Central Florida gains approval to drain the St. Johns to water lawns

[thelakelander]

St. Johns water withdrawal permit approved

PALATKA â€" A plan to take water from the St. Johns River to supply growing Central Florida suburbs won approval from a state agency Monday despite pleas from scores of opponents.

“This is the most difficult decision that has come to the board in my term,” said Susan Hughes, chairman of the St. Johns River Water Management District board.

She supported the permit, which the board passed on a 5-4 vote.

The decision allows Seminole County’s utility system to take up to 5.5 million gallons daily for drinking water and lawn watering.

Many critics warned that would open a floodgate of communities wanting to take far more.

“This 5.5-million-gallon withdrawal is the proverbial camel’s nose under the tent,” St. Johns County Commission Chairman Cyndi Stevenson argued.

full article: http://www.jacksonville.com/news/2009-04-13/story/st_johns_water_withdrawal_permit_approved

[jandar]

Thats fine, let them.

When we hit back with a multibillion dollar lawsuit for damages to our ecosystem in North Florida, then they will finally understand.

Money talks. Sadly though, tons of wildlife will suffer until this is changed.

[reednavy]

Or, we can hope for another 97-98 drought, but this time, the fires do their job down there. Just a thought.

[stjr]

Once again, subsidized development rears its ugly head.  If we are so desperate for water, why not put a moratorium on new construction as they have done elsewhere when facing resource shortages.

Not here.  Let's give them the water and fuel more development.  When the water runs short, let's up the permit again.  And so on, until we have irreversibly destroyed the river's ecosystem.

Our natural resources, including land, water, oil, etc. are finite and man needs to stop living like there is no end in site.  We are assuring our own destruction.

[stjr]

“

"This is the most difficult decision that has come to the board in my term,” said Susan Hughes, chairman of the St. Johns River Water Management District board.

She supported the permit, which the board passed on a 5-4 vote....

..."I’m absolutely convinced … there will be no harm to the river,” said board member David Graham of Jacksonville.

Voting with him and Hughes were members Douglas Bournique, Ann Moore and Michael Ertel, who is Seminole County’s supervisor of elections.

Florida Times Union: http://jacksonville.com/news/2009-04-13/story/st_johns_water_withdrawal_permit_approved

Here are the Jacksonville area voters who voted against Jacksonville's interests:

Susan N. Hughes, Chairman
Ponte Vedra

Ms. Hughes is chief human resources officer for JEA, a Jacksonville-based water, electric and sewer utility, where she has worked for nearly 23 years. She was appointed to a three-year term on the District’s Governing Board on Oct. 9, 2003, to an at-large seat, and was reappointed in March 2006 to a four-year term ending March 1, 2010. She was elected vice chairman of the Board on Nov. 13, 2007, and served until her election as Board chairman on Nov. 11, 2008. Ms. Hughes 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 also is a registered professional engineer. Ms. Hughes is outgoing vice president of the Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA) Utility Council. She is a graduate of the 2004 class of Leadership Jacksonville, has served on the Florida Chamber Water Task Force and Jacksonville Mayor’s Growth Management Task Force. Ms. Hughes also serves on the Board of the PACE Center for Girls and previously on the Winston YMCA Board.

David G. Graham
Jacksonville
Mr. Graham is chairman and chief executive officer of InTuition Development Holding, LLC. He was appointed to a four-year term on the District’s Governing Board March 1, 2001, to an at-large seat. He was reappointed in 2005. He was elected as the Board’s treasurer Nov. 13, 2001, serving until Nov. 11, 2003, when he was elected vice chairman. He was elected Board chairman Nov. 8, 2005, and served until Nov. 11, 2008. A Jacksonville native and graduate of Jacksonville University, Mr. Graham has been involved in banking and financial services since 1979, holding senior positions with Barnett Bank and Barnett Banks Trust Co. He is active in the Jacksonville civic, business and higher education communities. Mr. Graham has held director or trustee positions in various organizations, including Mandarin Presbyterian Church, the University of North Florida Business Advisory Council, InRoads Inc., and Jacksonville University. He currently is on the board of SunTrust Banks of North Florida and on the Foundation Board of Episcopal High School.

[kellypope]

Or let's stop Coke and PepsiCo and Nestlé or whoever else is draining our springs and just send central Florida some north Florida spring water. I say we kick out the big-brand companies regardless.

[tufsu1]

Not that I disagree with opponents of the decision, but it is important to recognize that the SJRWMD is supposed to manage water use....which includes, to some extent, ensuring the provisio of water.

Its kind of like DCA having to do growth management....it doesn't mean that they are supposed to say NO to all development....just balance it as much as possible.

Clearly the SJRWMD was in a very difficult position, because parts of their core mission may be in conflict in this case.

[JeffreyS]

We know Florida's water future is Desalinization so let's not spend large amounts of money to ruin our rivers just to put off what we will have to do anyway.

[riverkeepered]

This issue exemplifies the problems inherent with the St. Johns River Water Management District and the policies that govern our water resources.  Instead of addressing the root causes of our water supply problems first, the District is directing communities to seek new sources and the preferred path leads to the St. Johns River.  The Floridan Aquifer, the source of 90% of our water in Florida, is one of the most productive and vast sources of freshwater on our planet.  Yet, we have managed to reach its limits within an extraordinary short period of time.  The responsible and prudent thing to do would be to address the reasons for this rapid depletion of our aquifer before simply moving on to the next source that we can exploit.  Conservation has not been seriously attempted in this state, and the District has done little to require or make it a priority.  It is simply irresponsible to spend billions of dollars tapping into the St. Johns and rolling the dice with the health of our river before exhausting all of the more cost-effective and proven conservation options that are readily available to us. 

[fsu813]

we need lawns like in the Southwest. that should be standard. a lawn that requires regular watering should be aviable, but cost extra.

[samiam]

I call to stop all new development in Florida with the exception of infill and adaptive reuse. All the cookie cutter subdivision's are not needed. Hell on my AD VALOREM TAXES I pay ST Johns River Water Mgmt taxes so I should have a say what is done with the river if i pay taxes on it

[Charles Hunter]

Every property should have two meters - one for consumption, one for irrigation.  The irrigation meter would be "smart" in that it would charge a much higher rate when it isn't OK to irrigate.  Like 10 times higher.  Something would have to be done to keep green grass fetishists from running a hose from their bathtub, but I'm sure this could be figured out, too.

[Jason]

I love my green grass and don't have to water it at all!  Bahia grass is the Bomb!

SamIam, in a perfect world I would love to see that too.

[jandar]

How about spending the money to reuse waste water instead. Much better to filter it back into the environment than it is to dump it in a river.

[ChriswUfGator]

I vote for a cross between Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia!

The amazing thing about this is, you can play 36 holes on it in the afternoon, then take it home and just get stoned to the bejesus belt that night on it...