Nine years after Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson asked them to stagger their meetings, SRWMD and SJRWMD are still meeting the same day, three hours drive apart.

So tomorrow if you want to talk about Water First North Florida (WFNF), you much choose: SRWMD in Live Oak or in Palatka.

Stagger SRWMD and SJRWMD Board meetings, 2017-01-17 –Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson @ joint meeting about NFRWSP

For much more about WFNF, including who else to contact, some questions to ask, and a petition, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Here’s the WWALS video of Merrillee from January 17, 2017:

https://youtu.be/lCnR0Rw0BF8?si=V7Zpwc53S3__6CS6

This was at a rare joint board meeting of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) and the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). The occasion was to pass the North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan (NFRWSP).

You may not know the NFRWSP, but in November 2025, WFNF was rolled into it by each of those boards.

You can watch the WWALS videos of all the speakers, who were mostly asking for the same things people are still asking for: less overpumping from groundwater, do something to restore the springs, what about multi-generational farms, the underlying model is inadequate, too little notice of massive changes, too little conservation, need to decrease water demand, and need to find other ways to get water.

Hm, that last one was from the Chief Operating Officer of the Clay County Utility Authority, even though he was in favor of NFRWSP. He said they were already pumping 10% less than a decade ago, even with increased population. Their board had passed a alternative water supply plan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXM6kmw1MI&list=PLKwQ5xfKf-QyymMmD6eHcZR0eieGNG8tD&index=19

That Clay County Utilities Plan unfortunately does not include seawater desalination, but it does include brackish surface water from the St. Johns River, even though they had not chosen to do that.

Desalination of both brackish water and seawater are less expensive these days.

Pretty full house at join SRWMD-SJRWMD Board meeting, 2017-01-17 –jsq for WWALS

Proposed Water Resource Caution Area, 2017-01-17 –jsq for WWALS

Agenda, 2017-01-17 –SRWMD and SJRWMD
PDF

Recommendation, 2017-01-17 –SRWMD and SJRWMD
PDF

 -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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