Unfortunately, Florida is a state where the current decision-makers as to our environment–the governor, Legislation, DEP, water districts– as a rule care not about conserving or protecting our rivers, springs and aquifer.
The people in these positions support their own personal agendas or anything that brings in money, and as a result, each year we have less flow in our rivers and springs, more pollution and fewer rural acres.
Laws are made but by-passed or broken, money is allocated but carefully avoids the polluters.
It is ironic and frustrating to watch the “protection” agencies–the DEP and water management districts– deliberately drag their feet, ignore laws, ignore data and issue misleading information.
It was not always this way in Florida, but it has been for a long time.
Thanks to Ryan Smart and the Florida Springs Council for this report.
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
Springs Conservation 💦 November Recap 
🏛️ 2024 Legislative Session Update
The Florida Springs Council works with lawmakers, legislative staff and our colleagues across the state to ensure Florida’s springs and waterways are protected and prioritized each Legislative Session. The 2024 Legislative Session starts on Jan. 9, but interim Committee Meetings are already underway and continue through Dec. 15.
We’re continuing to watch for legislation preempting local fertilizer ordinances, ratifying environmental rules, and rolling back existing laws. One bill that we are already following is Land and Water Management (HB 527) by Representative Maggard. An early holiday gift to developers, this bill – if passed – will preempt local governments from regulating wetlands dredge and fill activities and require local governments to use eminent domain proceedings to enforce protective buffers. This is just another in a long line of bills under this Legislature to tie the hands of local governments that want to protect their natural resources in order to benefit builders and regulated industries.
⚠️ FDEP’s Statewide Annual Report
It took five years for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to finally release water quality data on the progress of its Basin Management Action Plans. And, well, the results aren’t good.
FDEP’s water quality restoration plans are not working.
Our biggest takeaways from FDEP’s Statewide Annual Report:
1. 9/13 of DEP’s Basin Management Action Plans are “not on track” to achieve DEP’s 5-year nutrient removal target, which is 30% of the required load reduction.
2. Across all Outstanding Florida Springs BMAPs, DEP’s projects have achieved 12.5% of the required reduction necessary to achieve the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).
3. 13/19 of DEP’s water quality charts from the report show either an increase or no visible change in total nitrogen.
For more than five years Governor 
DeSantis and FDEP have ignored and undermined the 2016 Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act. As a result, Outstanding Florida Springs are more polluted today than they were when he took office.
💰 Springs Restoration Funding
Governor DeSantis is giving $57 million to protect Florida’s Springs, 
which is a nice headline, but it’s not cause for celebration, and it’s certainly not unprecedented 🤨
The law says $50 million is the minimum amount the State must allocate to springs each year. In comparison, DEP is proposing a $740 million budget for Everglades restoration this year.
Not only do our springs not get enough funding, the projects the funding is going toward are not effectively addressing water quality issues.
Of the 23 projects funded, only about 5% of the funding is going toward agriculture and land acquisition projects. Yet, agricultural pollution is the largest source of pollution in our springs.
Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature prioritize low-efficiency, low-impact septic projects, and FDEP’s own annual report proves this approach is not working.
🎥 Springs News in 90 Seconds
Every Friday, we share a Springs News in 90 Seconds video on social media. For a news recap each week, be sure to follow us on Facebook or Instagram!
• November 3: https://www.instagram.com/p/CzMjzqzxKVU/
• November 10: https://www.instagram.com/p/CzeZZD8xpg7/
• November 17: https://www.instagram.com/p/CzwooLqxzJh/
• November 24: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0CoYfpxwcp/
Resources & News 📰
📰 FWC “Go slow, look out below when on the water this Manatee Awareness Month” – Read here: https://myfwc.com/news/all-news/manatee-move-1123/
📰 Florida State Parks Annual Pass Discount – Read here
🏛️ Attend your county’s legislative delegation meeting to share issues and priorities in your community with your representatives ahead of the 2024 Legislative Session. Find dates and details for each meeting on 1000 Friends of Florida’s website.
Support Springs Protection 🛶
🗓️ Get a 2024 Springs Calendar! floridaspringscouncil.org/calendar
🏃♀️ Florida Springs Trail Run Series with Sommer Sports: runfloridasprings.com
• Silver Springs Half Marathon & 5k Trail Run: April 6
Upcoming Events:
• Rainbow River Conservation Annual Meeting: December 2 at 9 a.m.
• Ichetucknee Alliance at Swamphead Brewery: December 3 from 1 – 5 p.m.
• Linda Wilinski’s Meet the Artist Exhibit at Silver Springs State Park: December 9 from 2 – 4 p.m.
• Deviant Wolfe Brewing Winter Market: December 10 from 12 – 4 p.m.
• Florida Springs Council at Sunshine Book Co. for the Clermont Main Street Wine Stroll: December 15 from 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Click here to ask FSC any questions!
Copyright (C) 2023 Florida Springs Council. All rights reserved.
