On Tuesday Nov. 3, Lisa Rinaman, the St Johns Riverkeeper, sent out the following important notice:
DISTRICT BOARD TO VOTE ON WATER SUPPLY PLANS
On Tuesday, November 10, the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Governing Board will vote on the Central Florida Water Initiative water supply plans.
These plans are based on inflated water demand projections, threaten the St. Johns with massive surface water withdrawals, and encourage more unsustainable sprawl.
Tell the Governing Board members to vote “NO” on the Central Florida Water Initiative water supply plans.
Let them know you are opposed to surface water withdrawals from the St. Johns River and want water conservation to be the priority.
Once these supply plans are approved, it will be much harder to stop these ill-advised projects that threaten our river.
This critical vote takes place next Tuesday, the 10th!
SJRWMD Governing Board:
John Miklos, Chairman jmiklos@sjrwmd.com
Fred Roberts, Vice Chair froberts@sjrwmd.com
Chuck Drake, Secretary cdrake@sjrwmd.com
Carla Yetter, Treasurer cyetter@sjrwmd.com
Doug Bournique dbournique@sjrwmd.com
Doulas Burnett dburnett@sjrwmd.com
Ron Howse rhowse@sjrwmd.com
George Robbins grobbins@sjrwmd.com
John Miklos, Chairman jmiklos@sjrwmd.com
Fred Roberts, Vice Chair froberts@sjrwmd.com
Chuck Drake, Secretary cdrake@sjrwmd.com
Carla Yetter, Treasurer cyetter@sjrwmd.com
Doug Bournique dbournique@sjrwmd.com
Doulas Burnett dburnett@sjrwmd.com
Ron Howse rhowse@sjrwmd.com
George Robbins grobbins@sjrwmd.com
For more information about the problems with the plans and the potential impacts from water withdrawals, visit our website.
HELP US HOLD FDEP
AND GP ACCOUNTABLE
As a condition of its permit to build a pipeline into the St. Johns River, Georgia-Pacific (GP) had to conduct an extensive biological survey to analyze the effect of the relocation of its effluent.
The survey shows that a significant decline in biodiversity of macroinvertebrates (very small organisms like worms and crustaceans) has occurred since the discharge was relocated into the river. While the report does not single out GP as the cause, it does say that the “discharge relocation cannot be ruled out as a source of variance.”
Unfortunately, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has failed to require any further action.
Contact FDEP and tell them to continue the monitoring and get to the bottom of the significant biological shift that has clearly taken place in the river.
Drew Bartlett
FDEP Deputy Secretary of Ecosystem Restoration
850-245-8446
Drew.bartlett@dep.state.fl.us
FDEP Deputy Secretary of Ecosystem Restoration
850-245-8446
Drew.bartlett@dep.state.fl.us
Jon Steverson
Secretary of FDEP
850-245-2011
850-245-2011
Additional monitoring is the only way to find out what is responsible for the decline in biodiversity that has occurred in the St. Johns since the relocation of GP’s wastewater.
Read more about this issue on our website.
We must keep the pressure on to make sure they follow through with their responsibility to our river!
For the River,
Lisa Rinaman, Your St. Johns Riverkeeper
