Central Floridas NeverEnding Thirst Threatens the St' Johns River

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Central Floridas Never-Ending Thirst Threatens
the St. Johns River
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A History Lesson--How did we get here?

• Until recently, the average Floridian rarely
  thought about aquifer levels and groundwater
  withdrawals. That changed in 2000, the driest
  year in recorded history. During the 4-year
  drought, from 1998 to 2001, all five Water
  Management Districts ordered water restrictions,
  yet overall water use climbedin part because of
  new development. The Districts considered the
  shortages a short-term problem.
• In early 2003, an advisory panel, the Council of
  100, met to discuss the water supply issue in
  Florida, and later published a report entitled,
  Improving Floridas Water Supply Management
  Structure.
• The report presented the idea of redirecting
  North Floridas precious water resources to
  Central and South Florida to meet water demands
  and advocated repealing/altering the Local
  Source First policy.
• The Florida Senate held statewide hearings to
  gather public input. Due to a firestorm of
  opposition to the concept of surface water
  withdrawals, most believed the idea of water
  transfers had been defeated.

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From Concept to Reality--Water Management
Districts Tote the Water

• Despite statewide, citizen outcry, the States
  five water management districts supported the
  idea of surface water transfers and began to move
  forward on projects that would divert water to
  areas with water shortages.
• The St. Johns River Water Management District
  (SJRWMD) was one of the first districts to take
  actionit identified the St. Johns as a drinking
  water source for Orlando and Central Florida.
• In 2004, the (SJRWMD) developed a Minimum Flow
  Level, or MFL, for the upper reaches of the St.
  Johns River.
• The MFL was developed by consultants, hired by
  the District, and the process involved little or
  no public input.
• All the MFL meetings were held in Central Florida
  or Palatka. There were no meetings in Northeast
  Florida.

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Orlando Central Floridas Water Demand
Outstrips the Floridan Aquifer

• The Floridan Aquifer is one of the most
  productive aquifers in the world it was once
  considered limitless. The Floridan Aquifer
  provides 90 of Floridians drinking water.
• In 2005, the USGS reported on the enormous
  groundwater withdrawals between 1950 and 2000.
  The report documented alarming groundwater-level
  declines and saltwater intrusion throughout the
  aquifer.
• In early spring 2007, the St. Johns River Water
  Management District publicly announced central
  Florida had outstripped the Floridan Aquifers
  ability to provide a sustainable drinking water
  source beyond 2013.
• The SJRWMD directed communities to seek
  alternative water supply sources, or AWS. Orlando
  and Central Floridas AWSs are the St. Johns and
  Ocklawaha Rivers.

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The St. Johns and Ocklawaha RiversGround Zero
for the Experiment

• Using the MFL as a basis, the SJRWMD states that
  155 million gallons a day (MGD) can be safely
  removed from the St. Johns River between the
  headwaters and Deland.
• The SJRWMD is also focusing its attention on the
  lower Ocklawaha River. Although District staff
  has not set a MFL, for the Ocklawaha River, the
  agency is informing counties to expect to be able
  to withdraw 90 to 108 MGD from the Ocklawaha.  
• The current withdrawals from the St. Johns and
  Ocklawaha would total 260 million gallons per
  day.
• There are a total of six withdrawal projects
  proposed for the upper and middle basinsThat
  number is expected to increase.

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How Much is Too Much?- Proposed Water Withdrawal
Sites
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Trust us, It Wont Hurt a Bitor Will It?

• All of the Districts studies rationalizing
  and/or minimizing the environmental impacts of
  water withdrawal have been done in house, i.e.,
  written by staff or consultants paid for by the
  District. There has been no independent review of
  any of these reports.
• The withdrawals will cause the St. Johns Rivers
  salinity line to shift upstream, especially
  during drought and low flow conditions. No one,
  including the SJRWMD, fully understands all of
  the potential impacts to the rivers health and
  fisheries from the proposed withdrawals.
• Because river water has a high salt or mineral
  content, most withdrawals will require treatment
  by reverse osmosis, or RO. 
• RO produces by-products, or pollutants, called
  concentrate, which can contain elevated
  minerals, excessive nutrients, and/or very salty
  water. The concentrate will harm the St. Johns
  health by adding additional pollutants to an
  already stressed system.

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Trust us, It Wont Hurt a Bitor Will It?

• The SJRWMD recently began a study to determine
  the impacts of the concentrate on the river
  environment. The study will end in a year. Its
  possible the SJRWMD could issue numerous
  withdrawal permits before the RO concentrate
  study is completed.  
• Riverkeeper is concerned that this may only be
  the beginning of water withdrawals from the St.
  Johns and its tributaries. As groundwater
  supplies continue to be depleted, there will be
  more pressure to continue this process and allow
  additional withdrawals in the future, e.g.,
  Crescent Lake.
• St. Johns Riverkeeper is concerned that the
  withdrawals from the St. Johns and the Ocklawaha
  could potentially cause significant harm to the
  health of both rivers.
• Once the river water withdrawal process begins,
  there may be no turning back, even if the act
  results in harm to the rivers ecological health.
  

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The St. Johns Just Upstream of a Proposed
Withdrawal
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The Districts Lack of Vision and Failed
Leadership

• The SJRWMD has poorly managed the Floridan
  Aquiferone of the greatest natural resources on
  earth.
• Rather than utilizing vision and leadership to
  develop a long-term solution, the District is
  relying on a short-term, quick fix to address
  this significant issue.
• The current proposals will cost taxpayers over 1
  Billion. Despite the cost, withdrawing water from
  our rivers will only meet projected drinking
  water needs until 2030, less than 25 years into
  the future.
• Every Florida river is in play. The SJRWMD also
  announced plans to withdraw water from the
  Withlacoochee River. There are proposals for
  additional withdrawals for the St. Johns River.
  There is also a draft MFL for the Santa Fe, and
  proposed plans for the Suwannee.

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Whats the Alternative?Are We the Next Atlanta?

• Water shortages have become one of the most
  pressing problems facing our region. Georgia
  Governor Sonny Perdue has declared a state of
  emergency because of the Atlanta situation.
  Alabama, South and North Caroline Carolina are
  also facing critical water shortages.
• Florida has the highest per-capita water use in
  the country. Statewide we use 175 gallons a day.
  
• Fifty percent of the potable water use in Florida
  is for irrigation-that number can exceed 75
  percent in the summer.
• The water shortages in Orlando and central
  Florida are a glimpse at Northeast Floridas
  future.

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The Status Quo is Not an Option

• Water Conservation.  Implement aggressive water
  conservation programs before water withdrawal is
  considered as an option.
• Reuse.  Implement measures that will require more
  aggressive goals for reuse in North Florida.
• Desalinization. Implement concrete plans leading
  to the design and construction of desalinization
  plants.
• Sustainable Building and Planning Practices.
  Implement land use ordinances that require low
  impact development, realistic landscaping
  practices, Water Star standards and New Urbanism
  concepts.

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Wanted Leadership and Vision

• Water supply concerns and issues are here to
  stay. This is not a short term problem.
  Floridas population is expected to double within
  the next 50 years, requiring prudent long-term
  solutions and dramatic changes in the way that we
  grow and utilize our water resources.
• Do we continue to exploit and deplete our
  precious and limited natural resources or will we
  choose a more sustainable path?
• The Bottom Line  Planning for the future and
  investing in the necessary infrastructure now
  will potentially save billions of dollars and
  potentially save our St. Johns River.