FOLA History

SJRWMD approves temporary Apopka discharge limit

PALATKA, Fla., Dec. 14, 2010 -- To reduce the effects of a drought and continue to improve water quality in Lake Apopka, the St. Johns River Water Management District's Governing Board today approved temporarily eliminating discharges of water through the Apopka-Beauclair and Burrell locks and dams in Lake County.

The Board approved a five-month test measuring the effect of reducing discharges on lake levels in the Harris Chain and Lake Apopka by reducing the discharge at Apopka-Beauclair from 23 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 0 cfs and changing the minimum discharge at Burrell from 28 cfs to 0 cfs.
 
Central Florida is in the early stages of a drought and the winter forecast is for lower than average rainfall. Holding more water back in Lake Apopka is expected to keep the lake's level higher than it otherwise would be, which is expect to positively impact water quality.

"This change means that water levels in lakes Apopka, Harris, Eustis, Beauclair and Dora should not fall as low as they would at normal minimum flows," said Dave Walker, District program manager for the Lake Apopka and Upper Ocklawaha River basins. "The flows at Lake Griffin will drop slightly lower than normal, but this will be temporary."

FOLA Public Meeting Well Attended

Winter Garden, FL March, 2010

We had a great meeting last Thursday evening with a real good turn-out. I was elected Grand Poobah again and I want you to know, I will do the best I can but really need your help. I am going to make it as easy as possible and I hope you will respond the best way you can when we need help.

We have been successful in years past because we had solid numbers of people who understood the issues and who respond to the right agency or politician when asked to do so. We have a good reputation with the agencies and we need to keep it. Our membership drive is going very well and we are still getting member renewals.

We probably don’t need to meet every month so I am going to try every other month or special called meetings if we need them. We will not meet this month because we met last Thursday and here are the meeting dates for 2010 for your calendars:

March 4
May 6
July 1
September 2
November 4

All meetings start at 5:00 P.M. and are held at Oakland Nature Preserve. I will call special meetings if we need them and we will always communicate by email or telephone. If you have issues, don’t hesitate to contact the board. The Advisory Board is invited to all our meetings and I hope you will plan to attend when possible.

Our job is a very important one in this major restoration. You have all heard me say “When we have a biological problem with a political solution, educated, active citizens are critical to the solution.” We need more participation from each of you. We have three openings for board members. Please recommend anyone you know who might serve. We also need to expand our Advisory Board so help us find interested members.

We still have several issues we need to keep in front of the public. Including the outrageous report by Harris Chain Advisory Council, future attempts to withdraw water from the lake, our proposed trail around the lake, duck hunters and many others.

Keep in touch,
Jim Thomas
President

PCEC Rally For The Rivers A Big Success

Palatka, FL Feb 17, 2010

The weather was certainly less than inviting but in spite of that we had a very successful Rally. It’s not much of a fundraiser but certainly provides us with an opportunity to interact in a fun and profitable way with our so called opponents. Each year we get more and more cooperation from local businesses, the City of Palatka, and individuals; each year they catch onto a bit more of the vision PCEC has for Putnam County’s future.

We enjoyed a standing room only crowd at the Senate Hearing which ran very smoothly. Comments from the Governor’s DEP Legislative Liaison were glowing regarding the appropriate comments, articulate speakers and the organized civility. Our workshop Friday afternoon was full as was the book signing event on Friday night that premiered “Ditch of Dreams.” Saturday’s event on the Riverfront was moderately attended but turned out a far larger crowd than we expected due to the chilly temperatures. The benefit dinner and entertainment filled the restaurant and lounge to capacity at the Quality Inn and everyone (especially me!) had a terrific time! Sunday on the Ocklawaha was our best effort to date, attracting an estimated 400-500 people. Fifteen boat trips enabled almost 200 visitors to see how manmade ditches compare to the richness of a natural twisting river channel.

Mr. and Mrs. Deam are outstanding spokespersons for FOLA. I would wish for couples like them for each and every conservation group. Their knowledgeable and friendly ways coupled with an outstanding display invite learning.

Having the support of Friends of Lake Apopka and Biosphere helps PCEC stand tall and strong. Words cannot express my gratitude.
Very best regards to you all,

Karen Ahlers
Putnam County Environmental Council

Once again the restoration programs for Lake Apopka are under fire!

November, 2009

The 2009 Annual Report to the Legislature by the Harris Chain of Lakes Restoration Council calls for abolishing almost all of the current restoration projects established by SJRWMD and others and initiation of a number of new strategies. And again, in our opinion, none of these strategies are backed by scientific research or evaluation.

St Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) answers: "We appreciate the opportunity to provide input, but we find it unfortunate that the draft summary persists in making numerous inaccurate and misleading statements that appear to primarily emanate from an inaccurate interpretation of water quality data collected to date through the Harris Chain of Lakes, which includes Lake Apopka." See the SJRWMD Comments on the Harris 2009 Annual Report

FOLA has always insisted on using any scientific data available to design and evaluate any project on the lake. We have supported the scientific staff of St. Johns River Water Management District and reviewed every project initiated, often finding consulting scientists to help. The 2009 Harris Chain report does not include much indication that such review has occurred. See FOLA's Cover Letter and FOLA's Position Paper on the Harris 2009 Annual Report.

The following information was received after publication of our Position Paper and explains justification of distribution of fill.
See Addendum to Position Paper, Number 4

Lake Apopka Update

October 2009

Lake Apopka North Shore Restoration:
The District and NRCS have completed the easement swap and the NRCS easements at Apopka were vacated by the end of August. Instead of easements at Apopka and Fellsmere, NRCS accepted permanent easements at Orange Creek Restoration Area and Ocklawaha Prairie. Staff are developing work orders and completing permitting to continue infrastructure construction this fiscal year, however regulatory issues dealing with the possibility of cultural resources continue to delay issuance of the USACE permits. Flooding was completed on the Phase 2 property. This is important because data from Phase 2 monitoring is needed for the next biological assessment to flood additional acres.

Lake Apopka Marsh Flow-Way Project:
Because of drawdown of the C-cells for maintenance, flow through the system over the past month has been reduced to about 84 cfs. At present, both C cells are being operated at low flow conditions (< 10 cfs). Of the cells that were in full operation efficiency (percent removal) and mass removal has been low. During the past month, the operating cells have retained 9.5 metric tons suspended solids/day but released 3 kg of TP/day and 46 kg TN/day.　 This is typical during summer months when water temperatures are high and dissolved oxygen concentrations in water are low relative to other months. Alum systems are now installed to mitigate the short-term release of phosphorus due to the summer release of soluble reactive phosphorus. In mid-August, the center lake concentration of total phosphorus was 98 ppb.

Shad Harvesting on Lake Apopka:
Shad harvesting on Lake Apopka was scheduled to begin on October 1st.

Florida Is Slow to See the Need to Save Water

By ABBY GOODNOUGH, The New York Times

POMPANO BEACH, Fla., June 12, 2009 — Even as a drought and unprecedented water restrictions strip many Florida lawns of their lushness, Mark Harding has few takers for the artificial grass he sells from a showroom here. Inquiries are up, he said, but swapping turf for less thirsty alternatives remains hard for Floridians to get their heads around.
“People are just starting to look at it,” said Mr. Harding, a transplant from Buffalo who admits to having replaced only a piece of his own lawn with the fake stuff. “It’s right in its infancy stage.”
The same might be said for awareness that Florida’s water supply, seemingly endless given the abundance of springs, lakes, canals, aquifers and rainfall, is not.
Many regions have all but depleted their groundwater supply, yet they have barely begun planning new water sources or enforcing conservation measures. Meanwhile, residential water bills in Florida’s urban areas — averaging $32 a month in Miami, for example — have remained much lower than those in many other cities.
“We now face the scarcity, the spending and the spectacle that used to be unique to the arid West,” said Cynthia Barnett, the author of “Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S.” But Ms. Barnett and others who study Florida’s water use say that unlike out West, a sense of urgency has not taken hold here, nor have government agencies taken the politically thorny steps some scientists say are necessary.
The South Florida Water Management District, whose political appointees regulate water use in some of the thirstiest counties, is only now considering permanent, year-round watering restrictions. Many cities and homeowner associations still require grass lawns, blocking alternatives like sturdy ground cover, drought-resistant plants or Mr. Harding’s artificial turf.
On Marco Island, near Naples, city officials made a homeowner get rid of $15,000 worth of artificial grass in 2005 on the grounds that it was offensive and might pose environmental risks. (He protested by painting his house with polka dots.) In the Villages, a vast retirement community near Orlando, a resident tried replacing sod with plantings that required less water, only to be rebuffed by the developer.
(Worth noting: Kentucky bluegrass, the soft, archetypal grass of the Northeast and the Midwest, does not grow here. Instead, Florida’s trademark turf is St. Augustine grass, coarse, tough on bare feet and often laid on the ground in strips, not seeded.)
Changing the rules on lawns could be significant, since Florida households — especially those with automatic irrigation systems, which are increasingly common — use up to 75 percent of their water outdoors.
“The most important incentive we can establish is limiting lawn watering,” said Amy Vickers, an engineer and consultant who is helping Orange County rewrite its water conservation ordinance. “It’s reasonable and fair, and something I think we’ve got to learn to live with.”
In Southeast Florida, the restrictions in place since March — twice-a-week watering in some areas, once a week in others — have been erratically enforced. Wellington, a wealthy community in Palm Beach County known for its polo grounds, has issued more than 2,200 water violations. But Miami Beach has issued none.
To date, only the Tampa Bay region has faced a serious water crisis, after Pinellas County pumped too much groundwater from areas to its north in the 1980s. The region built a $158 million seawater desalination plant, but it has been fraught with problems and had to shut down for almost two years.
Other parts of the state are now under pressure to plan similar projects because in 2005, the Legislature required cities and counties to prove they will have enough water for any new development. The law has been a wakeup call for counties like Miami-Dade and Broward, which reuse only a tiny part of their wastewater and flush the rest into the ocean or injection wells deep underground.
In 2004, Miami-Dade asked to add 100 million gallons of water a day over the next two decades to the 346 million gallons a day it already uses. The county appeared shocked by the state’s response last year: that it could not keep tapping the Biscayne Aquifer, its cheap, longtime water source, and must create alternatives. The county is planning to spend $4.5 billion on projects like a high-tech wastewater disinfection plant over the coming decades.
As the prospect of costly water projects looms, so do water wars reminiscent of those that have raged for years in the West.
Orange County, home of Disney World, riled neighbors by requesting an additional 14 million gallons of groundwater a day, a 30 percent increase, over the next two decades. And residents of North Florida were outraged in 2003 when a group of developers urged the transfer of water from that region to the more crowded South Florida.
For now, the state has pledged $60 million a year to help subsidize water projects from the Panhandle to the Keys. Where the rest will come from remains unclear, as does the wisdom of some of the proposed projects. Ms. Vickers said more studies were needed on the safety of treated wastewater, the main alternative source counties are eyeing.
“What are the long-term impacts on health and the environment?” she asked. “I don’t think we know.”
Since rain will keep falling in Florida — even now, after some of the driest months on record, South Florida has started seeing deluges again — cities here may never press conservation to the extent that many of their Western counterparts do, offering homeowners cash for every square foot of turf they tear up and rebates for water-efficient toilets and appliances.
Yet some places are trying. After the 2001 drought, Ms. Barnett said, Sarasota County kept tough water-use rules in place and reduced its per-capita consumption to 90 gallons a day, compared with the state average of 174. Broward County now encourages homeowners to replace grass with native plants that need little water, sending out consultants who have helped remake 1,600 lawns. But it runs into trouble with homeowners’ associations that still require grass.
“Until these older communities change their bylaws,” said Diana Guidry, a Broward County official, “a lot of people will meet resistance.”
Marilyn Barber, whose yard was a carpet of grass when she moved to Broward County a decade ago, replaced all but 10 percent with plants that need watering only once a week. “Just like cars get smaller when gas gets high enough,” Mrs. Barber said, “if water becomes expensive or there isn’t enough of it, people will say, ‘Gee, I really can’t afford to have grass.’ ”
For now — at least in Southeast Florida — that seems unlikely. More than eight inches of rain have fallen so far this month in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, compared with about three inches throughout May.

[On Thursday, the South Florida Water Management District announced it was likely to ease the water restrictions soon.]

Original article published in the New York Times

Recovery Act Funding

Recovery Act Funding to Begin Cleanup, Boost Economy, Create Jobs and Protect Human Health at Clermont, FL Hazardous Waste Site

$5-$10 million in Recovery Act funds added to cleanup at Tower Chemical Superfund Site

Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

(Atlanta, Ga. – April 15, 2009) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced $5-$10 million in new funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the Tower Chemical Superfund site near Clermont, FL. The money will be used to begin hazardous waste clean-up at the site. It will also jumpstart the local economy by creating jobs in the Clermont area. This Recovery Act funding is part of the $600 million that Congress appropriated to the Federal Superfund remedial program.

“EPA has an answer to these challenging economic times,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Under the Recovery Act, we're getting harmful pollutants and dangerous chemicals out of these communities and putting jobs and investment back in.”

Tower Chemical is a former pesticide formulation facility in a fast-growing area of central Florida. ARRA funds will be used to remediate the soil contamination at the site.

“These funds will allow EPA to begin an aggressive cleanup at the site,” said Stan Meiburg, EPA Acting Regional Administrator in Atlanta. “As a result, the environment will be made cleaner and safer while providing much-needed boost to the local economy through the creation of green jobs during cleanup and by returning the site to productive use.”

The Federal Superfund program was created in 1980 to clean up uncontrolled hazardous waste sites that pose unacceptable risks to human health and the environment. Superfund sites are often found in industrial areas hardest hit by the recession. Superfund cleanups are major construction projects which employ thousands of workers nationwide. The Superfund program is implementing new or expanded cleanup actions at 50 sites around the country and since it began, the program has completed construction of remedies at more than 1,060 of the 1.596 sites on its National Priorities List.

By starting or speeding up cleanup at Superfund sites, Recovery Act funding is also increasing the speed with which these sites are returned to productive use. When a Superfund site is redeveloped, it can offer significant economic benefits to local communities including future job creation.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on February 17, 2009 and has directed the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at www.Recovery.gov.

For more information on the Tower ChemicalSuperfund Site, please visit here...
For more information on the Superfund program, please visit: Superfund

SJRWMD District Governing Board elects 2008-2009 Officers

PALATKA, Fla., Nov. 11, 2008

In a unanimous vote today, the St. Johns River Water Management District's Governing Board elected Susan N. Hughes of Ponte Vedra Beach to serve as Board chairman.

Hughes was appointed to a three-year term for an at-large seat on the District's Governing Board in October 2003 and was reappointed in March 2006 to a four-year term ending March 1, 2010. She was elected vice chairman of the Board in November 2007.

Hughes is chief human resources officer for JEA, a Jacksonville-based water, sewer and electric utility, where she has worked for nearly 23 years. She has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's degree in public administration from the University of North Florida. She is a registered professional engineer and also is involved in numerous civic and professional organizations.

The Board also elected W. Leonard Wood of Fernandina Beach as vice chairman, Hersey "Herky" Huffman of Enterprise as secretary, and Hans G. Tanzler III of Jacksonville as treasurer.

The other Board members are Douglas C. Bournique of Vero Beach, Michael Ertel of Oviedo, David G. Graham (outgoing chairman) of Jacksonville, Arlen N. Jumper of Fort McCoy, and Ann T. Moore of Bunnell.

Board members, who meet monthly, are responsible for setting the policies for the District's operation. They are appointed by the governor to four-year terms and serve without pay.

Water Management District Set to Issue Water Withdrawal Permit

March 2008

The St. Johns River Water Manage District has issued a notice of intention to issue the controversial water withdrawal permit to the City of Apopka. This permit will allow the City to withdraw up to 5 million gallons per day from Lake Apopka. The vote will come in the regular meeting of the SJRWMD Board of Governors on May 8 at 1:00 P.M. at the Palatka headquarters.

The Friends of Lake Apopka have continued to object to any surface water withdrawals because of the potential impact on the long-term restoration of the lake and the north shore marshes. The lake is a shallow lake under normal circumstances and the drainage basin is relatively small, making any lowering of the lake levels a critical problem. Another concern about this permit relates to the future needs of other local governments for surface water. The City of Minneola has already expressed an interest in withdrawing up to 20 million gallons a day from the lake.

While the City of Apopka permit allows an average of 5 million gallons per day (1825 million gallons per year), they are allowed to take up to 12.5 millions per day with a limit of 325.5 million gallons per month.

Because the alternative for using surface water is to use precious groundwater, FOLA has suggested a compromise proposal which includes construction of storage ponds in the north shore to collect stormwater for use when needed.

In a letter to the District, Jim Thomas has summarized FOLA’s objections and urged the District to focus attention on conservation projects, storage capabilities and re-distribution of existing re-use water such as that from the Conserve II project. The letter also made it clear that we should not consider any surface water uses because of the impacts on aquatic systems. (The District has already mandated major withdrawals from St. Johns River and the Oklawaha).

This is the beginning of a major water war Thomas stated, and we need firm, science-based policies in place to preserve our aquatic systems. Concerned citizens are urged to write letters of objection to Kirby Green, Executive Director, SJRWMD, PO Box 1429, Palatka, FL 32178-1429, to sign petitions that will be forwarded to the Board of Governors (petitions available at fola.org), and to attend the meeting in Palatka on May 8.