together a list of 3-5 questions or topics specific to this proposed permit revision. That would help ensure that we provide the information you need. Alternatively, we could have a conference call sometime in the next few days to clarify your needs. Please advise regarding your preference.

Please note that Carol will be out of the office from Wednesday June 22 through Wednesday July 6th.

Carol’s email is cgbrown@sjrwmd.com or you can reach her at 386-329-4816. Our offices are just a few doors apart, so you can trust that we are keeping in touch with each other on this.

Thank you,
Jennifer

___________________________________
Jennifer Gihring Project Manager
St. Johns River Water Management District
4049 Reid St, Palatka, FL 32178

_____________________________________________________________

Greetings Jennifer,

The following are all issues pertaining to the proposed DuPont DEP permit renewal currently under consideration. These are sources of additional water that could be routed to the chain of lakes.

(1)One of the things we would like to see is the consumptive use permit, accompanying TSR and the 2004(6?) modification associated with DuPont’s DEP permit that allows them to withdraw from the aquifer and discharge through D-002 from the final treatment pond via the 8 “ pipe into the SW quadrant point that gravity flows to Blue pond through the ditch system. Will you please provide that to us?

(2) The storm water runoff associated with the 2500 acres of mined area being reclaimed north of the processing facility is now all routed to Alligator West through Starke and has historically caused flooding problems in Starke. We are wondering if the excess runoff can be routed into the SW Quadrant man made lake that flows to Blue pond through the ditch system (as stated above).

(3)Long term, could runoff from the mined area being reclaimed be routed to the SW Quadrant?

Additionally, the 1995 SJRWMD permit that was never constructed should be readdressed as another source of water. Based on the TSR that is a spring fed, man made lake in the Black Creek watershed. Since a precedent has been made of permitting routing water from the Black Creek watershed to the SW Quadrant lake, and since there are other man made lakes that could be rerouted, and since Black Creek floods, why can’t more water be directed to the aquifer recharge area (chain of lakes and the Keystone Heights area).

Thank you for offering the technical expertise you have at the Management District at the last meeting. We are looking forward to hearing some proposals from your staff too. The clock is ticking and we depend on your assessment to move forward before time runs out on being able to respond to the permit application renewal.

Jackie Host
President, LAWA

Jackie,

_____________________________________________________________

Thank you for your thoughts.  I also spoke with Vivian yesterday and she followed-up with several specific questions.  Carol and I will use these questions to guide our information collection and evaluation process.

See you next week,

Jennifer

UWF - 2011 Waterfowl Summit Speaker List

Dear Friends-

UWF (United Waterfowlers of Florida) has been a real advocate for clean water, restoring the aquifers and restoring wetlands. The President, John Hitchcock, sends out a great newsletter to which I subscribe because I love to keep up with his conservation efforts. We differ mainly in that, the only thing I will shoot a duck with is my camera.

In reading this newsletter I thought, wow, that’s a great bunch of speakers he has for their summer conference. Further on down he says, “Last year about half of those that attended were from state and federal agencies. It's a chance for them to meet and greet each of us and each other. Plenty of networking time is being designed into the day to maximize interaction of all those in attendance.” Isn’t that wonderful? I’ll bet these state employees got paid to go too. I wish we could plan a similar conference on Rehabilitating the Impoverished Lakes in Florida.

Waterfowl Summit - Speaker Line-up
• Steve Rockwood (FWC) Waterfowl Food Web/AHRES 2011-12 Waterfowl Projects
• Dr. Scott Yaich (Ducks Unlimited) Clean Water Act for Wetlands Protection
• Craig Mallison (FWC) Habitat Monitoring and Assessment for Large Wetland Systems
• Bill Caton (FWC) Overview of Invasive Plant Management in Florida
• Jim Sweatman (FWC) Use of GeoTube to Reestabish Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
• Dr. Gian Basili (SJRWMD) Active Management for Wetlands and Upland Buffers
• Dr. Fred Sklar (SFWMD) The DECOMP Project: The "Heart" of Everglades Restoration
• John Marshall (Arthur R. Marshall Foundation) Everglades Restoration
• Dr. Erich Marzolf (SJRWMD) Nutrient Pollution in Surface and Ground Water

Please don’t get me wrong. I am not dissing the UWF or John. They are doing a great job…..It’s obvious, no water, no water fowl. I’ll vouch for that, there’s not ducks behind my house anymore. I’m just wondering, if we put some conference together if these same people would be paid to come to our meeting, or would want to? Perhaps it is time to expand our alliance to connect with other alliances that are concerned with fresh water lakes and streams.

Jackie

USGS Report Quoted in David Still's SRWMD Letter: Project 11-125

The following is an email first published June 9, 2011, from Peter Schreuder, hydrological consultant for LAWA:

Attached are copies of two figures in the USGS Report 2011-5031 from a section of the report starting on page 160. This section is entitled: “Analysis of Long-Term Trends in Flow from a Large Spring Complex in Northern Florida”. The data shown graphically in Figures 1 and 2 contain important hydrogeological and groundwater resources in formation. In Figure 1 it shows that the second highest ground water elevations (potentiometric surface) in Northern Florida occur in the Keystone Heights area. In 1980 the elevation of the groundwater in the Floridan Aquifer was as high as 90 ft above mean sea-level also referred to as NGVD. This is indicating a very productive recharge area from the lakes into the underlying Floridan Aquifer. From the Keystone Height the ground water flowed southward and to the St John’s and Santa Fe rivers as indicated by the arrows.

In Figure 2 you can see that ground water withdrawals in Northeast Florida area apparently changed the direction of ground water flow away from the Suwannee River area and more towards the Duval County area. The effect extended all the way to the Keystone Heights area. It resulted in a lowering of the potentiometric surface by approximately 10 feet in the Keystone Heights area. One can conclude this by looking at the map which no longer shows a contour line for the 90 ft level.

Hydrogeologically speaking the data indicate that the Keystone Heights area, in particular the lakes in this area, is a central and important feature to provide replenishment of water to the Floridan Aquifer through recharge of surface water from the lakes into the underlying Floridan Aquifer. The more surface water we can bring to the lakes, the more recharge we can deliver to the ground water system and the better the Floridan Aquifer will regionally be.

Peter

Peter Schreuder, P.G.
Schreuder Inc
www.schreuderwater.us

Letter to Mayor Hildreth

The following is an email sent to Mayor Hildreth from contracted hydrology consultant, Peter Schreuder:
Mayor Hildreth:
I have reviewed all the information which have been collected by the members of the stakeholders group. It has been very useful. I would like to make a few comments based on my focus on the technical/hydrogeological/water resources aspects.

The SRWMD David Still letter states that” This decrease (in ground water flow) is apparently a result of ground water withdrawals originating in the District , the St. John’s River Water Management District (emphasis added) and the State of Georgia”. The data for the Keystone Heights area indicates that these ground water withdrawals have also increased the vertical gradient between the lakes and the ground water causing them to “leak” more, thus losing more water than was historically the case.

I believe that it is impractical to assume that ground water withdrawals will be curtailed to such an extent that the leakance will be reduced. Thus only three avenues for action remain:
1) reduce the leakance from the lakes by reducing the permeability of the lake bottoms;
2) direct more surface water flow towards the lakes;
or 3) a combination of both.

I believe that the action 2 includes the short term solution which involves the construction of an adjustable weir at the outlet of Lake Lowery (Option 5), an intermediate term solution by withdrawing more surface water from Southwest lake to be pumped to Blue Pond, and a long-term solution by implementing Option 7, the importation of outside water to the Old Mine area.

The data on the renewal of the Dupont mining permit shows that surface water from their northern mine area flows by gravity through an unlined canal towards their southern mine area. This is where NPDES outfall D002 is located. “Negotiating” a larger diversion of that surface water towards Southwest Lake will bring more water to our lakes.

The last possible long-term option would be importing secondarily treated effluent towards the Dupont mining operation in the northern mine part and then let nature clean the water while it is flowing southward to the Old Mine area and to Southwest lake. This naturally cleaned water will be flowing into our Lakes and increasing the ground water recharge thereby increasing ground water levels in the Floridan Aquifer in the SRWMD as well as in the SJRWMD. This would be of great interest and possible benefit to both Water Management Districts and therefore also of great interest to JEA.

Peter

Peter Schreuder, P.G.
www.schreuderwater.us

Doctoring the Data

An article in the June 8, 2011 edition of the Gainesville Sun.

Doctoring the Data

County OKs Water Bottling Operation at Salt Springs

The following link is to an article on Ocala.com published May 31, 2011:

http://www.ocala.com/article/20110531/ARTICLES/110539947/1412?p=2&tc=pg

SJRWMD Approves MN Water Bottler to Pump at Orange Spings

The following link is to an article on Ocala.com published June 14, 2011:

http://www.ocala.com/article/20110614/ARTICLES/110619871/1412?Title=Regulators-approve-Orange-Springs-permit-for-water-bottler

Doctoring the Data

The link below is to a Gainesville Sun editorial published June 8, 2011:

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110608/OPINION01/110609609/1076/opinion?Title=Editorial-Doctoring-the-data

Suwannee River WMD Hydrologic Report - Sept 2011

This is a link to the Suwannee River Water Management District's Sept 2011 Hydrologic Report:

http://www.srwmd.state.fl.us/documents/Press%20Releases/Hydrologic%20conditions%20continue%20to%20decline.PDF

Upper Etonia Creek Basin

Dear Members - the 103-page study linked below is worth looking over if you want some facts about the hydrological makeup and interactions of the surficIal aquifer and our lakes. The Link for Phase I of the study is below. It is good to become as educated as possible as we participate in discussions about our lakes’ recovery.

INVESTIGATION OF LAKE AND SURFICIAL AQUIFER INTERACTION IN THE UPPER ETONIA CREEK BASIN
By Michael D. Annable and Louis H. Motz, Faculty Investigators
Derek S. Knapp, Gregory D. Sousa, and William D.Beddow, II, Graduate Student Investigators
epartments of Environmental Engineering Sciences and Civil Engineering
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
for Douglas W. Durden, Project Manager, St. Johns River Water Management District, Palatka, Florida
SJRWMD Contract Number: 93W296
UF Number: 49104510425, Gainesville, Florida 32611, September 1996

http://www.sjrwmd.com/technicalreports/pdfs/SP/SJ91-SP5.pdf

Change in Water Restriction Rules

With the fall time change comes some adjustment to the details of water restrictions. Know the rules and use water wisely.
SJRWMD Water Restrictions

Upper and Lower Santa Fe River Basins Designated as Water Resource Caution Areas

The Suwannee RWMD announced (Oct 14, 2011) that the Upper and Lower Santa Fe River basins have been designated as “water resource caution areas” under Chapter 373 of the Florida Statutes.

"The designation means that groundwater sources in those areas are not adequate to meet future needs over a 20-year period and that regional water supply plans are needed to find water sources to meet demands. The designation also means that the District will initiate water supply planning in those regions and will prepare one or more regional water supply plans."

Progress Report

The Lake Area Water Alliance is grateful to everyone who has contributed so far to our goal of helping the City of Keystone Heights fund a hydrological consultant. The Alliance was able to give their first donation of $2000 to the City on Friday, October 21st.

It is difficult to understand the complex problems associated with regard to recovering our lakes. We have heard people say things like “all we need to do is go up there and tear down that dam that is blocking Alligator Creek” or “all we need is a hurricane to drop us a load of water”. It would be great if it were that simple and plain old hard work and common sense were enough.

At one time we were told by the SJRWMD that the lakes were down because of the lack of rain. Now their studies show that large consumptive water users, such as the Jacksonville Electric Authority, do have an impact on our lakes.

Recently, the JEA was given a permit to pump even more water from the aquifer than they do now but with conditions of recovery to our lakes thanks to the vigilance of our own local water watchers working with the SJRWMD. We had to ask the question: if harm is being done with the amount already being taken out; why would we give them more? Also, some utility companies like CCUA recycle or reuse all of their waste water. JEA dumps most of theirs into the St. Johns and it goes right into the ocean instead of back into the aquifer where we need it.

After many meetings a Stakeholder group has been formed to address MFL Prevention and Recovery Strategies for Lakes Brooklyn, Geneva, Cowpen and Grandin which includes large utility groups, environmental and lake dweller groups, the City of KH and others that have a stake in the outcome of these meetings. The outcome of these meetings could be the rebirth or demise of our lakes.

The JEA has high powered lawyers, lobbyists and engineering firms at their beck and call and seem to make up their own data. The City of KH does not have and cannot afford these professionals. At the very first meeting it was pointed out that our community did not have any “technical standing” (professional engineers or hydrologists). Thank goodness the City Council had the foresight to hire a hydrologist, Peter Schreuder, to sit at the table as our consultant.

Everyone who puts a well into the aquifer is taking water from the aquifer that sustains our lakes. We all need to conserve as much water as possible. That is critically important. We also need to fight for our water rights. Mayor Hildreth, the entire KH City Council and Representative Van Zant are all doing their part. We need to do our part.

It is difficult economic times and asking people for money is not something the Alliance did without careful consideration. Progress is being made but to back out and not fund someone who knows what the other professionals are really saying would be a mistake. We are just beginning this fight to save our lakes. The City needs the community to raise $10,000 which funds one third of the Hydrologist’s contract. For goodness sakes, we give more donations than that for fireworks.

The 14 organizations that have banded together to make the Alliance believe the people in this community love their lakes and that is the only reason they have reached out for your help. Any and every contribution is appreciated and needed to reach our goal.

Jackie Host, President
Lake Area Water Alliance

LAWA Events for November

The Clay-Putnam technical work group will meet at 2 p.m. on Nov. 17 at Trinity Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 3716 S.E. State Road 21, Keystone Heights. Parking for meeting attendees is available on the south end of the complex, near the playground. The Clay-Putnam work group was formed to develop a list of prevention and recovery strategies for lakes Geneva, Brooklyn, Cowpen and Grandin. Next meeting will be Dec 20.

Stakeholder meetings are being held in areas where MFLs are currently not being met or are projected not to be met within 20 years. The District’s goal is to work collaboratively with stakeholders to develop long-term comprehensive strategies to achieve the MFLs.

October LAWA Activity

Here are a few of the events coming up in October (that we know about):
Oct 12, Wednesday 6:30 pm, The Status and Future of Our Water Supply, Oak Hammock, 5100 SW 25th Blvd, Gainesville, presented by the League of Women Voters, Alachua County
Oct 22, Saturday all day, Day On The Lake at YMCA Keystone Heights.
Oct 25, Tuesday 2-4 pm, Keystone Stakeholders meeting at Trinity Baptist Church on SR 21
Oct 25, Tuesday 6 pm, LAWA meeting at KH Womans Club

Barnett was Guest on Connor Calling - NPR Radio Show

Cynthia Barnett, author of "Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S.", and author of a new book, "Blue Revolution: Unmaking America's Water Crisis", was Hank Conner's guest on the WUFT 89.1 radio show, "Connor Calling", on Friday, September 30th at 1:00 pm.
Barnett is an award-winning journalist who argues for defining a water ethic for America and brings a great deal of information and innovation to the topic of water and its use and conservation.

Next LAWA Meeting

Our next meeting of the Lake Area Water Alliance will be held at 6:00 pm, Thursday, September 29th, at the Keystone Heights Womans Club.
Public is invited and anyone interested in this cause is welcome to participate. Bring a friend!

DONATIONS

LAKE AREA WATER ALLIANCE
"Restoring and protecting our lakes"
Post Office Box 571
Keystone Heights, FL 32656
LakeAreaWaterAlliance@gmail.com

Dear Neighbor:

Lake Area Water Alliance (LAWA) is a non-profit, non-political, charitable alliance dedicated solely to the restoration, preservation and protection of our threatened area lakes and declining aquifer levels.

Our once beautiful lakes are disappearing along with the recreational opportunities we enjoyed; things that made our way of life special. Boating, water skiing, fishing for that trophy bass, abundant wildlife and nature viewing have vanished, replaced by useless docks, grim reminders of falling property values, times gone by, and a lost quality of life.

LAWA, in partnership with community businesses, civic organizations, the City of Keystone Heights and Clay County, are raising funds to carry on the vital work necessary to restore and protect our lakes and aquifer. To be successful in protecting our lakes, hydrologic, technical and professional consultants will be needed as we develop a Lake Recovery Program in cooperation with the St. Johns River Water Management District and other Stakeholders.

We have the opportunity and dedication to get the job done, but we need your help. Give our lakes a chance; please donate to insure that we continue to have a strong and effective voice in representing our future water resources and the best interests of area residents and businesses.


YES! I want to help restore and protect our lakes and aquifer by donating
$10 $15 $20 $25 $50 $100 OTHER AMOUNT_________

Please make your check payable to: LAWA and mail to
Lake Area Water Allliance, P.O. Box 571, Keystone Heights, FL 32656

Thank you for your consideration,

Jackie Host, President

Member Organizations of LAWA

The following is a list of the member organizations represented at the Lake Area Water Alliance:

• Garden Club of the Lakes
• City of Keystone Heights
• Lake Brooklyn Civic Association
• Woman’s Club of Keystone Heights
• Save Our Lakes Organization
• Santa Fe Audubon Society
• Santa Fe Lake Dwellers Association
• American Legion
• Keystone Heights Sportsman’s Club
• Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc.
• Lake Elizabeth Home Owners Assoc.
• Melrose Business and Civic Assoc.

LAWA Officers

Officers of the Lake Area Water Alliance include:

• Jackie Host, President (GCL)
• Vivian Katz, Vice President (SOLO)
• Webb Farber, Secretary (LBCA)
• Deirdre Murphy, Board Member (WCKH)
• Terry Brant, Board Member (SFLDA)

May 1, 2011 Letter to Gov. Rick Scott & Mr Kirby Green, Exec. Dir. SJRWMD

Dear Governor Scott and Mr. Green:

Attached are petitions and signatures from approximately 711 individuals who are seriously concerned about the health of the lakes in the Keystone Heights and Melrose area.  The lakes have been critically low in this region for many years and this has adversely affected aquatic plants, reptiles, fish, birds and other wildlife that depend on them for survival.  A vibrant economy based on people coming to our clear, beautiful lakes for recreation has collapsed.  Restaurants, mortgage brokers, real estate firms, and other business have had to close their doors.  People’s retirement dreams, lifetime investments of a home on a lake and property values have also dried up along with the lakes.

We implore you to protect our region’s threatened lakes and endangered water resources as you are charged to do by the very position that you hold.  We ask that you implement studies necessary for the rehabilitation and recovery of our lakes and to reject any proposed rules or legislative changes or allow any huge consumptive use permits or other pumpage from the Floridan Aquifer that would further harm the lakes.  We very much appreciate the SJRWMD’s effort to encourage water conservation at all levels of use and strongly support policies which require water pumped from the Aquifer to be recycled and reused as much as possible.

Whereas, it is well known that the State of Florida is facing a water shortage and the lakes in the area of Keystone Heights and Melrose region are a high recharge source for the Floridan Aquifer, we feel it would greatly benefit our state to restore these lakes which would in turn recharge the Aquifer.

Sincerely,

Jackie Host, President,                      &                  Vivien Katz, President

Garden Club of the Lakes                                      Save Our Lakes Organization

On Behalf of Citizens Concerned About the Declining Lakes in the Region of Keystone Heights & Melrose Who Have Signed the Attached Petitions and Letters of Objection.

Cc:   David Fisk, Asst. Executive Director

SJRWMD Board Members-

W. Leonard Wood, Chairman

Hans G. Tanzler III, Vice Chairman
 Maryam H. Ghyabi, Treasurer
John A. Miklos, Secretary
Douglas C. Bournique
Richard G. Hamann
Arlen N. Jumper
Lad Daniels
Chuck Drake

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Herschel T. Vinyard Jr., Secretary
Melissa L. Meeker, Deputy Secretary

May 3, 2011

The St. Johns River Water Management District has to its credit finally recognized that area lakes are in need of protection and that Lake Geneva does not currently meet all of its Minimum Flow Level’s (MFL’s) based on historic water level data. This finding requires that the lake be placed in recovery and protective status expeditiously. The District has also recognized that area lakes are suffering from over pumping in addition to the lack of rainfall.

The Lake Area Water Alliance has been formed for the sole purpose of uniting the grass roots organizations in the Keystone Heights and Melrose area so that the community has a larger voice in standing up for water conservation and, the rehabilitation and recovery of the lakes in our region when they meet government agencies and elected officials. Representatives from 13 local organizations have been meeting for educational and strategy sessions. Some of the members attended a very productive meeting with SJRWMD staff last week to discuss the huge consumptive use permit (CUP) being requested by the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) from Duval County.

A Board meeting of the Management District will be held on May 10 at their Palatka headquarters to decide whether to approve the JEA’s permit to pump 165 million gallons of water a day from the Floridan Aquifer or approve their staff’s technical staff’s recommendation which reduces the pumpage allowed and includes conditions to recycle, reuse and participate in strategy for recovery of the lakes in our area.

The Alliance is asking that as many people as possible show up at this meeting to show they support strategies that will help our lakes recover from the damage that has already been done to our lakes by huge water withdrawals and greatly support our lakes being put in a recovery and protective status as soon as possible. Every person in this community needs to stand up for our water rights before the lakes are beyond repair. Complete details about the TSR and JEA CUP, can be obtained from the Management District at SJRWMD.com.

The Alliance also has a petition to Governor Scott and the SJRWMD that is circulating on behalf of the community that objects to any large withdrawals or lowering of MFL’s and requests protection and recovery of the region’s threatened lakes. It is at the KH City Hall and will be at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday. Your signature on that petition is needed.

Jackie Host, President,
of the Lake Area Water Alliance