North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan on agenda for joint SRWMD-SJRWMD meeting 2017-01-17

Update 2017-01-19: Videos: NFRWSP Plan passed at joint SRWMD-SJRWMD Board Meeting 2017-01-17.

Update 2017-01-12: SRWMD did post responses to comments on the NFRWSP: they posted them a week in advance of planned adoption. Come on down to Alachua Tuesday!

Next week in Alachua without further public meetings or response to those who wrote in, SRWMD and SJRWMD plan to approve the North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan (NFRWSP), as the only item on the agenda.

Agenda

When: 11AM Tuesday 17 January 2017

Where: 15100 NW 142nd Terrace, Alachua, FL 32615

Event: facebook

WWALS never got a response to our letter about the NFRWSP, not about less water withdrawal, nor about better modeling and data, nor about more water retention, nor specifically about ditching the Rube Goldberg Falling Creek Aquifer Recharge Project for Dennis Price P.G.’s more cost-effective solution, nor with any mention of participation from farther afield in Florida nor in Georgia, for that matter.

The language of the memorandum accompanying the agenda is rather Orwellian:

The NFRWSP has identified sufficient sources of water to meet the needs of the environment and the projected demands through 2035.

That sounds like the environment is making projected demands. Actually, the maps in the NFRWSP are pretty clear that Jacksonville is making the most demands for water, along with other cities and corporate agriculture, and the plan would take from the environment, mostly from the Suwannee River Basin, to get that water.

Our Santa Fe River sums it up pretty well:

What kind of management is this? We want our river protected, not degraded and diminished even more. We must simply reduce over-pumping and STOP permits until the river has recovered. Which will NOT happen under this plan.

WWALS has taken a more participatory tack, asking for ongoing interaction from multiple parties in both states, but we don’t seem to be getting much response out of SRWMD.

Those who can, please join us in Alachua next Tuesday. The agenda and recommendation say at the bottom “Generated 12/22/2016 4:17 PM”, almost three weeks ago, yet they only published it yesterday. Only a week’s notice makes it harder for the public to attend, but also more important for the public to attend.

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Agenda

The SRWMD-SJRWMD agenda and staff recommendation:

Suwannee River Water Management District
St. Johns River Water Management District

JOINT GOVERNING BOARD MEETING
AGENDA
January 17, 2017 — 11:00 a.m.
15100 NW 142nd Terrace
Alachua, FL 32615

  1. Welcome / Introduction / Opening Comments
  2. Pledge of Allegiance and Prayer
  3. Roll Call
  4. Public Comment
  5. Consideration of the Joint North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan for Approval
  6. Governing Board Comment
  7. Executive Directors’ Comments
  8. Closing remarks
  9. Adjourn

Generated 12/22/2016 4:17 PM

MEMORANDUM

DATE: January 17, 2017

TO: Governing Board

FROM: Noah D. Valenstein, Executive Director
Suwannee River Water Management District

Ann B. Shortelle, Ph.D, Executive Director
St. Johns River Water Management District

SUBJECT: Approval of the Joint North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan

RECOMMENDATION
Approve the 2015-2035 Joint North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan (NFRWSP).

BACKGROUND

Recommendation Staff from the SJRWMD and SRWMD, along with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, have been working collaboratively since 2012 to develop the NFRWSP. The NFRWSP encompasses 14 counties, including Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, and Union.

The purpose of the partnership is to protect natural resources and water supplies in north Florida. This goal is being achieved through collaborative planning, scientific-tool development and related efforts. The NFRWSP has identified sufficient sources of water to meet the needs of the environment and the projected demands through 2035.

DISCUSSION
Over the past four years, the Districts coordinated 36 Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) meetings, two public workshops, and more than 50 other outreach meetings to engage stakeholders from many perspectives, in order to discuss their concerns regarding water supply. Additionally, a technical team consisting of experts in the field of groundwater modeling, developed the North Florida Southeast-Georgia Regional Groundwater flow model, generally referred to as the NFSEG model. The NFSEG Model was used to assess potential resource constraints, should all projected reasonable-beneficial demands be met by fresh groundwater. The results of that assessment determined that fresh groundwater alone could not supply the 2035 increased demand of 117 mgd without causing unacceptable impacts to the water resources. To address this potential deficit, the plan identifies over 200 mgd of effective conservation measures and water supply development and water resource development projects to meet the projected demand, while protecting the environment. Comments received during the public comment period from October 4, 2016 through December 5, 2016, were responded to in Appendix A and where appropriate, incorporated into the final draft of the plan.

District staff of the SRWMD and SJRWMD recommend that the Governing Boards approve the 2015 — 2035 NFRWSP, recognizing each District’s authority for water supply planning extends to water supply planning regions within its boundaries as established in section 373.069, F.S.

Generated 12/22/2016 4:17 PM