Raping the river

There was an article in this mornings online news about a small town in Tennessee who's water supply is so bad that they have running water only 3hrs a day.  I don't believe this is a done deal Finder.  It's a done deal only if citizens are apathetic about it.

Draining the St Johns is neither a long term or permanent solution, it's a stop gap measure that will last about 25yrs according to the articles I've read.

It is absolutely freaking ridiculous to endanger so much and so many for the needs of a few.

Orlando needs to stop their residential growth........period.  Helping with a shortage that already exists is one thing.  Allowing the need or the problem to be exacerbated by further development and growth is another.

 Hopefully some of this crap will slow down when the developement industry goes belly-up over real estate bust. Only scarey part is Fl. will just draw foreign money and growth. We need to pay more attention to who's running for some of theese state offices, but not many candidates really care, beyond their political future.

''The Jeb-Bushification of Florida". The government of this state has given developers free rein and boy have they taken advantage.

In an acrticle written in the sptimes.com,

"Having returned after a long stay in Alabama to Florida last year, St. Petersburg Times columnist Bill Maxwell is stunned by how the state has changed, especially resentful of what he saw along once pleasant country roads as he drove back from his recent 300-mile trip to Amelia Island northeast of Jacksonville, calling the 70-mile Highway 17 stretch from Yulee south to Palatka ''a virtual gateway to the sprawl'' everywhere from the Atlantic Ocean to west of Jacksonville International Airport and the highway itself ''nothing more than a frontage road for developers.''

He goes on to say,

''I hated what I saw,'' he writes, urging others to take a good look around. ''Gangs of fools -- with public approval -- are backfilling our swamps, bulldozing our trees, butchering our mangroves, gouging our shorelines and paving over our grasslands all in the name of development and profit.''

Now they want to rape the rivers. Will we wait until they have destroyed the entire State before we stand up.

When will we the citizens contact our legislators, commissioners, and all those that are making these decisions and tell them we are tired of this abuse of the State of Florida. Then sign the Hometown Democracy Petition and let them understand we see what they are doing and we DO NOT approve. If the leaders cannot be responsible then we the citizens need to stop this abuse.

Governor Crist as reported in the orlandosentinel,

''Growth decisions are supposed to reflect the public interest, but unfortunately in Florida the public interest has been hijacked by the development industry,'' said Florida Hometown Democracy (FHD) Chairwoman Lesley Blackner, commenting on Republican Governor Charlie Crist's private meeting with several of the state's most powerful business executives at Darden Restaurants headquarters in Orlando -- reporters let in just for the last few minutes -- during which the governor assured them he feels their pain over the nonpartisan grassroots group's efforts to place a constitutional anti-sprawl amendment on a 2008 ballot.

FHD leader Blackner described the governor as repaying for business contributions to his $20-million electoral chest in 2006 and ''drinking the over-developers' Kool-Aid.''

Governor Crist feels our pain but he needs to hear our voices.

Angela - Do you know where we could find more info on the anti-sprawl amendment or  maybe whatever organization is the proponent?  I have to agree that it does seem like the business community has taken over the government in the name of creating more subdivisions, strip malls and office centers.  Many of these places seem to open with a flourish and then many empty out within 6 months and sit empty forever.

See the ballot and signature form at www.floridahometowndemocracy.com

Lets all support the efforts to Save Florida one acre at at time.

Ok, I signed and mailed mine

Good for you LARon!  Now, print out a few and bookmark the site and spread the word.  Not only to your family, friends and neighbors but also the UPS guy, or the Server at the next restuarant you eat out at or the Cashier in the Grocery Store etc.  You can also promote it on other blogging or comment sites on the internet.

I don't try to convince people, I just let them know it's there, that it's simply an effort to put some control back into the hands of the people. Also, at this point it's all about just getting enough signatures to put it on the ballot.  If they think it's a bad idea after signing it, they can always vote against it later.   I've even offered to mail it for them and offered them copies I carry so it's easy for them to pass the word as well. I know of at least a dozen people who have right in front of me.

Already sent to all the FL people in my email mailbox and printed a few to offer to my neighbors.  When I reviewed the website, I thought that I saw that they might have already reached the threshold for placing it on the ballot next year but I'm not sure.

For your consideration, I post this press release:

1000 Friends Rejects Hometown Democracy

The board of directors of 1000 Friends of Florida, a self-styled growth management watchdog group, has come out against the proposed Florida Hometown Democracy amendment that's designed to slow growth by requiring voter approval for comprehensive-plan changes.

In a statement, 1000 Friends said the HD amendment would lead to "high-priced media campaigns" on growth proposals that would favor deep-pocket developers and that the change could actually increase sprawl, not reduce it. The group favors a "citizens' bill of rights" that among other things would require super-majority votes by local governments to change plans and to notify every neighborhood association affected by a proposed land use change.

Verb, very interesting. Just one question. At the risk of impugning a much beloved figure, just who are these Bozos? I also have my doubts that are 1000 of them. Is there a list somewhere or is this just more bazonga from John Thrasher?

ooops! Sorry that was two questions. Not that anyone is counting, I'm sure. :>)

Lily's Lore "I don't ever want to be rescued And I don't ever want to be saved I got a feelin' that I'm gonna be alive forever Dancin' on the edge of a grave..." Jim Steinman

Verb - Thanks for the update. I emailed them a copy of the press release you posted and asked them to respond.  I'll let everyone know what I get in response.

 Although, I guess it does make sense that there would be numerous business groups that would come out in opposition to the HD amendment.

The only way the HTD amendment will increase sprawl is if the people that live in that area vote to have that new strip mall or Walmart built in their front yard.

''The movers and shakers are at it again, and as usual, they don't care who gets moved or shaken."

What a joke about the super majority vote of the local government. They vote 5-0 on everything now.

Commissioner Stewart who voted along with the rest of the Commissioners to change Kingsley Lake for some 70 or more houses to be built out there really distrubed me. Once you tear down these areas and take away the Old Florida you cannot put it back.

The hypocrisy here is her thought that all those new house built over would be better for the lake than 100 or more campers. Commissioner Stewart is the non-voting member of the TDC (tourist development council). Commissioner Stewart wouldn't those campers be tourist? Couldn't we collect tourist money off those campers? What were you thinking, urban sprawl.

I get very upset about developers getting impact credits for land and other things too. Commissioner Rutledge if he signs that letter means we the taxpayers are paying for the new growth instead of the developer. The developer doesn't pay he passes those cost on to the people he sells too. So we the taxpayers are paying for the developer to make more money because he includes impact fee in the prices of that impact. Then the taxpayers pick up the tab because the Commissioner would give them credits.

Thanks LARon for your support. Pass it on.

They do have enough signatures to get it on the ballot, but a backdoor campaign to get people to revoke their signatures is ongoing, supported by the people who do not want it on the ballot. We need no room for error so we need more than enough signatures to make sure it is placed on the ballot.

Keep working folks, we can no longer trust those who represent us.

You said they got their 600K+ signatures needed?  When I was on the site this morning it said 350K.  Is there something I don't know, or have I misunderstood something?

I'm not buying into any political propoganda opposing HDA.  The TRUE SUPER MAJORITY are the citizens that pay to run the show.

They have only turned in 350k signatures. The reason for not turning in all the signatures collected is the people opposing the amendment then request the information and then mass mail them the "Thrasher letter". They attempt to scare the people and to get them to revoke their signatures. You know the letter which has been discussed on the blogs.

You know what they say don't give the enemy bullets for their guns. So we need to continue to work hard for more than enough signatures because these people will not stop and they have mega money.

They need to account for any signatures that will be revoked or not accepted. Keep up the good work folks.

I like your suggestions for blogging other sites and giving out petitions to anyone you come in contact with in your everyday life. Thanks for your hard work too.

Kudos to Lesley! Girls Rock

lilyslore

Here is their website: http://www.1000friendsofflorida.org/.

FINDER

It appears that the SJRWMD has been asked to do an informational workshop on the water shortage and the St. John's River at the Nov. 20 BCC workshop (2PM). I guess we will have to keep up with the county web site to confirm this, but that's what I am hearing at this time.

Similar workshops have occurred recently with the BCC's of both St. John's County and Nassau County.

I'm not sure SJRWMD would call it a rape, since they seem to be so willing to take $250 million gallons of water a day out of the river. Salt water fishing license needed for Black Creek and St. John's River needed in the future? Indeed!

Why should anybody put any faith in the SJRWMD another layer of government bureaucracy just check out your tax bill. We donate to that charitable organization too.

Now I am certain this taxdollar funded organization will only attempt to tell me how wonderful this raping of the rivers and the environment will be good for me. Well maybe they will tell me it will only hurt a little. Oh boy another workshop.

Citizens involvement is the only hope we have here folks. So keep collecting those signatures.

Verb, (neat blog name by the way) I have just read a few things on the 1000 Friends site. I note they have their own proposal in a Citizens Bill of Rights. While interesting, I also note that it doesn't really do much in preserving what little is left of a natural Florida. This is disconcerting. They also claim that their plan will short circuit any shell games played by developers or planners. Pretty much all of life is a shell game to me. I'm not persuaded.

I don't know enough yet about this group but will go back to read more over the next few days. What did surprise me is it was formed in 1986. Either I'm denser than I thought or these guys haven't been very vocal in the past. The former Board of Directors also made for interesting reading. If I can recognize some names that make me nervous, I can only dread the names I don't know. As long as John Thrasher isn't involved with them I will keep an open mind but over all I still plan to vote for the Hometown Democracy Ammendment simply because at the moment there is no alternative. Even with the Citizens Bill of Rights proposal, I have to wonder why they haven't seen fit to propose it for a ballot. Hopefully others here concerned with this issue will also take an interest and review the material on the site if for no other reason, it is good to know those who oppose you much like Patton knew Rommel.

Lily's Lore "I don't ever want to be rescued And I don't ever want to be saved I got a feelin' that I'm gonna be alive forever Dancin' on the edge of a grave..." Jim Steinman

Howdy neighbors,

I'll have to say the HTDA and River-talk seems a pretty hot-button issue on our favorite blog site.  I agree with all who say do more than blog.  Talk it up, write letters, and most of all get out there and vote.

I read all the articles in the TU about water shortages and found it interesting Florida receives some portion of our water from Georgia rivers/lakes, and Georgia is considering cutting off that supply of water due to its own water shortage problems.  Puts a little different spin on it, for sure.

I remember back in elementary school reading in the Weekly Reader about predictions for the future (post-2000). A couple that stick in my mind were about a future space station, and water shortages due to over-population.  The prediction of people gladly paying for fresh water one day seemed especially ludicrous since you could open a faucet and get all the water you wanted - free.  Now, 40 years later, the predicted space station is orbiting the earth, my wife buys cases of water at BJ's, and local governments are arguing about water sharing.

Actually very scary if one imagines what could happen over the next 40 years.  Is forced population control far behind?

Howdy neighbors,

I'll have to say the HTDA and River-talk seems a pretty hot-button issue on our favorite blog site.  I agree with all who say do more than blog.  Talk it up, write letters, and most of all get out there and vote.

I read all the articles in the TU about water shortages and found it interesting Florida receives some portion of our water from Georgia rivers/lakes, and Georgia is considering cutting off that supply of water due to its own water shortage problems.  Puts a little different spin on it, for sure.

I remember back in elementary school reading in the Weekly Reader about predictions for the future (post-2000). A couple that stick in my mind were about a future space station, and water shortages due to over-population.  The prediction of people gladly paying for fresh water one day seemed especially ludicrous since you could open a faucet and get all the water you wanted - free.  Now, 40 years later, the predicted space station is orbiting the earth, my wife buys cases of water at BJ's, and local governments are arguing about water sharing.

Actually very scary if one imagines what could happen over the next 40 years.  Is forced population control far behind?

Not if our government would get off their duff and stop the illegal immigration into our country. Well, now they are called undocumented workers. No incentive there for our government to do this at all. As a matter of fact some want to give them license so they vote oh I mean drive.

You know the motion for the vote that Commissioner Stewart made and Bradley seconded really left me with a bad taste in my mouth for both of them on land use changes. Commissioner Bush who will not need campaign funds voted against this land use change. He was the only one who voted against this change.

This was an egregious example of urban sprawl. Even Thad Crowe our prior Planning Director drove up here from Palm Coast to asked the Commissioners not to approve this change. So much for citizens involvement. I did not see where there was justification for the need for this project. How could they demostrate this was not an egregious example of urban sprawl much less how to prevent it. Then the remark by Commissioner Stewart concerning Campers versus houses and how that would not adversely impact natural resources. Please!

You know the idea for the citizens Bill of Rights leans toward getting the public involved in the planning stages. Well besides Durwood I am not certain who will be home during the day to go to those meeting. Most of the planning is done behind the scenes with the staff and not much public participation. This is all done behind the scenes wheeling and dealing with lawyers and developers with deep pockets. Well sometimes it is at dinner meetings too. In the end it is still in the hands of the Commissioners as the legislative body and that's the problem.

It needs to be in the hands of the citizens, plain and simple. The Commissioners and the planning staff have demostrated they are not looking out for the citizens best interest. Since we pay the bills we need more control and the HTD amendment gives us that control.

Pioneer and Angela;

I liked your use of the $ in front of the 250 million gallons. Nice touch. I'm sure your correct that SJRWMD wouldn't consider it rape. It's called prostitution when your getting paid. I'm sure they plan on kissing us first. Aren't they?

I think the water issue that the Governor and a lot of other people are fighting with Georgia about has more to do with needing the water for cooling at a power plant in Fl than actual drinking water. I could be wrong in that but the concept seems to be the same.

Having said that, I find it quite nauseating that we will through rocks at Atlanta for too much growth and using too much water out of the river, yet we are seriously contemplating a major reduction of flow at the mouth of the SJR.

I watched a really nice program on the Discovery Channel a while back. There was some spectacular scenes from the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. Simply beautiful. What is very seldom ever mentioned about that huge, fast flowing, gorgeous river is that we suck so much water out of it that the river basically no longer reaches the sea. It just sort of disappears into the desert as if it never existed.

I understand that it irrigates a lot of the US desert so we can grow crops and it services a whole lot of people in the SW (LA SD etc) with water, but can you truly fathom the idea that nearly every drop of water that flows through the Grand Canyon is going to be gone before it reaches salt water?

One final thought. Why does the WMD after the SJR scare me?

Finder

Marsha here are the numbers that Lesley released in Sept as reported by the orlandosentinel.com.

"She noted that her group has gathered some 500,000 voter signatures for the amendment petition so far, with 331,000 already confirmed by the state and 611,000 needed by February."

"The deep-pocketed companies promising a multi-million dollar drive against the amendment and already financing a campaign to reach voters and make ballot petition signers change their minds."

Keep up the good work everybody we are making a difference.

Finder WMD is

An agency of the state of Florida, the St. Johns River Water Management District is a government entity that is responsible for balancing people’s needs for water with nature’s needs.

The choice to siphon $250 million gallons of water a day off the St. Johns looks like they are balancing developers needs.

The government part should scare us all. I really dislike paying tax dollars to an entity that finds this to be a good idea.

As to the Government part scaring us all, you are correct.

The tongue in cheeck WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction) might be closer to the mark with this bunch.

Finder

Bax,  I also remember many of those predictions and more. I'm still waiting for my flying car and personal jet pack. We were also supposed to be getting all of our power needs from a master grid of conveniently placed nuclear power plants. The fearmongers pretty much killed that. I have always had a suspicion that the anti nuke crowd was driven by the oil companies. Who else have anything to gain? Follow the money.

As for enforced population control, while I think it makes sense to some degree, and I notice that it seems to be somewhat successful in China, I really don't think I want the government deciding who gets to choose the future gene pool. Lord knows we don't need another government worker bumper crop. Can you just imagine a slew of Kennedyesque babies set forth on an unsuspecting public? Or Clintons or Bushes? Suppose Britney Spears offspring snuck into the gene pool. (By the way, I am not insinuating you are for this. I get the humor. I am just extrapolating the humor to a more scary conclusion. Kind of like crossing Dave Barry with Stephen King.)  It's what I do best. :>)

Lily's Lore "I don't ever want to be rescued And I don't ever want to be saved I got a feelin' that I'm gonna be alive forever Dancin' on the edge of a grave..." Jim Steinman

Verb and others, here's the answer I got back from the FHD concerning the press release that you mentioned.

 Hi, in a word, No.  Please be aware (go to their website) that the board of directors of 1000FOF is made up primarily of developers and their related interests.  Genuine enviro groups like Sierra, Save the Panther, Save the Everglades, Humane Society, many Audubon chapters etc have endorsed FHD as the only way to try and save what's left of FLorida.   teamFHD

I knew it all along - you're Dr. Frankenstein.

I'm glad you picked up on my dry, subtle humor.  Re Spears:  it's too late - she's already reproduced.  We can only hope the kids have more of their Dad's side of the family.  Poor kids.  Not much to hope for.  Except being insanely rich, and pampered, and never wanting for anything.  Rehab is only 15 years or so away.

I know - off topic. Sorry.

I'm not going to get into the evil developer issue other than this:  On the day I was born there were 2.2 Billion souls on the third rock from the sun.  When I retire, there will be about 10 Billion people walking this planet.  Those people are going to live somewhere and they are going to need water, electicity, roads, schools, drainage, garbabe pickup, etc.  If we don't do a good job planning and preparing our infrastructure for our inevitable share of population growth, then everything in our lives are going to look worse than Blanding Blvd, where Clay County failed to plan for their inevitable share of growth over the past several decades.

Let's talk about water and this so-called "diversion" scheme. Most of the issue revolves around the Taylor Creek Resevoir project.  Taylor Creek Resevoir (TCR) is located in northeast Osceola County, which is located near the headwaters of the St. Johns River.  TCR is owned by the City of Cocoa, which is located in Brevard County which is also near the headwaters of the St. Johns River.  All of Brevard County is in the SJRWMD, and is, hence, considered to be "in-basin".  TCR is fed by drainage from an Agricultural area in Osceola County.  The water from TCR goes over a dam and drains to the sea through the St. Johns River.  In the average year, it takes about three months to make that trip. 

The TCR Alternative Water Supply (AWS) project proposes to pump 25-40 million gallons per day, during periods of high rainfall, from the St. Johns River.  At TCR, the stormwater would be treated and pumped into the Aquifer for aquifer storage and recovery.  Once in the aquifer, the water can go in many directions.  It can go to the Atlantic Ocean (which takes about seven years); it can go to Orlando; it can pop out in one of thousands of springs  along the St. Johns River; and it can go south and pop-out in the Everglades.  This program helps reduces saltwater intrusion into the aquifer.  Most of the water will wind up coming back into the St. Johns River.

One of the many good things about Florida is our water supply.  We sit on top of the largest fresh groundwater storage system in the world.    Floridians withdraw alot of water from the aquifers to support their needs.  TCR is a cutting-edge idea that helps to protect the aquifers for future generations. 

The TCR plan at first glance of what you've written doesn't sound too bad, except when you consider that during heavy rainfall pollutants flow more freely into the river. If it's drained at the same time then could that not increase the concentration even more.  The second question that pops into my head is believing in the longterm integrity of any purification process that goes into the most precious body of water, the natural aquifer. 

The last and biggest concern of all......Let ANYONE start and where does it end.  There may be a limit starting out, buy hey, once they've got their straw in the water they will only increase the drain, sooner or later to support more growth. 

This is another sign of the incrimentalism of Goverment and Big Business.  It starts out with something that appears acceptable and morphs into what ever they want it to be over time. There is lots of room left in this country for people to live but a few places are just getting full.

There are weight and capacity limits to nearly everything, the only long term solution is to not bite off more then you can chew and Florida is beginning to gag from an overly filled mouth.

It's time to remove the plate of food, chew on what we have in our mouth without reaching for another bite and go on diet that will promote a long term quality of life for the body known as Florida.

I'm starting to wonder if Charlie Crists agenda with the whole tax thing was to make us all think he really cares about the individual citizen because he knew he was going to stick it to us over this water issue.  There are those out there and it's not just big business who will have saved a few bucks on taxes so good old Charlie can drain whatever he wants.

Hometown Democracy will probably have no bearing on the issue in application, but it's the best way I know to say "I'm mad and I am not going to take it anymore"

Bax, remember the old saying, "Invest in land.  They ain't making any more of it?"  They still aren't.  Not making any more potable water either.  But they sure are making more babies.  Can't ignore that fact.

The question demanding an answer of considerble is where to put all these new folks.  I heard, I believe on CNN, that the United States has a higher percentage of undeveloped land than the continent of Africa - considered the remained untamed continent.

With a burgeoning national popuation, some of that large American expanse of undeveloped land must be developed.  But there is certainly no emergency that it all be built out now, or anytime soon, so the question becomes where and how land is developed.  It is a question that can be localized.

How and who will determine how many and how fast those new people will come to Clay County?

The question can even be individualized.

Will I be someone who will be enriched by the growing number people lving in Clay County, or will I be someone who pays for what all the new people will demand in services?

Solving the need to house, educate and transport more than 10 billion people worldwide may be too tough to handle from Green Cove Springs.  But managing Clay County's fair share of those new people ought to be something that could be accomplished if we insisted on a local government that isn't run by and for the Growth Industry.

First thing, OneMann:  managing growth doesn't happen solely because of efforts (or lack thereof) in GCS, Clay County, or in the State of Florida.  Because our national growth has a large component due to immigration, we need to have a national immigration policy that recognizes immigration impacts on the local governments.  Florida is a major point of entry for immigrants from undeveloped and developing nations.  Statewide, we have a problem that trickles down to Clay County and GCS.  At the state level, the legislature and the regulating agencies need to quit limiting the ability of local government to prevent the same sprawl that screwed up south Florida.  At the local levels, we need to come up with sensible growth management ordinances and stick to the rules regardless.

Second thing, Marsha:  the folks in Indian River, Brevard, and Osceola Counties have a right to use the river as much as we have the right.  Much of the water that is in the St. Johns River originates in those Counties.  Those counties also have considerable natural aquifer recharge.  In Clay County, we have virtually none.  Our stormwater runs off, mostly untreated for the majority of the County, into creeks and streams that feed the St. Johns River.  Granted, Indian River, Brevard and Osceola Counties withdraw many times more water from the aquifer than Clay County.  But, Clay County is catching up rapidly.   

The solution to pollution is no longer dilution.  The new regulatory standards on pollution is that it will be removed.  The proposed AWS project at TCR does that, it treats stormwater runoff to remove pollutants.  The proposed AWS project goes one step farther by recharging the aquifer, which is the source of most drinking water in this state.  Neil Armigen (the riverkeeper) argues that removal of flows from the St. Johns River will increase the salinity of the river near his house.  Possibly.  Compared to the nearly trillion gallon per day flow of the river, 40 million gallons per day being placed in aquifer storage and recovery is insignificant.  In fact, I'll argue that the TCR AWS project could lower the salinity of the river throughout the entire St Johns River Basin. 

Here's why:  if you deplete the aquifer you will have saltwater intrusion.  To get potable water, water utilities will need to install expensive reverse osmosis and micro-filtration systems to remove chlorides.  Besides having a greater carbon footprint as a result of the larger electrical consumption required for these treatment systems, you also wind up with a huge pile of salt.  Whether you land-apply the effluent, or simply discharge directly to the river, the outcome is the same:  the river's salinity will increase.  The Riverkeeper is full of baloney on this issue.

Cynthia Barnett's "Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S."  I would encourage everyone to read this book. It is only about 200 pages. Barnett's topic is extensively researched and well nigh exhaustive for the general reader. 

The author covers the gamut of water issues in Florida, starting with the state's woeful history of over-draining its wetlands through the present, when the Sunshine State no longer has enough H2O to go around.

The author covers the state's attempts to correct its mistakes and what went right (not that much) and what went wrong (a great deal).

The author tackles Florida's water issues one by one. There's information on the sinkhole crisis, the failure (to date) of the Tampa Bay desalination plant, the water management district's plans to divert water from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers, the water war between Florida and Georgia over the Apalachicola's minimum flow.

Barnett is a prize-winning journalist, who works mostly for Florida Trend magazine. A Gainesville resident and UF grad, she has devoted much of her attention over the years to environmental issues.

All of this is written in easy-to-understand English even if you don't know your ASR from a sinkhole in the ground.

The enormity of human stupidity and callousness is depressing. At one point, Barnett says, developers, the legislature and the Army Corps of Engineers were working feverishly to restore the eastern side of the Everglades while at the western end they were permitting huge housing developments that gobbled more of it up.

The new technologies also offer promise, but we have some bugs to work out.
Desalination is too expensive and its cost factor can't compete with a good land-based reservoir, except for the fact that hungry developers are gobbling up the land on which man-made reservoirs might sit. And the houses they build on the reservoir sites exacerbate the water shortage even more.

ASR, aquifer storage and recovery, pumps excess water back into the aquifer during wet periods to be drawn out again during the dry spells. This process also holds promise, except for a pesky little problem with naturally occurring arsenic.
"Mirage" is a good must-read, whether or not you own lakefront property.

It puts local issues into a larger, more frightening context. But scary or not, Barnett tells us, the local, national and global water issue will not go away anytime soon.
Voter activation is a must, as is matching housing permitting to the supply of resources needed to support the new homes.

Everyone must be better informed, Barnett says, and current water shortages must not be ignored. The alternative is more disappearing lakes, rivers and wetlands throughout the state. 

MKelter,

From what I've "read" of you here in the blogs you're a very smart man with alot of common sense and you obviously know much more then I about this subject, no doubt.  Your rebuttal was compelling, and the issue warrants further study on my part.  

At the heart of it all my concern is that the state not become so overly populated that the natural resources are destroyed.  I tend to look for hidden agendas in everything and take nothing at face value anymore when it comes to things like this.  When we built this home it was to be my permanent roots, a place where I would live the rest of my life and would be the anchor to my family, and in this county I would someday be laid to rest.  The memories this place holds in the five short years I've had it cannot be measured in money so the property value of my home is not worth as much as the quality of life I have in it. 

I am now very concerned that my home I named "Tranquility" may end up being quite the opposite in just a couple more decades.   I don't want to have to someday deal with having runnning water in my home only a few hours a day.  I don't want to have to chose between bathing and washing my clothes.  This whole water issue is very scary to me, I feel like we're on a runaway train with a track that is not complete.

I see that the Governor has backed off of and out of his agreement in the Florida, Georgia and Alabama water battle.

It seems that someone informed him that letting Georgia reduce the flow of water by 16% would do irreparable harm to the oyster beds and fishing in Apalachicola Bay.

Now all we need to do is to get these people to speak up about the idiocy of thinking we can take over 250 million gallons of water a day out of the SJ River without doing major damage.

Hopefully he and they will think as hard about the water issues inside the state boundries as they have about the issues outside of them.

Finder

Great article about the shrimpers and their distaste with the idea of sucking 262 million gallons of water a day from the SJR. Of course the article is in the business setion, but it at least got front page on that section.

I love the statement by the scientist that it shouldn't lower the river level because the ocean water is likely to flow in to take its place. Likely to indeed! Unless this non-rocket scientist has studied some science other than the stuff I studied, there is no likely about it. It will! That's like saying it's likely the sun will rise tomorrow.

What he couldn't say was how far will it flow south. They only have 5 years worth of data so it's hard to say. Talk to the shrimpers. These non-scientist know that river better than anyone. They know that with the drought they were catching shrimp in Palatka. What does that tell you? It isn't going to be good if they continue with this plan.

Do I care if Orlando won't have enough water to support their planned continued growth? No! The solution is to stop the growth, then you will have enough water. DUH!

Finder