Lake Area Water Alliance: 2012

Monday, August 13, 2012

Vanishing Point: North Florida's Disappearing Waters

Vanishing Point is a photographic documentary on the ongoing degradation of lakes and streams around north central Florida. The project contains images from the winter of 2011 through June 2012 and concludes with a call to action to help save these waters from over-consumption and nutrient contamination.

Vanishing Point: North Florida's Disappearing Waters

Friday, August 10, 2012

Water News for July, 2012

We must change
http://www.ocala.com/article/20120701/OPINION/120629632?Title=We-must-change-if-we-are-to-save-water-supply

Water Quality War Rages On
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120703/ARTICLES/120709869?tc=cr

Recent Rains not enough
http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-07-05/story/recent-rain-tropical-storms-not-enough-keystone-lakes#1

On Sinkholes, Deniers and Speaking Out (Kudos to Ron Littlepage)
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400601/ron-littlepage/2012-07-04/sinkholes-deniers-and-speaking-out

Conservation Lands are a Big Bargain
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/letters-readers/2012-07-03/story/point-view-conservation-lands-are-big-bargain

Water Democracy
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-03/news/os-florida-water-democracy-20120703_1_water-supply-water-issues-water-watchers

[Too many articles in here to post]
http://stateofwater.org/

Is Florida a Good Steward of Water?
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-06/news/os-ed-front-burner-water-quality-intro-070612-20120705_1_water-pollution-rules-environmental-groups-florida-waterways

State hasn't done enough to avert water crisis
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-06/news/os-ed-front-burner-water-quality-con-070612-20120705_1_waterways-water-resources-water-quality-and-supply

Another temporary "Pumps Off"?
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120706/ARTICLES/120709745/1183?Title=Phosphate-facility-in-White-Springs-remains-closed-after-flood-during-Debby

A Florida Asset
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120707/OPINION01/120709841/1017?Title=Editorial-A-Florida-asset1

More Mega Projects Turning to Private Sector
http://www.ocala.com/article/20120707/WIRE/120709793/1454?Title=More-mega-projects-turning-to-private-investors

Will Florida Save the Springs or Let them Die

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-08/opinion/os-ed-vanishing-florida-springs-070812-20120706_1_wekiwa-springs-nutrient-pollution-environmental-groups

Roads in Columbia County where the Old Ichetucknee once ran

http://www.lakecityjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=73&ArticleID=8929

Silver Springs vs Adena Springs

http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-07-09/story/silver-springs-vs-adena-springs-ranch-spurs-new-water-war

SRWMD Groundwater Levels Rebound

http://www.lakecityjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=73&ArticleID=8950

Finding Our Voice on the Water Crisis

http://www.ocala.com/article/20120712/OPINION01/120719916

Listen to High Springs

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120712/OPINION01/120719877

No “made up” science in Adena Springs water wars

http://www.ocala.com/article/20120715/COLUMNISTS/120719840/0/FRONTPAGE

Whitey Markle – free the Ocklawaha

http://www.ocala.com/article/20120715/OPINION/120719860

Silver Springs is a symbol of deeper issues

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/letters-readers/2012-07-15/story/lead-letter-silver-springs-symbol-deeper-issues

Purchase of land aims to protect Glades
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-13/news/os-everglades-conservation-announced-20120713_1_everglades-headwaters-everglades-national-park-development-rights

State Targets Nitrate Levels

http://www.ocala.com/article/20120717/ARTICLES/120719740?tc=cr

Selling Public Lands
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120716/OPINION03/120719930

Water Permits in Profile - Adena Springs
http://stateofwater.org/politics/water-permits-in-profile-the-adena-springs-controversy/

Agriculture vs Water: Bottling the Consumptive Question
http://stateofwater.org/you/agriculture-vs-water-bottling-the-consumptive-question/

Fountains of Life

http://stateofwater.org/ecosystems/springs/

Freeing the Ocklawaha neither free nor beneficial

http://www.ocala.com/article/20120722/OPINION/120729968

Florida Environmental group sues over algae blooms

http://www.ocala.com/article/20120723/WIRE/120729879

Is anybody listening?

http://www.ocala.com/article/20120722/OPINION/120729971

Don't gamble on springs
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-22/opinion/os-ed-adena-springs-proposal-072212-20120720_1_silver-springs-water-resources-groundwater

Troubled Springs
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-22/news/os-ed-silver-springs-protect-072212-20120720_1_silver-springs-salt-springs-freshwater-springs

Herschel Vinyard - Cooperation is the key
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-20/opinion/os-ed-springs-health-myword-072012-20120719_1_water-bodies-water-management-districts-water-resources

Adena Springs Ranch in the Court of Public Opinion

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120728/OPINION/120729615

United for Water
http://www.ocala.com/article/20120729/OPINION/120729718

Taking a Dive: Exploring Stressed Springs
http://www.ocala.com/article/20120729/OPINION/120729721

Anti – sand mining campaign ramps up.
http://www.bakercountypress.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2082:anti-sand-mining-campaign-ramps-up&catid=59:news&Itemid=57

My Word: Ranch permit won’t hurt springs
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-26/opinion/os-ed-adena-ranch-springs-myword-072612-20120725_1_water-resources-silver-springs-minimum-flows

Coalition presents 15000 signatures
http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=28617541

Water News for June, 2012

Friday, June 1, 2012

Water News for May, 2012

North Florida Regional Water Supply Partnership

Alachua County Not Represented (Gainesville Sun, May 10, 2012)
Look Who's Deciding the Future of Your Water (Gainesville Sun, May 15, 2012)
Time for enlightened discourse about water (Gainesville Sun, May 22, 2012)
Florida needs a water ethic (Gainesville Sun, May 23, 2012)
Commercial, lawn pumping drying up Florida's springs (Florida Times Union, May 20 2012)
Our leaders ignore the disaster beneath our feet (www.ocala.com, May 2012)
What will our elected officials do about our water? (Gainesville Sun, May 29, 2012)
Recharging Our Lakes and Aquifers (Gainesville Sun, May 29. 2012)
Further water restrictions coming for Suwannee district (Gainesville Sun, May 29, 2012)
Tough rules not enough officials warn (Gainesville Sun, May 30, 2012)
State of emergency (Gainesville Sun, May 31, 2012)

Floridan Aquifer

Jacksonville to send water line under St Johns River (Florida Times Union, May 3 2012)
Florida Crumbling (Gainesville Sun, May 16, 2012)
Dry, empty caves offer grim proof of Tampa Bay's groundwater decline (Tampa Bay Times, May 20, 2012)
Santa Fe River a Cesspool (www.LakeCityReporter.com, May 23, 2012)
And Why the Fountain? (www.LakeCityReporter.com, May 22, 2012)
Algae develops on drought-depleted Santa Fe River (Gainesville Sun, May 23, 2012)
North Central Florida Rivers at Record Low Water Levels (www.alligator.org, May 24, 2012)
Santa Fe Green (Gainesville Sun, May 25, 2012)
Environmentalists serve notice on Florida paper mill (www.ocala.com, May 25, 2012)
This isn't right (Gainesville Sun, May 26, 2012)
Green Slime on the Santa Fe River (www.columbiacountyobserver.com, May 29, 2012)
Thick green slime, dry rivers and dead springs bring a crowd to Poe Springs meeting with Our Santa Fe River (Lake City Journal, May 30, 2012)

Silver Springs

Preserving the Springs (www.seniortimesmagazine.com, May 2012)
Silver Springs and Florida's Imperiled Waters (www.silverspringsalliance.org, May 2012)
Water Protesters Greet Stronarch (www.ocala.com, May 15, 2012)
A Line in the Sand (www.ocala.com, May 20, 2012)
Do low-paying jobs and cattle trump a natural icon and water supply? (www.ocala.com, May 20, 2012)
Silver Springs No Longer King (www.ocala.com, May 20 2012)
Adena Ranch won't cause harm to springs or aquifer (Ed de la Parte, May 20, 2012)
Florida Springs Are Dying (CNN iReport, May 20, 2012)
Don't be silent about Florida's water crisis (Gainesville Sun, May 23, 2012)
We Can't Drink Money (www.ocala.com, May 24, 2012)
Scientific evidence of a water crisis abounds as Adena Springs case unfolds (www.ocala.com, May 27. 2012)

Sand Mines

Baker County LPA Okays Sand Mines (Baker County Press, May 3, 2012)
Baker County Residents Okay with Sand Mines (Baker County Press, May 16, 2012)
Petition to Investigate Violations (Florida PEER, Feb 23, 2011)
Petition to Limit Water Grabs (www.signon.org, May 15, 2012)

EPA Wants to Know if Herschel Vinyard, Secretary of Florida's Department of Environmental Protection, Lied on His Resume (New Times, May 18, 2012)

Will the Real Herschel Vinyard Please Stand Up? (The Bradenton Times, May 19. 2012)

DEP Getting Water Right? (Gainesville Sun, May 20, 2012)

Water under pressure (Gainesville Sun, May 27, 2012)

Not a prayer (Gainesville Sun, May 27. 2012)

Where is the EPA? (Gainesville Sun, May 29, 2012)

Wetlands expert suspended by DEP after she refuses to approve permit (www.tampabay.com, May 28, 2012)

Imagine, if you can, a state that actually protected the environment (www.tampabay.com, May 29, 2012)

Groundwater Depletion in Semiarid Regions of Texas and California Threatens US Food Security (May 28, 2012)

EPA DEBARMENT PROBES DISCREPANCIES BY TOP FLORIDA OFFICIAL
Environment Secretary Vinyard’s Current Claims Contradict His Previous Filings

Tallahassee — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is trying to decide which Herschel Vinyard to believe – the one who claimed his expertise in handling pollution permits as his chief qualification to serve as Florida’s top environmental official or the one who is now alleging, through a state lawyer, he had nothing to do with permits. At stake is whether he will be barred from handling water pollution matters as the result of a federal conflict-of-interest complaint filed by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and the Florida Clean Water Network.

The groups today released the latest correspondence from EPA questioning why information on Vinyard’s résumé and state job application, and even the Governor’s press release announcing his appointment as Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), are all incorrect, as Vinyard now declares. The April 27, 2012 letter from EPA Regional Counsel Mary Wilkes asks Thomas Beason, the General Counsel for DEP, which Vinyard oversees, to “explain the apparent discrepancy between the assertion in your letter” that Vinyard was not really employed by the company he said he worked for in state filings or doing work he once bragged about but now disclaims.

The federal Clean Water Act forbids appointment of any state decision-maker on pollution discharge permits in federal water quality programs who “has during the previous two years received a significant portion of his income directly or indirectly from permit holders or applicants for a permit” (emphasis added). Vinyard represented himself as director of operations for BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards where he was responsible for its wastewater permits and other regulatory affairs. He also chaired the Shipbuilders Council of America, representing 40 companies operating 100 shipyards.

“Secretary Vinyard should stop wasting state resources playing peek-a-boo with the EPA. His ploy that he is not in clear violation of federal law because he lied on his job application is just plain absurd,” stated Florida PEER Director Jerry Phillips, a former DEP enforcement attorney, noting that Governor Scott should fire him if he falsified his application. “By using state lawyers to dissemble on his behalf, Mr. Vinyard is only making a bad situation worse.”

The next move may aggravate the jeopardy for Secretary Vineyard, as making false official statements to a federal agency is a crime which could result in loss of office and imprisonment, sanctions far more serious than those he now faces. Unfortunately, EPA has not moved swiftly to resolve the February 2011 complaint, despite one promise last November to render a final decision “within two weeks.”

“Mr. Vinyard is making decisions that affect our waters every day, and most if not all of his decisions over the past 15 months have reflected a pro-polluter bias,” said Linda Young, Director of the Florida Clean Water Network. “As a regular user of our waters I am personally so unimpressed with our state and federal government’s level of concern over Vinyard’s disregard for the law that I think a citizens’ arrest is now in order.”

###

Read last EPA letter to Vinyard’s DEP attorney

View Vinyard material contradicting his current stance

Look at PEER rebuttal of the Vinyard alibi

See the original PEER/FCWN petition

Examine EPA pledges of swift action

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Stakeholders Named to North FL Regional Water Supply Partnership

Stakeholder representatives on north Florida water supply issues named

PALATKA, Fla., May 9, 2012 -- Twelve representatives were named today to the North Florida Regional Water Supply Partnership's stakeholder committee, an advisory body that will share viewpoints of stakeholder groups with the St. Johns River and Suwannee River water management districts and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to help address the region's water supply issues.

Chosen to represent the groups, organizations and entities that have an interest in the region's water supply, committee members are:

Public water supply: Ray O. Avery, Clay County Utility Authority; David Clanton, City of Lake City Utilities
Commercial/power generation: Athena T. Mann, JEA; James Cornett, Cornett's Spirit of the Suwannee Inc.
Industrial/mining: J. Michael O'Berry, Vulcan Materials Co.; Stan Posey, PCS Phosphate
Agriculture: Kerry Kates, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association; Thomas Harper, Harper Farms
Environmental: Patrick T. Welsh, University of North Florida and Save Our Lakes; Jacqui Sulek, Audubon Florida
Local government: Keystone Heights Mayor Mary Lou Hildreth; Dixie County Commissioner Gene Higginbotham

Action Items from 5/3 Clay-Putnam MFLs Work Group Meeting

The information below is provided as follow-up to three action items from last week’s Clay-Putnam MFLs Prevention/Recovery Technical Work Group meeting.

· Preliminary Augmentation Technical Analyses: The two analyses mentioned are posted on the SJRWMD FTP site ftp://ftp.sjrwmd.com/wsm/MFLs/PRStrategies/ClayPutnam/AugmentationSubcomm/AugSubcomm_032012/. See “Lake Augmentation Concepts…” for the analysis conducted by CH2MHill & “SJRWMDAssessment” folder for the analysis conducted by the District.

· Conservation Subcommittee Statistics: See ftp://ftp.sjrwmd.com/wsm/MFLs/PRStrategies/ClayPutnam/ConservationSubcomm/MarchMeetingInfo/.

The “KeystoneDSSConservation…” file (posted in PDF & ppt) is the basis of the statistics discussed by the Conservation Subcommittee. This document summarizes application of the SJRWMD Residential Conservation Tool we discussed during our October Work Group meeting (http://floridaswater.com/minimumflowsandlevels/pdfs/PRSD/2011_10-25_meeting/presentation-residential-agirrig.pdf).

· North Florida Groundwater Model Domain: see model domain 1 on the attached graphic. Withdrawals within this geographic area were part of the “pumps-off” groundwater modeling scenario we discussed last week.

If the FTP site asks you for a password, click the “guest” radio button, type in “anonymous” for the user name, and use your email address as the password.

Thank you all for your continued interest and participation.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Gihring

May 22 Meeting for LAWA

We are planning a meeting of the Lake Area Water Alliance for Tuesday, May 22nd, 6:30PM at the KH Woman’s Club. If you cannot come please send at least one representative from your organization. We should have a lot of information to share as there will be reports from our Lake Recovery Stakeholders, Mayor Hildreth about FLOW meetings and possibly a report from Joyce King about the Audubon meeting they have planned with JEA.

To be effective, we need input from all of our organizations to move forward in our unified effort to replenish our aquifer and restore our lakes. Also, I would also like to suggest that we discuss coordinating a clean up day of Lake Geneva with the City of KH. It would be fantastic if all of our organizations get on board with this. While it is at a historic low would be an excellent time to clean up the garbage, and this would be a great opportunity to bring attention to our efforts as an organization, conservation initiatives, etc.

Sincerely,

Jackie Host, President

Florida's Perfect Storm Water Crisis

Two articles from Dr Robert L. Knight, founder and director of the H.T. Odum Florida Springs Institute, a Gainesville-based nonprofit organization:

The stated mission of the Florida Springs Institute is: "to provide a focal point for improving the understanding of springs ecology and to foster the development of science-based education and management actions needed to restore and protect springs throughout Florida."

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Silver Springs Alliance

Dear Friends,
I joined the Springs Alliance and this is what they sent me so I thought I would pass this info on to you. If you are so inclined, it costs only $15 to join the alliance. It is a very worthy cause. This is an example of how big money is draining Florida of all it’s natural resources to line the pockets of a few. It should be a crime to keep issuing water withdrawal permits in a severe drought. What we have here is the Fox guarding the hen house. It is about time to call for our water management board members to be elected locally instead of letting the Governor appoint all of his cronies who apparently care more about making money than protecting our water.
Jackie

ATTACHMENTS:

From: Natalie Lyons [mailto:silverspringsalliance@gmail.com]

Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2012 10:53 AM

To: Barbara Schwartz

Subject: Silver Springs Alliance - Welcome New Members!

Dear New Member,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, we welcome you to the Silver Springs Alliance. Thank you for your interest, support, and participation. We look forward to working together to preserve Silver Springs and keep the Springshed flourishing.

SSA is very new. Its founders include springs scientists, water specialists, a former county Commissioner, veteran environmental activists, teachers, community leaders and students. We are united by our scientifically supported conviction that Silver Springs-Florida’s most famous springs-needs our help. Its waters are degraded and its flow is diminished.

That’s why our main purpose is to be an advocate for Silver Springs; to restore and protect the Springs for future generations. We are also committed to protecting and preserving the Floridan Aquifer; source of the Springs, rivers and waterways, as well as the water we drink, bathe in and grow our food in.

The biggest threat to Silver Springs right now is the Adena Springs Ranch project now being constructed in the Fort McCoy area within the Springshed. This project includes a projected 30,000 head of cattle, a slaughterhouse, 135 large diameter wells, and a pending water permit (CUP-consumptive use permit) for 13.27 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY. Water from OUR aquifer!

Robert Knight, PHD, of the Florida Springs Institute, and an SSA Board member states “That’s more than the city of Ocala consumes every day. The manure generated daily by the herd of 30,000 cattle expected on the ranch would be the equivalent to that of 240,00 humans.”

We have a website! www.silverspringsalliance.org. We are in the process of improving and expanding it every day, so tune in often.

Reach us via e-mail as well: silverspringsalliance@gmail.com. We are also on Facebook and Twitter!

I am forwarding and attaching information about taking action on the Adena project. Please pass on to other interested people and give them our email/web addresses if they would like to join.

Upcoming events are as follows:

Saturday, April 28: EarthFest @ Tuscawilla Park in Ocala. We will have an information table there.

Thursday, May 3: Dr. Knight will be addressing the Conservation Trust of Florida. I will attach the information.

Tuesday, May 15: Public Forum in Jacksonville. In conjunction with the Saint Johns Riverkeeper. Attached.

Wednesday, May 16: Rainbow Springs event. Attached

Saturday, May 19: Rainbow River cleanup & Rainbow River Coalition event. More to come.

Barbara Schwartz

Secretary, BOD
Silver Springs Alliance