We have often written here pointing out that the State of Florida is allowing the Santa Fe River to decline in flow and purity. The State purports to be protecting the river when it establishes Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs,) which are supposed to allow the most withdrawals without significantly harming the river.
In the case of the Santa Fe, this harm has now materialized because of too much pumping, so the State has also established a recovery strategy to bring the river back within the minimum flows. But the plan has not worked because the water management districts has not slowed pumping, they have increased it.
If it is the goal of the State to protect our rivers, their actions defy common sense.
So one must assume that protecting the Santa Fe is not the goal of the DEP and the Suwannee River Water Management District.
We see the MFLs to be a sham, apparently useful only to attempt to give the false impression that the State is actually protecting the river when it is obviously not.
The people of Florida deserve better than this!
If you follow the link given below by the Florida Springs Council, this sad situation is explained in more detail.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Water management districts continue to increase water withdrawals in the Santa Fe River Basin, even though the Santa Fe River is already below the State’s limit at which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful. To improve the condition of our springs and water resources we need to improve the process for issuing water use permits. An updated Santa Fe Recovery Strategy, which should set a limit on water use permits, is expected in 2025. Check out floridaspringscouncil.org/santafe for more info and to sign up to stay engaged in the process.
