Thanks to Stew Lilker for recording and analysis of a presentation about water planning in the Suwannee and St. Johns River Basins.

To answer his question: No, there won’t be enough water, unless water withdrawals are limited, which neither of the Suwannee nor St. Johns River Water Management Districts seem inclined to do.

Please sign the petition to get Right to Clean and Healthy Waters on the ballot:
https://www.floridarighttocleanwater.org

SRWMD, NFRWSP

Stew Lilker, Columbia County Observer, October 9, 2023, North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan: Just a Suggestion – Will There Be Enough Water in the Future?

Updated – October 11, 2023  2:55 am – mixed SRWMD slide deck with Observer audio for a clean presentation by Amy Brown, Ph.D. Downloading the slide deck (pdf) keeps all links at the end of the presentation live.

COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan (the east side of the Suwannee River Water Management District and the top half of the St. Johns River Water Management District) is being updated. The Plan focuses on the sustainability of resources. It is just a plan, and water users “are not required to implement” any options identified in the Plan.

Well, slide 24 seems to indicate some requirements. Maybe local governments don’t have to implement exactly what NFRWSP says, but I’d bet they will be strongly recommended to do so.

Local Government Requirements

Skipping ahead a bit (please read all of Stew’s writeup), I have also interleaved the slides Stew refers to directly into the text, plus a few others.

While the data and explanations might be confusing, The purpose of the Plan is to evaluate how much water will be needed in 2045 and whether the traditional sources of groundwater (the water below the ground) can meet the future demand.

The Plan is supposed to analyze if springs and wetlands in the Plan’s footprint will be protected as the aquifer and other natural water sources are pumped out. If South Florida is an example, we’re all in trouble. Developers take no prisoners.

Introduction

Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) is conflicted about whether it is a water-permitting or public resource management agency.

The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) is widely believed not to be concerned about conservation while pumping as much water as is requested.

If “conflicted” means SRWMD hardly ever seems to review a water withdrawal permit that it does not approve.

Skipping ahead again.

Amy Brown, Ph.D. – 2023 Plan Update

The SRWMD’s Amy Brown, Ph.D.

Amy Brown, Ph.D., is the Water Resources Deputy Executive Director for the SRWMD. She is responsible for implementing and coordinating district programs and projects related to water resource monitoring, minimum flows and levels, groundwater modeling, environmental and water resource projects, and water supply planning. Ms. Brown began working at the district in 2016 and holds a Bachelor in chemistry from Michigan State University. She has a Masters degree in geology from Sue Ross State University and a Ph.D. in geological sciences from UF.

On September 28, 2023, Ms. Brown presented an in-person update to the North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan to the NCFRPC.

There were many takeaways from Ms. Brown’s presentation.

Regional Water Supply Planning §373.709, F.S.

Florida statute (section 373.709) states: “The governing board of each water management district shall conduct water supply planning for a water supply planning region within the district identified in the appropriate district water supply plan under s. 373.036, where it determines that existing sources of water are not adequate to supply water for all existing and future reasonable-beneficial uses and to sustain the water resources and related natural systems for the planning period.”

That Florida Statute has a two-fold goal: “to supply water for all existing and future reasonable-beneficial uses and to sustain the water resources and related natural systems…”.

Unlike what some state officials seem to say, supplying water for every use is not the sole goal, no matter what “reasonable-beneficial” means.

The other goal is “to sustain the water resources and related natural systems…”.

Massive fat-pipe engineering systems do not sustain natural systems.

Back to Stu.

The water use in the planning area is anticipated to almost double along with a doubling in the population (slide 6). The WMD figures seem low, as it uses figures from 2015.

Historic Water Use and Population -vs- Projected Water Demand and Population in NFRWSP

Fort White and Lower Santa Fe – Ichetucknee area are front and center in slide 9. This is a significant area as Columbia County’s County Chair is building a subdivision smack in the Ichetucknee Recovery Strategy Area.

Adopted MFLs

Saltwater infusion, the ocean’s water permeating into the groundwater, is a problem in South Florida. In slide 12, chloride concentrations mean saltwater intrusion. For folks who don’t know, the slide should have said that.

Water Quality

Will the Water Management Districts be able to meet future water supply demands? The North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan seems to say yes on slide 17.

Project Options to Meet Future Demand

Is this realistic in light of the SJRWMD policies and the SRWMD’s continuing failures to adequately manage the region’s water?

Whatever goes on in the region will cost money. Ms. Brown lays out the funding options at slide 22.

Funding Options

The WMD projects a 135 mgd increase in groundwater demand from 2015 to 2045 (slide 23) and concludes the obvious, “Future demand cannot be met with traditional sources without potential impacts to water resources.”

Conclusions

The WMD claims it has identified 158 mgd of projected options “that meet future demand while sustaining water resources and related natural systems.”

If you want to gain greater insight into the region’s water management planning, the rest of Ms. Brown’s slide pack will give you some insight into the process and links to explore the plans further.

North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan Update, Suwannee River Water Management District, September 28, 2023

Epilogue

The SRWMD states, “Traditional sources cannot meet future demand while protecting water resources.”

The WMD claims, “Future demand can be met while protecting water resources through a combination of alternative sources and other identified projects.”

If you enjoy clean water, springs, rivers and lakes, and the quality of life that many areas in North Florida provide, the North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan is something to pay attention to.

The comment period deadline was Friday.

Draft 2023 NFRWSP Public Workshop

SRWMD and SJRWMD each already held a public telling. I attended the SRWMD one on September 21st via gotomeeting. Nobody from the audience said anything, except Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, who gave them an earful.

WWALS did not send in anything new since our written comments of January 31st, since they still seemed just as relevant. As in nobody seemed to be listening.

I imagine that you could still send comments:

Public comments can be emailed to the North Florida Partnership partnership@sjrwmd.com

Or submitted online at https://northfloridawater.com/watersupplyplan/commentform.html

I don’t know that they will be incorporated into the plan. But at least such comments will be public record.

Two things would help this never-ending water withdrawal situation:

1. Elect better people to statewide and statehouse offices.
2. Sign the petition to get Right to Clean and Healthy Waters on the ballot:
   https://www.floridarighttocleanwater.org

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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