- Source: Chicagotribune
Eleanor K. Sommer
Sinkholes Proliferate Around Florida Following Tropical Storm Debby
A tour of recent Florida sinkholes from thesinkhole.org.
- Source: thesinkhole.org
Rain Soaks Most of Florida
Parts of Florida have gotten as much as 13 inches of rain in 24 hours and nearly twice that in 48 hours as Tropical Storm Debby stalls off the coast near the Panhandle. The slow-moving storm, while dumping much needed rain on drought-stricken north and central Florida, is also wrecking havoc as it produces storm surge along the coasts and spawns tornadoes around the state. The storm is expected to move slowly across the state during the week.
- Source: Wunderground
Florida Conservation Coalition Calls Floridians to Action
Although the day began with the threat of rain that never materialized, more than 1400 people showed up at Silver River State Park today to join former Fla. Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham and other leaders of the Florida Conservation Coalition in a call to action to protect Florida’s water resources.
Eleanor K. Sommer
Participants at the Florida Conservation Coalition Forum, Silver River State Park near Ocala in Florida.
The day included talks, educational sessions, hikes to the river, and music by Whitey Markle and the Swamprooters. Participants also had the opportunity to learn about Florida’s springs and the Floridan aquifer from a contingent of nonprofit organizations that lined the edges of the big tent where speakers presented short talks, shared memories, and urged citizens to contact elected officials regarding Florida’s dwindling water supplies.
Eleanor K. Sommer
Former Fla. Gov. Bob Graham delivers the message about Florida's dwindling water resources.
Speaker Charles Lee of the Florida Audubon Society asked the audience to identify the most wasteful use of water in the state. He then pulled out a square of turf grass to emphasize his point: unnecessary landscape irrigation.
Lee also talked about the decline of flow rates in Florida’s waterways using Silver River as an example. Since 2000, Lee told the audience, the flow rate of the Silver Springs, which feeds the Silver River, flow has dropped from 800 cubic feet per second to 250 cubic feet per second.
If that rate continues he said, the springs could disappear within two to 12 years depending on whether you use aggressive or conservative measurements based on historical flow rates.
Lee also suggested that something is wrong with the rainfall calculations in the state. He said, for instance, that the Withlacoochee River has gone dry four times in the last 80 years: in 2001, 2005, 2009, and 2012, indicating rainfall has significantly changed in the last decade.
“Unfortunately, the water management districts are still plugging into their computer models that Florida is getting 60 inches of rainfall a year. Guess what? We’re not getting 60 inches a year,” he said.
The districts must calculate rainfall measurements and manage water accordingly, which Lee said will necessitate rolling back some existing consumptive use permits that are in existence now and failing to grant futures ones.
Lee admitted such action is a “tough call.” But he said “the reality is that the future of Florida’s economic growth is dependent on water resources.”
New York Times Features Plight of Florida Springs
Note: The last official state springs count by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection was 1040!
- Source: Nytimes
Upcoming Water Meetings in Florida
Saturday June 23
Stand Up for Silver Springs and Florida’s Waters
Sponsored by the Florida Conservation Coalition
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Silver River State Park, Ocala FL
Concerned Florida residents and organizations will gather on Saturday to learn about imperiled waterways and how they can be protected.The FCC was founded by former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham (D) and other organizations in 2011 to campaign for the protection and sustainable management of Florida’s natural environment and water resources. Former Fla. Gov. Graham will speak at the event with former state Sen. Lee Constantine (R). Other guest speakers include Bob Knight, Jim Stevenson, and John Moran. Whitey Markle and the Swamprooters will provide live music.
Monday June 25
First meeting of north Florida water supply stakeholder representatives
North Florida Regional Water Supply Partnership
6 p.m.
St. Johns District’s Governing Board Room, 4049 Reid St., Palatka FL
The stakeholder committee is an advisory body that will offer viewpoints of stakeholder groups with the St. Johns River and Suwannee River water management districts and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to help address the region’s water supply issues. The partnership was established by the Suwannee River Water Management District, the St. Johns River Water Management District, and DEP as an initiative to protect natural resources and ensure cost-effective and sustainable water supplies in north Florida. The initiative seeks to improve program coordination and communication among water managers, local governments, concerned individuals and other stakeholders by working together to protect the shared resources of the Floridan aquifer system.
Thursday June 28
Central Florida Water Initiative Open House
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Lakefront Marina Building,
1104 Lakeshore Blvd. St. Cloud FL
The public is invited to an information session to learn more about the Central Florida Water Initiative and how to become involved in the planning process. The information session will be an informal, open-house format with no formal presentation.
The Central Florida Water Initiative is a collaboration of agencies that address water issues in southern Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, and Seminole counties.
The St. Johns River Water Management District is part of the initiative, which is focused on water resource planning, development and management for the central Florida region. Other participating agencies are the South Florida and Southwest Florida water management districts, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and regional water utilities.
Maude Barlow Speaks Out On Water Issues
Maude Barlow fires off observations and offers an opinion about the state of water and how RIO+20 has failed once again to adequately address water availability in the world. Barlow is the national chairperson of the Council of Canadians, chair of the board of Food and Water Watch, as well as an international best-selling author and was featured in a documentary based on her book Water on the Table.
- Source: Alternet
