We think: Before allowing withdrawals, water managers must ensu...

Simple Solutions for Simple Problems :

Plug the Man Made drainage to Lake Okenfenokee , And
Ockechobee.

See if raising the level 1 or 2 feet would hurt the Swamp , and how much water could be taken.

Georgia and Florida start charging for Water ( dime a gallon ?)

Who is to take anything that these so called "authorities" seriously anymore since they granted a water bottling company permission to pull out 500,000 gallons daily from our aquifer and bottle it and send it out of State. Any Florida water should be forced to stay in Florida. I have nothing against bottling water for sale to stupid people but it should be sold and consumed in Florida only.

The Sentinel is absolutely correct - the Water Management District is encouraging withdrawals from the St. Johns River before the scientific studies to determine the environmental impacts are complete. That is one of the reasons that the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District passed a resolution Tuesday opposing such plans, including Seminole County's Yankee Lake project.
With more than half of our water being used for irrigating lawns, it is irresponsible to even consider drawing down the river without first instituting meaningful conservation measures.
We can protect both the aquifer and the river and I and my colleagues Deborah Schafer and Alex Bunker are fully committed to ensuring that we do.

It is so nice to see an agency take a stand on this critical issue. Why would we think it is ok for us to chastise Georgia for taking our water for their lawn watering needs, while at the same time we our destroying many of our natural resources for the same reason. Kudos to Lake County Water Authority!
I am also pleased to read the comment below that the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District has taken a stand against withdrawing water from the St. Johns River. I hope ours will do the same.

"Primarily irrigating lawns -- hardly a compelling reason for forsaking waterways wildlife depend on and people enjoy."

Lawns are hardly a reason to urn the state into a place with the resources of a desert!

The sentinel writers need to look outside. It's raining, and alot!! If global warming theories are right, then the warming at the polar regions should mean more rain in Florida. Get it sentinel?, global warming equals global cooling down south. We don't have to worry about water shortages at all!

Watering lawns should be banned. Go back to grasses and plants that can take the various seasons without extra water. Outlaw all HOA restrictions as to green lawns year around.

TRUTH!

Steve Barnes - SSWCD wrote:

The Sentinel is absolutely correct - the Water Management District is encouraging withdrawals from the St. Johns River before the scientific studies to determine the environmental impacts are complete. That is one of the reasons that the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District passed a resolution Tuesday opposing such plans, including Seminole County's Yankee Lake project.
With more than half of our water being used for irrigating lawns, it is irresponsible to even consider drawing down the river without first instituting meaningful conservation measures.
We can protect both the aquifer and the river and I and my colleagues Deborah Schafer and Alex Bunker are fully committed to ensuring that we do.

The present Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District has actually DONE something?? Really? How's about you tell us where the water from the Yankee Lake project was supposed to go? Who's behind it? Why does the county have a web site supporting it? Why doesn't the SSWCD have a web site? Grrrrrr, this bunch needs to go!!!!! Can you say "SUNSET"

See this:

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/community_ap...

Right On.

I understand your frustration. The Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District has had more than its share of problems in recent years.
I was appointed in May and am committed to helping to reform the District so that it can effectively address the environmental issues facing Seminole County. I think our resolution opposing withdrawals from the St. Johns shows that we are working hard to meet that goal.
We are currently working on a new web site, which will be online soon.
The answer to your question about where the Yankee Lake water would go is simple: The 5.5 million gallons a day would be used to irrigate lawns in northwest Seminole County - clearly not a conservation-oriented plan.
I believe the county's position in favor of this plan is misplaced. The plan will encourage future sprawl and allow the county to avoid implementing what they view as politically unpopular conservation measures. Furthermore, it will do nothing to protect the aquifer.
The full text of the resolution and my reasons for supporting it can be found on my website at www.votestevebarnes.blogspot.com .
Thanks for your comments and please feel free to contact me at any time.
Steve

6 actual wrote:

<quoted text>
The present Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District has actually DONE something?? Really? How's about you tell us where the water from the Yankee Lake project was supposed to go? Who's behind it? Why does the county have a web site supporting it? Why doesn't the SSWCD have a web site? Grrrrrr, this bunch needs to go!!!!! Can you say "SUNSET"

If you are against the plan to draw down the St. John's River, you can sign a petition at

www.SaveFloridaWater.org

You can also get involved in this grass roots effort to stop this in it's tracks!
I hope you join us.
Steve Oxier

Just a money making scheme and possible payoffs and cuts to officials. What in the world do we need with yet another bottled water company ripping off consumers when tap water is just as good. Deny it and forget about it.

Right on.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/community_ap...

Unseat Steve wrote:

Right on.
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/community_ap...

Wow, what a well reasoned arguement.

Just go to the mouth of the St. John's, Suwanee, Manatee, etc. and see the massive volume of fresh water flowing out to sea. There should be some middle ground in this debate...

Well, the web site "unseat steve" is about as stupid as it gets. Sure, water is on the planet for a purpose, but because we are here too does that mean all other life comes after us in line? That is just dumb, counter to all concept of the web of life. At least Steve is trying. Here's a hint, the Yankee Lqke pump station plans showed 2 pipelines, one going to the NW up toward the Villages, and the second took off to the SE, ending up at someplace in Orange County. Probably all golf course water. And as for you "RON," sure there is a bunch of fresh water going North, but as you pump it out in Sem. Cnty., it's replaced by SALT water coming in at JAX, since salt water is denser than fresh, it's under the top fresh water layer, and has the bad habit of flowing into the aquifier through springs and other geologic fractures which have lost their fresh water pressure. A simplistic view, but the fact remains, this has extremely dire consequences. As to Lake Apopka, other than rain, it's source is Gord Neck Spring, at around 25 MGD. Rain equals evaporation, so pump out 25 MGD and get zero flow out of the Lake. Too bad for the Harris chain. Not to mention that most pumping would occur in the dry months, when the St. Johns has stopped flowing, and at times reverses and flows South. And Steve, you didn't answer my question, just who on the Sem. Cnty BCC wants that pump station???

6 actual wrote:

Well, the web site "unseat steve" is about as stupid as it gets. Sure, water is on the planet for a purpose, but because we are here too does that mean all other life comes after us in line? That is just dumb, counter to all concept of the web of life. At least Steve is trying. Here's a hint, the Yankee Lqke pump station plans showed 2 pipelines, one going to the NW up toward the Villages, and the second took off to the SE, ending up at someplace in Orange County. Probably all golf course water. And as for you "RON," sure there is a bunch of fresh water going North, but as you pump it out in Sem. Cnty., it's replaced by SALT water coming in at JAX, since salt water is denser than fresh, it's under the top fresh water layer, and has the bad habit of flowing into the aquifier through springs and other geologic fractures which have lost their fresh water pressure. A simplistic view, but the fact remains, this has extremely dire consequences. As to Lake Apopka, other than rain, it's source is Gord Neck Spring, at around 25 MGD. Rain equals evaporation, so pump out 25 MGD and get zero flow out of the Lake. Too bad for the Harris chain. Not to mention that most pumping would occur in the dry months, when the St. Johns has stopped flowing, and at times reverses and flows South. And Steve, you didn't answer my question, just who on the Sem. Cnty BCC wants that pump station???

Pump it out in Putnam county.

Ron wrote:

Just go to the mouth of the St. John's, Suwanee, Manatee, etc. and see the massive volume of fresh water flowing out to sea. There should be some middle ground in this debate...

All rivers run to the sea. Slow the flow and perhaps more fresh water is left for both man and beast to use upstream. Good idea unless you harvest oysters and Georgia wants to hoard the water heading downstream. Water is turning into the new gold in the world.

I haven't heard any publlic opposition from any of the BCC members, though I am hopeful that we will be able to work together to find conservation measures that will make turning to the river unnecessary.
Steve

6 actual wrote:

Well, the web site "unseat steve" is about as stupid as it gets. Sure, water is on the planet for a purpose, but because we are here too does that mean all other life comes after us in line? That is just dumb, counter to all concept of the web of life. At least Steve is trying. Here's a hint, the Yankee Lqke pump station plans showed 2 pipelines, one going to the NW up toward the Villages, and the second took off to the SE, ending up at someplace in Orange County. Probably all golf course water. And as for you "RON," sure there is a bunch of fresh water going North, but as you pump it out in Sem. Cnty., it's replaced by SALT water coming in at JAX, since salt water is denser than fresh, it's under the top fresh water layer, and has the bad habit of flowing into the aquifier through springs and other geologic fractures which have lost their fresh water pressure. A simplistic view, but the fact remains, this has extremely dire consequences. As to Lake Apopka, other than rain, it's source is Gord Neck Spring, at around 25 MGD. Rain equals evaporation, so pump out 25 MGD and get zero flow out of the Lake. Too bad for the Harris chain. Not to mention that most pumping would occur in the dry months, when the St. Johns has stopped flowing, and at times reverses and flows South. And Steve, you didn't answer my question, just who on the Sem. Cnty BCC wants that pump station???