The playwright could have added a bit more suspense. After listening to almost two dozen public comments, many recommending tabling the North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan (NFRWSP) or a moratorium on new water withdrawal permits, the boards of the Suwannee River Water Management District and the St Johns River Water Management District each voted unanimously to approve.

Here are WWALS videos of each of the speakers, with a few notes, followed by video playlist of the whole thing.

• Capacity Crowd

  Video.

• Call to Order, Invocation, Pledge

  Video.

• Jon Steverson, DEP Sec.

  Video.

• DEP as referee –SRWMD Chairman Don Quincy

  Video.

• Roll call and comments by SJRWMD Chairman John A. Miklos

  Video.

• Environmental side underrepresented –Dr. Patrick T. Welsh, SAC member

  Video. He wrote a minority report, but seconded the motion to approve the NFRWSP that was unanimously approved by the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC).

• Lakes drawn down due to overpumping –Vivian Katz, Save Our Lakes

  Video. Our lakes have been drawn down due to overpumping — Vivian Katz, Save Our Lakes

• Stagger board meetings –Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, Sierra Club Florida

  Video.

• Santa Fe springs basically a slime ball now –Mark Wray, Ginnie Springs

  Video.

• A few people didn’t answer

  Video.

• Multi-generational farms –Florida Farm Bureau Federation

  Video.

• Model inadequate, notice, process, table –John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper

  Video. Model still inadequate, little notice of responses, please table, and what is ongoing process –John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper

• Table: more springs protection –Debbie Siegel, env. scientist

  Video. Heartwrenching that this degradation has occured on our watch. Please table pending more springs protection –Debbie Siegel, environmental scientist

• Doesn’t have conservation. Ask table. –Lisa Rinaman, St Johns Riverkeeper

  Video. Doesn’t have conservation: regulation, education, and incentives. Ask table. –Lisa Rinaman, St Johns Riverkeeper

• Continue working to refine model –Rick Hutton, FRUC, SAC, NFSEG

  Video. Committed to continue working with your team to further refine that model –Rick Hutton, Florida Regional Utilities, SAC Member, NFSEG Technical Team

• Many projects from his county –Larry Miller, St Johns County Utilities

  Video.

• Fail to fix deficits or decrease demand –Jim Tatum, OSFR

  Video. As an individual, appreciate the hard work, but plan will fail to fix deficits or decrease demand –Jim Tatum, OSFR

• Continue alternative water supplies –Jeremy Johnston, COO, Clay County

  Video. Alternative water supplies, and look forward to continuing to work with SJRWMD –Jeremy Johnston, COO, Clay County Utility Authority

• JEA water to 700,000 residents; approval –Tom Bartol, SAC, JEA, NFUCG

  Video. JEA serves up water to over 700,000 residents –Tom Bartol, SAC, JEA, NFUCG See also http://northfloridawater.com/meetings/documents/2015/11-04/NFSEG_presentation_model_status_update-2015-11-04.pdf

• Return NFRWSP to staff to address major defects –Paul Still

  Video. Return NRWSP to staff to address major defects –Paul Still

• Plan prioritizes special interests –Emily Taylor, recent UFL graduate

  Video. How broken and polluted our springs are, and plan prioritizes special interests –Emily Taylor, recent UFL graduate

• Table plan; get more comment. –Dr. Bob Knight, Florida Springs Institute

  Video.

• Restoration is not Conservation –Paul Donsky, Student, Santa Fe College

  Video.

• Wants market forces –Jean Larson, Gainesville

  Video. Aquifer levels dropping, affecting wells. Wants market forces –Jean Larson, Gainesville

• Encourages accepting plan –Jacqui Sulek, Audubon Florida, SAC

  Video. Updated 20 people, fed comments to committee. Encourages accepting plan –Jacqui Sulek, Audubon Florida, SAC

• Thanked committee and board –Zeriah Folston, City Manager, City of Archer

  Video.

• Implement moratorium on new consumptive use permits –Karen Chadwick

  Video.

• Staff presentation –Carlos Herd, SRWMD

  Video.

• Staff presentation –Mike Register, SJRWMD

  Video.

• Boards vote to approve; say they heard nothing new.

  Video.

• Remarks –Ann Shortelle, ED, SJRWMD

  Video.

• Remarks –Noah Valenstien, ED, SRWMD

  Video.

• Chairman closing remarks and adjournment

  Video.

• Dr. Bob Knight, Florida Springs Institute, interviewed by ABC News 2017-01-17

  Video.

Here’s a WWALS video playlist:

Videos: NFRWSP Plan passed at joint SRWMD-SJRWMD Board Meeting 2017-01-17
Videos by John S. Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS),

And outside:

Plus a Riverkeeper joint photograph:

Lisa Rinaman, St Johns Riverkeeper; John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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

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