The Assignment: Establish Minimum Flows and Water Levels (MFLs) to comply with a law passed in 2016 to ensure present and future water availability AND prevent significant harm to the area’s natural resources. By design, MFL’s require setting limits on water usage. The DEP was assigned this task with a completion date of 2019.
Five years later, the DEP has not set limits to maintain MFL’s in the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee River basin and continues to approve water permits without pause. Our springs are loosing a battle of conflicting interests. Just last year the SRWMD approved a consumptive use permit for up to 1 ml gallons a DAY from the Ginnie Springs Complex.
Florida’s population growth is among the fastest in the US and as more people move to the area, more water is consumed. Housing developments are popping up everywhere and industries like water bottling, agriculture, and phosphate mining are all big consumers and powerful lobbyist. Does the DEP have too many strings pulling at them, preventing them from completing the assignment?
Our springs are flipping from blue to green because of reduced flow and high levels of nutrients, no longer being flushed by a weakened aquifer flow. “When rainfall variations are accounted for, the spring flow decline in the entire Santa Fe River is about 200 million gallons per day (MGD).” Blueprint for Santa Fe Springs Restoration, Florida Springs Institute, 2021.
Very little rainfall actually recharges our aquifer. To better understand the recharge rate watch this Dr. R.Knight presentation. This short National Geographic article can also help. The bottom line is that our area has experienced a 32% reduction in flow rate with no end in sight.
Will the DEP complete their five year overdue assignment of creating MFL’s for the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe River Basins to ensure present and future water availability AND prevent significant harm to the area’s natural resources? Their meeting to discuss MFL’s on the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee River Basins is on July 31st at 11 am in Live Oak and is open to the public. Here is the address SRWMD 9225 Co Rd 49, Live Oak, FL 32060.
OSFR President Joanne Tremblay
joanne.tremblay@oursantaferiver.org
“Giving Our River A Voice”
Thank you for your work on this!