St. Johns Riverkeeper

The Green Monster Returns

2009-07-28T20:42:00.009-05:00

The following photos were all taken by Dr. Gerry Pinto, a research scientist with JU's Marine Science Research Institute. Thanks Gerry for allowing us to post these unbelievable aerial photos.

North of the mouth of Cunningham Creek in the St. Johns:

San Marco:

South of the Buckman Bridge:

The Bolles School dock:

Remember that these algae blooms are a symptom of a sick river. Our St. Johns is polluted with too many nutrients (Nitrogen and Phosphorus) from wastewater, fertilizers, and stormwater runoff. The algae blooms can be harmful to aquatic vegetation and wildlife and sometimes even to human health.

More to come on this developing story.

Yankee Lake Ends with Little Fanfare-Decision Later

2008-10-20T14:03:00.005-05:00

I apologize for leaving you hanging last week.

After the hearing ended Thursday, I drove home and intended to post that night. Unfortunately, I felt a cold coming on and just didn’t feel well. Planned to post Friday, but I was laid up in bed Friday and Saturday. Rested yesterday, and I am back at the office today.

Today, I will try and wrap up the hearing—well, up to this point anyway. As you will learn, the ending remains to be written.

Last Thursday, the hearing ended, but not before Seminole County and the SJRWMD both presented rebuttal witnesses. I believe our attorneys did a good job of rebuffing this testimony. And that was it’ no closing arguments or statements. After three weeks it all ends rather quietly.

The parties agreed that the proposed recommended order, or PRO, will be filed by December 8th. A PRO is a legal document that each side submits to the judge, in effect, to state how they believed the hearing went down, i.e., based upon the evidence and testimony, how the judge should rule. (NOTE: this is my take; I’m not an attorney).

For SJRK, we believe our case proved that the withdrawals would cause harm to the St. Johns, would negatively impact our members’ use and enjoyment of the river, and Seminole County could meet its reuse needs WITHOUT removing water from the St. Johns.

The judge will review the PROs, exhibits, testimony and make his decision. At this time, I don’t have a timetable for the ruling. So, we all just need to sit tight and continue our opposition to the misguided withdrawals. Believe me there are many other communities and utilities watching the Yankee Lake case. The threats to the river will not end with this one ruling, regardless of the outcome.

I’ve been asked what we have gained by this struggle.

First, SJRK’s mission is to stand and defend the St. Johns from those who seek to harm it. I can honestly say we have done the very best we could to do just that. Thanks to the community’s support, both emotional and financial, we presented a compelling case against the withdrawal of water from, the St. Johns.

We exposed how little thought the SJRWMD put toward the Yankee Lake permit decision. One of the most remarkable pieces of testimony came from the SRJWMD staff person who drafted the Yankee Lake permit. He testified that he did the cumulative impact analysis for this permit in his head. Unbelievable.

During the course of the hearing, the SJRWMD finally admitted something SJRK has been saying for 18 months. Removing water from the river WILL increase the potential for algae blooms AND increase the length of time blooms exist in the river. As I mentioned in previous blogs, had SJRK NOT challenged the Yankee Lake Permit, no additional science would have been completed by the SJRWMD and the Yankee Lake permit would be fait acompli.

Our next challenge is to continue to monitor and question the science that is now being completed as part of the reanalysis.

So, that’s it-- my last blog on the administrative hearing. Hope it kept you up to date and informed you about this important, no historic, happening.

I’ll end with some exciting news about a new program SJRK has developed. It’s called My St. Johns River, and it is an education and awareness campaign to facilitate personal connections with the St. Johns and to provide you with tools to “get to know” your river.

The goal of the My St. Johns River campaign is to foster a greater sense of awareness, appreciation and understanding of the river and to ultimately provide inspiration and opportunities for you to get out and experience your St. Johns firsthand.

Check it out at WWW.mystjohnsriver.com

Thanks for everything.

For the River,
Neil
Your St. Johns Riverkeeper

Hearing Ended Today--Our Case Recap

2008-10-16T17:45:00.003-05:00

I apologize for the delay in blogging. Yesterday, I spent all day at the hearing, and then had to drive back to Jacksonville for a fund raising event. Thanks to Helen Lane for hosting a gathering at her beautiful house on the St. Johns. It was nice to spend some time on the river, especially after spending almost three weeks in a stark, government building.

Well, today was the last day. SJRK rested its case yesterday. Our witnesses did well. We presented Dr. John Wolschlager from Arizona State University who testified that he believed Seminole County had used incorrect numbers in developing their reuse water supply plan. Basically, John, and others believe there is no need for Seminole to remove water from the St. Johns to augment their reuse water needs. Water conservation can produce the water the county needs for reuse and protect the river.

Understand this, Seminole County’s obsession with removing water from the rivers has never been about augmenting reuse—they want to take water from the river for profit. They do not give a damn about the St. Johns River; the river provides them a cheap source of water. The structure they propose to build will be able to remove 10 times their predicted needs of 5.5 MGD. It’s simple, they want sell water; the 5.5 MGD permit is a scam.

By the way, Seminole officials have criticized north Florida communities for not having meaningful water conservation plans like the ones they have in place. FACT (from testimony): Southwest(?) Seminole County’s per capita water use is 217 GPD --almost 40% larger than per capita average water use in the SJRWMD. Can you say hypocrite?

Our next witness was Dr. Quinton White. You make remember Dr. White was one of the first experts who challenged the SJRWMD’s plan to take water from the St. Johns River. Quint has been studying the river for over 30 years, and testified eloquently about the current impaired state of the river, and additional risks from water withdrawal.

Next up was Dr. Mark Luther, a marine biologist from the faculty of the University of South Florida. Dr. Luther testified that the model used to predict salinity changes caused by the proposed withdrawals have been underestimated because of dynamic salinity stratification occurs n the lower St. Johns River. He testified that removing even small amounts of freshwater from the river could cause significant salinity changes far upstream.

Our final witness was Robin Lewis a wetland ecologist. Robin testified about the impairment of the River and specific ecosystems. He presented evidence that flow to the river have been declining for decades. He stated flow from the Ocklawaha River, the River’s largest tributary, has declined by almost 50%. He also testified about impacts to the River’s Ell Grass beds from increasing salinities. Robin believes the salinity studies are "fatally flawed"

Speaking of declining flows in the river. When SJRK first challenged the SJRWMD's dangerous idea of removing freshwater from the St. Johns, they noted that 12 million gallons per day (MGD) has been removed from the river for decades, and the river has not shown harm. Later, the SJRWMD noted that, lo and behold, they determined that 29 MGD) was being removed from the St Johns. Shortly after that admission, District staff estimated over 30 MGD was being removed from the river.

During the hearing, District staff TESTIFIED they now estimate almost 60 MGD is being removed from the St. Johns every day. Why does this matter?

When the SJRWMD determined how much water could be removed for the river safely, i.e., the MFLs, the 60 MGD removal was never considered. The only reason the district bothered to compute this data was for the purposes of this hearing.

In fact, more science about water withdrawals has been generated by this hearing and the public’s outcry for an objective analysis than before the SJRWMD recommended approval of the Yankee Lake Permit!

One thing is evident. Our challenge of this permit has clearly shown the District did not fully consider the full environmental impacts of this permit and did not have sufficient information on which to base a permit decision. Need evidence to support my conclusion?

Last week the District staff person who drafted the Yankee Lake permit testified that he did the cumulative impact analysis, i.e., the deliberation on all the environmental impacts AND potential environmental impacts of the proposed Yankee Lake river withdrawals on the health of the St. Johns River, IN HIS HEAD.

Think about that. One of the most controversial decisions facing the SJRWMD in decades, and one of the more important analyses involving this permit was not written down. A staff person did it in his head. Incredible.

And the SJRWMD asks why the public has lost trust in the agency?

More Later. I'll wrap up the last day's action, tomorrow.

Thanks for your support. It means a great deal.

Looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, I remain,

Neil A. Armingeon
Your St. Johns Riverkeeper

Positive Happenings at the Hearing

2008-10-13T12:54:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday,

Hello from the SJRK Office. It's good to be home for a couple of days. The Hearing starts again on Wednesday. The hearing will END by this Friday; the judge is adamant about that, and he runs the show.

Yesterday, I mentioned that I felt the momentum in the case has shifted toward the end of last week. I just wanted to follow-up on that thought with some detail.

Most of the week was spent listening to SJRWMD staff testify how they reached the decision to recommend approval for the Yankee Lake Project to remove 5.5 MGD from the St. Johns River (project can exceed 11 MGD). There was much discussion about modelling, technical analysis, salinity changes, etc., etc.

Wednesday afternoon the SJRWMD staff person who DRAFTED the Yankee Lake Permit testified under oath that he did the cumulative impact analysis in "his head". There was nothing put on paper.

My testimony went fine. Seminole County's attorney tried to impeach me with an out of context statement from my first deposition, and the judge stopped him and ended the question. After that, the attorney's seemed to lose steam. SJRWMD's 4 attorney's had no questions!

The final witness for the SJRWMD was very telling. After stating water withdrawals will not have any impact on algae blooms, the SJRWMD did a 180 and announced withdrawals WOULD increase alagal growth potential, i.e, blooms will last longer!! SJRK has been stating this for the past 18 months; withdrawals will exacerbate blooms and will increase their occurrences in the lower river.

The District announced they are requiring Seminole County to mitigate these impacts. While it is nice to hear the district change their story, our position has not changed--we are against Yankee Lake withdrawal. Regardless of this last minute admission.

I'm looking forward to this week. We present our case. I'll save the details until after the fact.

Needless to say, I'm encouraged by what has happened and know Ken and Michael will do a good job.

Keep the faith.

Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers.

For the River,

Neil
Your St. Johns Riverkeeper

A Good Week For the St. Johns

2008-10-12T10:07:00.003-05:00

Hello Friend of the St. Johns

Sorry about the delay in posting. It was a very long week which ended with my testimony and cross examination. I need some time to decompress. This is hard, but we ended the week on high note.

First, let me say again how much I appreciate our attorneys, Ken Wright and Michael Howle. I cannot begin to describe how much time they are putting in on this case. They spend many late hour's preparing for the tremendous amounts of witnesses put on the stand by Seminole County and SJRWMD. They read depositions well into the early morning hours, and they are sitting in the hearing the next day @8:30 AM ready to do battle.

This hearing is one of the greatest experiences of my almost 20-year career of working for environmental organizations. It is an honor to be a small part of this historical event.

Honors are due,too, to Jacksonville's attorneys, Sean Frazier and Jason Teel, and St' Johns County's team of Patrick McCormack and Regina(forgive me Regina, I forgot your last name). Our side is really working together well, and it is great to be part of this effort.

I'll end by saying the last part of the week went extremely well for the St. Johns River. I need to go do some yard work. Stay tuned. Later today, I'll post a blow-by-blow and why I believe we have a real chance to win the case.

Thanks for your support.

For the River

Neil
Your St. Johns Riverkeeper

The River Finally Speaks!

2008-10-10T04:31:00.002-05:00

Good Friday Morning,

After hours of testimony by paid consultants and SJRWMD staff, Seminole County and the SJRWMD have rested their cases--well almost. The district is negotiating a new permit condition for the proposed Yankee Lake permit with Seminole.

This action stems from the SJRWMD admission that removing water from the river will increase the algal growth potential causing algae blooms to last longer.

Riverkeeper has been stating the obvious for over 18 months; removing water causes more residence time making algae blooms last longer.

In any event, less this situation the hearing finally turns to those defending the river, SJRK, St. John County, and Jacksonville. Finally, the "rest of the story."

Jan Brewer, Director of Environmental Services for St. Johns County (SJS), testified yesterday afternoon. She was great! Those of you from SJC should be very proud; she represented he river and your interests very well.

This morning, Jacksonville, presents two of their witnesses, and then, its showtime for SJRK. I testify this afternoon. I've been preparing for the last couple of nights, and I am confident things will go well.

I will tell the judge about the real St. Johns River--the beautiful, important body of water that means so much to all of us. Sadly the others side rarely if ever mentions the river in any terms other than millions of gallons of available water. That changes today!

Knowing you are all with me will make my job easier.

Today, the River finally gets her say!

I'll post later to let you know how things went.

Keep the Faith.

For the River,

Neil
Your St. Johns Riverkeeper

Quck Update From Sanford

2008-10-09T06:20:00.003-05:00

Good Morning,

Forgive me for failing to post in the last several days. Things are very hectic--that's an understatement. Also, Internet connections that allow me to log on to the blog are not always available.

We've had a couple of good days. The SJRWMD has been putting on their case, and that will continue until this afternoon. St. Johns County presents its witness today. Tomorrow, Jacksonville present some of their witnesses, and it looks like I'll go tomorrow afternoon. That means I've got a lot of work ahead of me to prepare.

Its remarkable what we've learned during this process. Its clear the District made the decision to remove water from rivers without fully considering the alternatives.

Yesterday, the permit writer for the proposed Yankee Lake withdrawal testified he did a cumulative impact analysis for the Seminole County's project in HIS HEAD. He did not write anything down; he just worked through it in his head. I don't know whether we should be angry or scared.

Got to run. I'll get something out tonight.

Thanks for your support, and in some cases prayers. We all the help we can get.

For the River,

Neil
Your St. Johns Riverkeeper

A New Week Begins in Sanford

2008-10-06T17:56:00.002-05:00

Greetings from Sanford,

First things first.

Below, is a link to an essay/blog from St. Johns River Champion, Bill Belleville, on his thoughts about the administrative hearing in Sanford. Bill, a Seminole County resident, captures
the events far more eloquently than I ever could. It's a very powerful read.

http://floridanature.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/i-should-have-listened-to-ed-abbey/

Today, Seminole County rested its case. An expert testified the county has spent ~$2.4 million +/- to intervene in this case. There are more surprises ahead from SC , but I'll hold my cards close to the vest.

Tomorrow,the SJRWMD begins their case. I believe they have 5-7 witnesses, and I'm not sure when they will rest. Remember, us, the taxpayers, are paying the District to put on this case. The irony in ANY administrative case is the fact that we pay the regulatory agencies to litigate (against us) and THEN, citizens have to raise funds to pay for our attorneys. Anyway, I know Ken and Michael will do a good job during the cross examinations.

Next up, Jacksonville will call their witnesses, then St. Johns County, and finally SJRK bats last. We could begin Friday or perhaps next Wednesday.

Thanks for your support. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

For the River,

Neil
Your St. Johns Riverkeeper

First Week Ends

2008-10-04T08:26:00.002-05:00

Good Morning,

I apologize for not posting for the last two days. I drove to Gainesville Thursday night, and the motel I was staying in did not have Internet access.

Friday morning, I spoke to a conference on water and art yesterday at Santa Fe Community College. Thanks to Mallory O'Connor, author Bill Belleville , and a great audience, for an inspiring morning.

I need to change my reporting style somewhat until I have time to speak with our attorneys.

You may remember, the judge invoked the rule, and that ruling prevented other witnesses from sitting in the courtroom hearing testimony. Hence, my blog may need to describe events more generally to honor the judge's intentions. I'll clear this up this weekend.

Generally, I fell okay about the first three days. I believe we were successful in challenging Seminole County's expert witnesses in several cases. I'll leave it at that. I was not in attendance on Friday, so I won't speculate. I will be present for the remaining days of the hearing

Seminole's case continues Monday and Tuesday,and then the SJRWMD begins to present its case. It looks like SJRK, Jacksonville, and St. Johns County will be presenting our cases starting next Friday.

We have t0 be patient; our day will come.

Keep the faith.

For the River,

Neil
Your St. Johns Riverkeeper

Hello From the Front

2008-10-01T18:49:00.005-05:00

Hello Friend Of the River,

I'm here in Sanford at the administrative hearing, and this is my first report on today's happening.

Let me be clear; this is going to be a real fight. We're facing an army of attorneys. The SJRWMD has 2-3, and Seminole County has 2 and a team of witnesses. Seminole is presenting their case first, and it may take until early next week to complete their testimony. Then, the SJRWMD presents their case, and finally, Riverkeeper and the City will present our cases.

Our Administrative Law Judge is Judge Johnston. We had an early victory today when the Judge ruled the witnesses could not sit in the courtroom during the entire trial. SC and the
SJRWMD could allow their witnesses hear all the testimonies and prepare accordingly. We cannot afford to have our witnesses stay the entire time. The ruling evens the odds somewhat.

Our lead attorney, Ken Wright, was very good today in cross examinations. Tomorrow, Riverkeeper attorney Michael Howle will handle the cross. They have spent countless hours in the past weeks preparing for this hearing. We owe then a great deal of gratitude.

Finally, I want to thank the folks who turned out to show support, today. River Champion, Bill Belleville, was welcome sight as were Michelle Thatcher, Chris Belflower, Deborah Schaffer, Steve Barnes and Vikie Desormier. Thanks Ya'll!!!

That's it for tonight. I'll file something tomorrow night.

Keep the faith!

For the River

Neil
Your St. Johns Riverkeeper

The River's Future Rests in Sanford

2008-09-30T10:22:00.004-05:00

Hello Friends of the St. Johns,

Tomorrow the administrative hearing on the Yankee Lake permit begins. The hearing goes October 1 through the 3rd, October 6th through the 10th, and resumes, if necessary, October 16-17th. I will be attending the hearing each day, save a few, and will be posting a recap each night on the St. Johns Riverkeeper blog.

Our challenge is to the SJRWMD's recommended issuance of a permit to allow Seminole County to remove 5.5 million gallons per day (MGD) from the St. Johns River. But, our fight goes well beyond the SJRWMD legal staff.

Seminole County intervened, and frankly, they are driving the case. We're facing a tough battle; Seminole County is spending over $2 million to push the Yankee Lake permit through. They have listed 30 witnesses and 1,100 exhibits! Despite this display of money, political influence, and power, I'm feeling optimistic about our chances.

Riverkeeper has two excellent attorneys, Riverkeeper Counsel, Michael Howle, and local attorney Ken Wright. They both deserve our thanks for long hours and dedication as they prepare our case. We also have some excellent expert witnesses who will help us make our case against the proposed water withdrawal.

Thanks go to Jacksonville and St. Johns County for sticking with their individual challenges to the permit. Specifically, I want to thank Mayor Peyton and the City Council for recognizing the importance of this case and directing the city's legal efforts. Thanks, too, to Chairman Tom Manuel and his fellow commissioners in St. Johns County. We're all in this together.

We've already made progress on this issue. Two weeks ago, the SJRWMD convened a panel of experts to objectively review the potential impacts from withdrawing hundreds of millions of gallons of freshwater each day from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers. This group has some world class scientists aboard to review, and in some cases, collect data, to truly evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed withdrawals. The results of this reanalysis will then be reviewed by a panel convened by the National Academy of Science.

None of this would have happened without Riverkeeper, other groups, and countless citizens who have challenged the SJRWMD's misguided proposal to remove freshwater from our rivers to continue unsustainable growth in Orlando and Central Florida.

Our voices and actions forced the District to conduct the type of research that should have been completed before any permit to withdraw water from the river was considered. This is real progress. Thank you.

The withdrawal issue has also cemented real relationships between citizens up and down the St. Johns River. I want to thank Friends of the Wekiva, the Sierra Club, the Seminole Audubon, and countless citizens in central Florida who oppose water withdrawals and want to see real, meaningful, water conservation programs in their counties and cities. Special thanks go out to Peggy Belflower for all her hard work.

The withdrawal battle begun a statewide debate on the future of water use in Florida. We all must be active in this debate--Our river's futures depend on it.

I'll keep you posted on the hearing through this blog. Please share it with your family and friends. If you would like mto attend the hearing contact the Riverkeeper office for directions. I'd love to see friendly faces.

Thanks for all your help and support. It means a great deal to me.

For the River,

Neil

Your St. Johns Riverkeeper

State of the River Report

2008-08-19T11:16:00.003-05:00

An exciting project was recently announced that unfortunately did not get the attention that is certainly deserves.

The first annual State of the River Report for the Lower St. Johns River Basin was released by a team of academic researchers from Jacksonville University and University of North Florida. The project was funded primarily by the Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board.

St. Johns Riverkeeper initiated this project a few years ago and then turned it over to JU and UNF to complete.

We believe that this report is a valuable tool in evaluating the health of our river and in determining what must be done to restore the St. Johns.

We commend all of the researchers and individuals who worked so diligently on this important project.

Please, take the time to go to the River Report website and learn more about the health of your St. Johns River.

http://www.sjrreport.com/home

IF YOU DON'T KNOW JOE, YOU DON'T KNOW DIRT.

2008-08-19T10:18:00.004-05:00

Well, St. Joe is up to their old tricks. They have muddied the creeks at their Rivertown development, once again. Not too long ago, St. Joe was fined over $40,000 by the St. Johns River Water Management District for water quality violations that resulted from faulty sediment controls, allowing construction-site runoff to enter the fragile creeks that flow through their property along SR 13. This is unacceptable, especially when they consistently claim to be such an environmentally-responsible company.

Here is an excerpt from their website:

At The St. Joe Company, conservation is more than a philosophy; it is a science we study and a practice we employ.
Today’s company is carefully, purposely walking a tightrope.
The challenge is filling the obvious need for homes, business and the
infrastructure to connect them -- while at the same time maintaining the natural
allure that draws folks to Northwest Florida in the first place.
I guess they fell off their tightrope.

Weavers Announce Challenge Grant

2008-08-08T14:00:00.003-05:00

J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver, owners of the Jacksonville Jaguars, have awarded a challenge grant of up to $150,000 to St. Johns Riverkeeper. The matching gift will help the organization to raise awareness about threats to the health of the St. Johns and to legally challenge plans in central Florida to withdraw millions of gallons a day from the river.

The Weavers will donate one dollar for every two dollars that St. Johns Riverkeeper raises for its St. Johns River Awareness and Legal Fund up to $150,000. Neil Armingeon, the St. Johns Riverkeeper, stated that “the incredible generosity and support of the Weavers will enable us to raise the funds and acquire the resources necessary to defend and protect the health of the St. Johns River. This also sends a powerful message that the citizens and business leaders who love the river are not going to just stand idly by and allow the St. Johns River Water Management District and some public officials in central Florida to proceed with their short-sighted and irresponsible plans to take millions of gallons a day from the flow of the St. Johns River without a fight.“

“Wayne and I are deeply concerned about the plans to withdraw millions of gallons of water from the St. Johns and the potential harm that this could cause to our river,” said Delores Barr Weaver. “We absolutely love the river and recognize how important it is to Jacksonville’s economy and quality of life. We cannot just stand on the sidelines and allow Central Florida to gamble with its future. As a result, we have decided to get behind St. Johns Riverkeeper and their efforts to raise awareness about the threats facing our St. Johns and their legal challenge of the water withdrawal plans.”

As a result of years of poor planning, uncontrolled growth, and wasteful water-use practices, Central Florida communities are reaching the limits of their groundwater resources and are anxiously pursuing alternative water supply sources. Many of these communities are looking to the St. Johns River and Ocklawaha River (a major tributary of the St. Johns) to solve their water supply problems.

Seminole County is the first to submit a permit under the Alternative Water Supply (AWS) program to withdraw surface water from the St. Johns River. The proposed Yankee Lake project would withdraw an average of 5.5 million gallons per day but could exceed 11million gallons per day (MGD) during periods of high demand. However, Seminole County officials plan to eventually withdraw up to 80 MGD at the Yankee Lake facility. All of the withdrawal projects under consideration would result in a total of up to 300 million gallons per day being extracted from the St. Johns.

In February of this year, St. Johns Riverkeeper filed for an administrative hearing to challenge the permit application from Seminole County. The hearing is tentatively scheduled to take place in October.

“This is not simply a ‘water war’ between two different regions. This is also not only about stopping Seminole County from taking our water. We are advocating for a paradigm shift and a whole new approach to how we use water, how we manage water, and how we protect our water resources for this and future generations. The ultimate goal is a sustainable Florida where we have clean and healthy waterways and an adequate supply of groundwater to sustain our needs. We can have both, but we will need the resolve and political will to do so,” explains Armingeon.

You can donate on our website at http://www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org/makeadonation.asp

Coming to an Aquifer Near You

2008-07-29T11:05:00.003-05:00

On August 12th, the Governing Board of the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) will vote on a permit application from California-based Niagara Bottling to withdraw 484,000 gallons of groundwater a day from the aquifer. Recently, the SJRWMD staff recommended that the permit be approved, and the Governing Board rarely goes against staff recommendations.

However, the Governing Board may not have a chance to vote if Lake County, Groveland, and Clermont follow through and file for an adminstrative hearing to challenge the permit application, as they have indicated that they might do.

Orange County Commissioner Teresa Jacobs sent a memo to Mayor Rich Crotty asking about the possibility of providing support to Lake County. Jacobs said, "Can anyone expect citizens across Central Florida to take water conservation seriously if the SJRWMD approves a permit for a private company to pull millions of gallons of water from the aquifer to bottle and sell throughout the country?"

Here is the contact information for the SJRWMD Governing Board members, so that you can let them know what you think about the permit.

David G. Graham, Chairman dgraham@sjrwmd.com
Susan N. Hughes, Vice Chairman shughes@sjrwmd.com
Ann T. Moore, Secretary amoore@sjrwmd.com
W. Leonard Wood, Treasurer lwood@sjrwmd.com
Douglas C. Bournique dbournique@sjrwmd.com
Michael Ertel mertel@sjrwmd.com
Hersey “Herky” Huffman hhuffman@sjrwmd.com
Arlen N. Jumper ajumper@sjrwmd.com
Hans G. Tanzler III htanzler@sjrwmd.com

Less is Best

2008-07-26T09:08:00.004-05:00

This past week, the Jacksonville City Council passed both an irrigation ordinance and a fertilizer ordinance. The new irrigation legislation will limit watering of lawns and shrubs to twice a week and designate assigned days of the week for households and businesses. The fertilizer ordinance will limit the amount of fertilizer that can be applied on an annual basis and will require buffers along waterways where fertilizer can't be applied.

Although these ordinances are certainly not perfect and will definitely not solve all of our water use and fertilizer runoff issues, they are a good start. Hopefully, they will serve as tool to educate homeowners and businesses about the importance of conserving water and how to responsibly apply fertilizers to our lawns. Let's face it; we use an excessive amount of water (over 50% of our water is used for irrigation) and many people frequently apply far more fertilizer than is necessary. We have to start taking significant measures to curb our excesses and live more sustainably. Our river is sick, and we are reaching the limits of our aquifer, the source of over 90% of the drinking water in this state. This unfortunate situation will only get worse if we don't do something now to address the causes of these problems. These ordinances represent a first step in that direction for Jacksonville.

Muddy Waters

2008-07-18T12:32:00.005-05:00

These photos were taken yesterday by Christopher Ball, a St. Johns Riverkeeper Board member. Neil Armingeon, the Riverkeeper, responded, trying to locate the source of the sediment. Unfortunately, it was difficult to pinpoint the culprits with absolute certainty. However, there is some reason to believe that it may have come from a Department of Transportation road project. The City of Jacksonville is still investigating the incident. We'll keep you posted about what we find out about this unfortunate situation.

Let's Get Ready to Rumble

2008-06-23T13:39:00.002-05:00

As you may recall, St. Johns Riverkeeper filed for an administrative hearing to challenge the permit application by Seminole County to withdraw 5.5 million gallons of water a day at its proposed Yankee Lake facility for irrigation purposes.

In the meantime, many of the counties, cities, and utilities in Central Florida have been attempting to intervene on the side of Seminole County. As a result, St. Johns Riverkeeper filed motions to dismiss the petitions filed by the Tohopekaliga Water Authority (Toho), Osceola County, City of Cocoa and City of Sanford to intervene. Last Friday, the Adminstrative Law Judge assigned to the case dismissed the petitions to intervene by Tohopekaliga Water Authority, Osceola County, and the City of Sanford due to a lack of standing.

Also last week, Putnam County Environmental Council, Inc. filed a legal challenge to stop the St. Johns River Water Management District from issuing permits to Central Florida communities and utilities for withdrawals from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha. PCEC is contending that surface waters from the St. Johns River and Ocklawaha don't qualify as "alternative water supply" sources as defined by state law. They are also asking the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission, that consists of the Governor and three Cabinet members, to review the District's water supply plan.

Stay tuned. It just keeps getting more and more interesting.

No Water, No Growth

2008-06-08T10:05:00.003-05:00

The following editorial was in the May issue of Florida Trend. It seems most people,including those in the business community, recognize the importance and potential for water conservation as a principal water supply strategy. Unfortunately, many of the politicians in Central Florida and the St. Johns River Water Management District would rather roll the dice with the health of our rivers and spend billions of taxpayer dollars on expensive short-term technological "fixes" that don't address the sources of our water supply problems.

No Water, No Growth
By Mark R. Howard, Editor - 5/1/2008

However healthy Florida’s economy is or isn’t at the moment, it will cycle back into growth mode in fairly short order. The LeRoy Collins Institute, which in 2005 accurately predicted the revenue shortfall that’s currently pinching state and local governments in Florida, says as much in an updated version of its insightful “Tough Choices” report. In the new version, the institute sees “strong signs” that Florida is establishing itself as a chosen destination for an affluent segment of Baby Boomers that’s now reaching retirement age. And it predicts that the impact of the retiring Baby Boomers will sustain itself over 15 years, not flattening out until the early 2020s.

After the real estate market adjusts, the report says, “Florida is going to have a big appreciation in property values ... and fresh demand for housing supply in the most desirable and limited locations.” And so within 18 months or so — my prediction, not the institute’s — we’re likely to see headlines shift from concerns about the state budget and the health of the economy back to traditional growth-related issues.

In that light, some behind-the-scenes bureaucracy that’s playing out now will be a big factor in whether the state rides the next growth wave or is, once again, swamped by it.

New Florida residents can get by without enough roads or schools, but they can’t live without water. In 2005, the Legislature linked growth management and water supply more closely with two pieces of legislation, Senate Bills 444 and 360, whose effects will be felt this summer.

Together, the laws dictate that after water management districts determine how much water will be available in a region, communities must plan their growth around that water supply. Previous laws asked communities only to “consider” the water supply. Now, if a community says it expects 10,000 new residents next year, it has to specify exactly where the water for those new residents is going to come from, what facilities are available to treat the water and how it will pay for new treatment or production facilities (desal plants, for example).

Since the laws passed, the water management districts have updated their water supply plans, and communities have been updating their comprehensive plans with new growth projections and passing them to the water districts for review. Some, like Lee and Collier counties, have been proactive and progressive in their planning, while others show less foresight. For most local communities, “the reality of it is starting to hit home,” says John Mulliken, director of water supply planning for the South Florida Water Management District. “We’ve got a lot of comp plans in. There’s a wide variety in terms of whether they meet the statutory requirements.”

Over the next several months, as more comp plans trickle in, the water management districts will evaluate whether the communities are meeting the requirements of the law — and they’ll recommend whether the state should approve those local growth plans. There may be rude awakenings for communities that either are oblivious to the law or have chosen to ignore it. Under the law, a local community can’t approve a building permit or issue a certificate of occupancy without a determination that there’s an adequate supply of water to serve the new development. A worst-case scenario could see a building moratorium in a community that doesn’t get its act together. “The rubber starts to meet the road this summer,” says Carol Ann Wehle, SFWMD’s executive director.

Aside from whether the Legislature resists diluting the law, a key issue is how communities will create additional water supply. Additional groundwater pumping in many parts of the state, particularly the south and southwest, isn’t an option.

Many communities will be looking at creating alternative water sources — via reuse, desalination, treating brackish water and the like. They also need to make conservation a bigger priority. There’s an inherent bias in big organizations like water management districts toward expensive, technology-heavy solutions like desal without comparable investments in conservation, which is cheaper and faster. The state, meanwhile, puts a disproportionate amount of money into creating alternative supply vs. spending on conservation.

Many believe conservation should get more emphasis. At least one group, the Utility Council of the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association, supports making water conservation or demand-side management programs eligible for funding as alternative water supplies. David Moore, executive director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, a leader in conservation efforts, told attendees at a water conference at the University of Florida in February that he believes “the biggest bite of the water-supply apple in the next 20 years is going to be conservation.”

At the conference, Moore refuted the notion, advanced by another water manager, that you can’t “count” gallons created via conservation. Moore’s district has excellent statistics to that point, and to how effective conservation measures can be. Water use in Pinellas County, for example, fell from 153 gallons a day in 1990 to 89 gallons in 2006, largely the result of education and conservation measures. Meanwhile, as Trend reported last year, as construction of a giant desal plant on Tampa Bay dragged on for years, the regional water utility managed to reduce groundwater pumping in the region from 192 million to 121 million gallons a day in the face of a growing population — without any of the desalinated water that officials once insisted they needed to meet that goal.

The state has plenty of room to conserve. Farms use half the water consumed in Florida; half the farms use inefficient flood irrigation. State-supported investments in micro-irrigation could help reduce ag’s consumption. As for overall use, although Florida has reduced its daily per capita usage from 174 gallons a day in 2000 to 157.5 in 2005, that’s still higher than the average daily U.S. per capita consumption of about 100 gallons. Europeans use about 53 a day.

As Trend’s associate editor, Cynthia Barnett, makes clear in her book, “Mirage,” water supply planning needn’t be built on the premise that we have to have more and more water to prosper. Overall water use in the United States stopped rising in the 1980s, yet population as well as gross domestic product have grown steadily ever since. Saving a gallon of water is just as effective — and much, much cheaper — than producing a new one. All the numbers show that growth and conservation co-exist just fine.

And the winner of the PSA Contest is (drum roll, please)...

2008-06-07T22:20:00.011-05:00

We are excited to announce that our panel of judges (Riverkeeper Neil Armingeon, Deborah Gianoulis, and a Team Gaia representative) has selected the winner of the 1st ever St. Johns Riverkeeper "Conserving Water to Save Our Rivers" PSA Video Contest. Andy Leverett, a junior attending Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, received the highest score and the $1000 prize. Congratulations, Andy!

We were extremely pleased with the number of entries (20), the number of counties from within the watershed that were represented (students from 5 different counties submitted entries), and the quality of the PSA videos. All of the students should be commended for their hard work and obvious concern for the St. Johns River and the future of our precious and limited water supply resources.

One of the reasons that we created the contest was to to help raise awareness about the importance of protecting and conserving our water resources. We also wanted to give kids the chance to have their voices heard. Our youth often do not have a say in the decisions that are made about the future of the St. Johns River and the use of our groundwater supplies. However, they have as much at stake, if not more, regarding the outcome of those decisions, and they will be responsible for dealing with the consequences.

Please, go to the St. Johns Riverkeeper website and see what our high school students have to say about this issue. You can view the winning video and 5 of the runner-ups.

How Not To Be Sustainable

2008-05-08T10:36:00.007-05:00

Recently, I spoke to a group of international environmental leaders visiting the United States through International Visitor Corps of Jacksonville. The theme of the multi-day visit was "Global Perspectives on Jacksonville's Sustainable Development." I put together a handout with the following statistics and facts about our water resources in Florida.

I was already aware that we Floridans are not living and using our limited resources sustainably, but seeing the rundown of troubling statistics on one page highlighted the magnitude of the problem and the urgency of the situation. We are currently not doing a good job of protecting the health of our rivers, groundwater supplies, and environment, in general. How can we accomodate the intense growth that is projected, if we don't dramatically reduce our current impacts to the environment and develop a more sustainable blueprint for our future, now?

This also highlights the fact that the debate over withdrawing water from the St. Johns River must be more about how we use our water resources than where we will get water from. We must focus on the reasons why communities are facing water shortages and looking to the river to fulfill their needs and work toward solving those problems, first. If we don't, we will continue to exploit our water resources and will continuously be in search of new sources. This business as usual approach to solving our water supply problems will also come at a huge expense to taxpayers and the citizens of this state. This is simply not a socially, ecologicially, or economically responsible approach to managing the natural resources that belong to all of us, as well as future generations.

• Florida entered the Union as a state in 1845 with a population of 57,951 people.

• In 1950, the population increased to 2.8 million. At this time, residents served by the public supply used 102 gallons of water per day, requiring public supply withdrawals of 170 million gallons a day (MGD). Total freshwater withdrawals totaled nearly 1.5 billion gallons per day.

• In 1970, the population increased to 6.8 million, per capita water use from the public supply increased to 163 gpd, and total water withdrawals for the public supply increased to 883.4 MGD. Total freshwater withdrawals exceeded 5.6 billion gallons per day.

• In 2000, 16 million people lived in Florida, the per-capita use increased to 174 gpd, and water withdrawals for the public supply increased to 2.2 billion gallons per day. Total water withdrawals in 2000 were nearly 8.2 billion gallons per day.

• The average water use within the St. Johns River Water Management District in 2006 was 164 gallons per capita per day (gpcd, and over 50% of that water was used outside the home for irrigation purposes.

• Today, over 18 million people reside in Florida. A 2006 report by 1000 Friends of Florida, projected Florida’s population to increase to 35.8 million in 2060.

• Over 90 percent of Florida’s population relies on groundwater for their drinking water needs. Most of this water comes from the Floridan Aquifer, one of the most productive sources of freshwater in the world.

• Despite having such a vast and productive aquifer underneath our feet, we are reaching its limits. The St. Johns River Water Management District has directed municipalities and utilities in Central Florida to identify “Alternative Water Supply” (AWS) sources, because the rate of withdrawal from the aquifer is no longer sustainable.

• Within the St. Johns River Water Management District, only 28% of estuaries, 41% of lakes, and 13% of streams met their designated uses in 2007.

• Florida has approximately 10.5 million acres of wetlands, down from the 11 million acres of wetlands in 1980 and 20.3 acres of wetlands in 1780.

• According to a St. Petersburg Times special report, Florida has lost at least 84,000 acres of wetlands since 1990.

St. Johns Receives National Attention

2008-04-16T22:22:00.008-05:00

St. Johns Listed as One of America’s Most Endangered Rivers™

Today, American Rivers, the nation’s largest organization fighting for healthy rivers, named Florida’s St. Johns River as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers™. The St. Johns was nominated by St. Johns Riverkeeper.

The 2008 America’s Most Endangered Rivers™ report highlights the 10 rivers in the United States that are facing the most uncertain future, rather than those suffering from the worst chronic problems. The St. Johns was selected because of Central Florida’s plans to remove over 260 million gallons per day from the St. Johns River system, and the threats that this will potentially pose to the river’s ecological health and the economic benefits that the St. Johns provides.

“I don’t know whether to celebrate or cry”, said St. Johns Riverkeeper, Neil Armingeon. “This elevates the proposed water withdrawal issue to a national level and brings this to the attention of a worldwide media market. Florida’s lack of water planning is no longer a secret”, he added.

When discussing the St. Johns River designation, Rebecca Wodder, President of American Rivers, stated, “No matter what the problem is, stealing is never an acceptable solution. Yet, instead of embracing water smart solutions like conservation and efficiency, Florida lawmakers seem set on sanctioning this river robbery. It really is unconscionable.”

Sadly, the naming of the St. Johns River as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers™ corresponds with the 10th anniversary of the St. Johns being designated one of only 14 American Heritage Rivers in 1998. St. Johns Riverkeeper, local governments, and numerous business and citizen groups believe that removing millions of gallons of water from the St. Johns before pursuing aggressive water conservation measures is irresponsible and short-sighted public policy that will potentially cause significant harm to one of this country’s American Heritage Rivers.

About America’s Most Endangered Rivers™: Each year, American Rivers solicits nominations from thousands of river groups, environmental organizations, outdoor clubs, local governments, and taxpayer watchdogs for the America’s Most Endangered Rivers™ report. The America’s Most Endangered Rivers™ report results in thousands of supporters taking action on behalf of their beloved river. Such action produces immediate and tangible results. To see success stories visit www.americanrivers.org/MERSuccesses

The full report is available at http://www.americanrivers.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AR7_MER

St. Johns Riverkeeper is a non-profit grassroots organization that serves as an advocate for the St. Johns River and the communities that benefit from this tremendous resource. The Riverkeeper philosophy is rooted in a sense of public ownership of local water bodies. Our mission is to protect, preserve and restore the ecological integrity of the St. Johns River watershed for current users and future generations through advocacy and citizen action. For more information, visit http://www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org.

2008 AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS™:

Catawba-Wateree River (North Carolina, South Carolina)
Rogue River (Oregon)
Cache La Poudre River (Colorado)
St. Lawrence River (NY & Canada)
Minnesota River (Minnesota)
St. Johns River (Florida)
Gila River (Arizona, New Mexico)
Allagash Wilderness Waterway (Maine)
Niobrara River (Wyoming, Nebraska)
Pearl River (Mississippi, Louisiana)

Business As Usual?

2008-04-05T16:09:00.004-05:00

Recently, Governor Charlie Crist appointed 2 more people to the Governing Board of the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). In case you don't know, the Governing Board is a group of politically appointed people who set the policies for the District and make the final decision on permit applications to impact wetlands and to use our groundwater (consumptive use permits - CUPs).

The two appointees are Hans G. Tanzler III of Jacksonville and Douglas C. Bournique of Vero Beach.

Tanzler, 56, is the son of former Jacksonville Mayor, Hans Tanzler, Jr., and is president of Marion Equities Inc., a family holding company. For some reason, the SJRWMD press release failed to mention that he is also president of Cypress Grove Farm that specializes in wetland tree species for wetland restoration and mitigation projects.

Bournique has been the executive vice president of the Indian River Citrus League for nearly 30 years and previously worked for the Florida Sugar Cane League.

Previously, Crist appointed Arlen Jumper who has been the former director of the Florida Sod Growers Co-op, a Board member of the Florida Turfgrass Association and has served on the Florida Citrus Commission. For the last 14 years, Jumper has owned and managed the Jones Turf Grass Farm in McCoy.

Hopefully, these gentlemen will all make decisions based on sound science and what is truly best for the St. Johns River. However, you have to question whether or not apparent conflicts of interest could compromise their ability to objectively perform their jobs, most specifically Jumper and Bournique.

For one, Jumper's company, Jones Turf Grass Farm, has a permit from the SJRWMD to withdraw up to 200 million gallons of water a year from the Floridan aquifer to irrigate 660 acres of sod. Turfgrass, especially St. Augustine grass, is one of the primary reasons that we are using over 50% of our potable water outside the home to irrigate our lawns. Can Jumper make unbiased decisions regarding permits? Will he be willing to say no to permits that represent an excessive use of our groundwater for purposes that are not in the best interest of the public or the river?

As a major player in the agricultural industry, the same questions must be asked of Bournique. In 2006, the agricultural industry used 670.1 million gallons of water a day (MGD) throughout the 18 counties in the SJRWMD. This amounts to more water used than the entire public supply (653.39 MGD). In Indian River county alone, 267.63 million gallons of water a day were used for agricultural purposes.

I guess we have to give them the benefit of the doubt and allow them to prove themselves in these extremely important decision-making positions. However, we all need to scutinize their decisions and performance, along with every other member of the Governing Board. There is too much at stake (our water, our rivers and creeks, and our wetlands), and we simply cannot afford to continue with business as usual.

Opposition Is Mounting

2008-03-28T08:16:00.001-05:00

Well, the opposition to the water withdrawal proposals in Central Florida is mounting. Here is a current list of all of the groups, organizations, and government entities that have passed resolutions opposing the drawdown. If you are a member of a civic/business group, please ask them to consider a resolution, as well. We will need significant support to stop these withdrawals from taking place.

Governments/Agencies

City of Neptune Beach
Jacksonville Beach
Jacksonville
Keystone Heights
Atlantic Beach
Jacksonville Planning Commission
St. Johns County
Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board
Jacksonville Water and Sewer Expansion Authority
Jacksonville Waterways Commission
Town of Hastings
Town of Callahan
Nassau County
Clay County
Duval Soil and Water Conservation District

Citizen Organizations

St. Johns Riverkeeper
Putnam County Environmental Council
Northeast Chapter of the Sierra Club
Clay Action Network
Turtle Coast Sierra Club
Jacksonville Civic Council, Inc.
Shrimp Producers Association
Central Florida Sierra Club
Polk Sierra Club
Suwannee-St. Johns Sierra Club
Florida Chapter Sierra Club
William Bartram Scenic & Historic Highway Corridor Management Council
NW St. Johns County Community Coalition
Beaches Watch
St. Johns County Roundtable
Greater Arlington & Beaches CPAC
South Anastasia Community Association
Environmental Youth Council
Save Our Lakes
Greater Arlington Civic Council
Mandarin Community Club
Duval County Democratic Executive Committee
Santa Fe Lake Dwellers
North East Florida Association of Realtors
Clay County Chamber of Commerce
Florida Lure Anglers
Southside Businessmen’s Club
Democratic Women’s Information Network

3rd Annual River Celebration Day

2008-03-26T09:25:00.005-05:00

3rd Annual River Celebration Day
Saturday, March 29, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Walter Jones Historical Park
11964 Mandarin Road, Jacksonville

Join St. Johns Riverkeeper and Mandarin Museum and Historical Society for a celebration of the St. Johns River.

Music by Ashley Gang and Palm Valley String Band, storytellers and re-enactors, ecology programs, games and activities for kids, boat rides on the river, and free kayaking provided by Black Creek Outfitters. Food will also be available during the event. Historical tours will be provided of the museum and park throughout the day.

Kayak/Run Biathlon
7:30 am – 9:30am

Free kayaking provided by Black Creek Outfitters
11am – 3pm

Boat Trips – 45 minutes each on the hour
11am – 3pm

Nature program
11am - Noon & 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Ashley Gang Band
11am - 1:15pm

The Storytelling Sims
Noon – 12:30 pm & 1:30 – 2:00 pm

Palm Valley String Band
1:30 pm – 3:45 pm

Native Plant Workshop
3pm

For more information, call 904-268-0784.

Dash for Trash

2008-03-15T14:07:00.005-05:00

Today was the annual St. Johns River Cleanup in Duval and St. Johns County. Andy Fraden, owner of All Wet Sports, organized Dash for Trash as part of the cleanup event. The Dash for Trash took place at the Pottsburg Creek boat ramp and prizes were awarded for most trash bags, most trash by weight, and most unusual item. It was amazing to see the amount of trash that participants pulled out of the creek using canoes, kayaks, and boats. A basketball goal and ball, refrigerator, boat, computer monitor, gas tank, and shopping carts were some of the more interesting items of trash that were retrieved.

Thanks to all of the Riverkeeper volunteers who helped out. A special thanks goes out to Michael Howle, Walton Cheney, and J.P. Gaither for using their boats to retrieve trash from the kayaks and canoes.

A Delicate Balance

2008-03-11T09:58:00.002-05:00

The Florida Times-Union

March 11, 2008

Alterations could have an impact

The million or so residents of Northeast Florida who commute daily over or along the St. Johns River give little thought to what happens below the river's surface.

All most of us see is water and the occasional seagull. The proposal by Central Florida governments to remove water has made the First Coast pay attention as we never have before. Much will be made of the economic impact that will befall the Orlando area if water is withheld. Similar dire outcomes are predicted for the residents and industries in Northeast Florida if water is diverted.

Unfortunately, only a few people appreciate the complex biological machine that is already stressed. No one knows what ultimately will happen when the flow of fuel - fresh water - is altered. Anyone who has lived near the St. Johns River already knows that it has been severely impacted. We have deepened channels, added pollutants, built bulkheads along its banks, filled wetlands, dammed the river, etc. It's testament to the resiliency of nature that the river continues to function at all.

Old-timers know that the St. Johns has changed in ways that are not good, and that the fish, crabs and just about all life dependent on the river are not what they should be. Fresh and saltwater meet at the coast where the river empties into the ocean. Twice a day, high tide pushes saltwater upstream and twice daily low tide sends some of that water back into the ocean. Changes in water salinity are natural, and plants and animals living there have adapted to this change. Even the occasional drought or flood is part of the natural cycle.

Life in the St. Johns River has had thousands of years to adapt to natural variations. Most of these adaptations go unnoticed by those of us who use the river or fish along its banks. But each year, animals move in response to changes in water temperature and salinity to spawn at just the right time. Their young ride currents out in the ocean and find their way into the river's nursery areas at exactly the right time. It's difficult to say how these century-old patterns have been altered already by even the small changes we make in how much and what kind of water reaches the coast.

Just as we pay little attention to our cars until they break, we don't notice small changes in the river until it affects our lives or pocketbooks. A clogged air filter makes your car run a little rough. The St. Johns River has also been "running rough" for some time, too. We would repair our car, but have largely ignored the St. Johns until smelly algae covered its surface. What will happen to the St. Johns River engine that has sustained Northeast Florida for centuries when the proper mix of water and nutrients is altered?

COURTNEY T. HACKNEY, Director of Coastal Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville

Losing Our Way With Water

2008-03-10T14:48:00.002-05:00

The following essay by Bill Belleville, author of River of Lakes,appeared in today's Orlando Sentinel.

Fort Drum Creek was hardly a creek at all. My paddling partner and I had lugged a kayak down to it from the edge of a country road to explore. But the creek, hidden in a dense hardwood swamp north of Lake Okeechobee, behaved oddly, sluicing off into shallow rivulets.

Finally, we gave up on finding navigable water and forged ahead on foot. This was, after all, close to where historic maps told us the giant St. Johns River actually began its 310 mile crawl northward to the sea.

We walked until our calves sunk into water and mud. We crawled over the deadfall of sabal palms and large hickories. We stepped around deep furrows of wild-hog ruts. Just when we were ready to give up, the creek coalesced into a single channel -- bucolic, tea-colored, almost sure in its flow. And then without warning, it dissolved again, as if unable to catch its breath.

It was a good reminder that true "management" of water on this peninsula is tricky work. Human-driven conceits fool us into thinking we understand what this universal element is about. Yet, trying to engineer "hydrology" without having a deep and abiding respect for water is a dangerous presumption -- one that ordains us with more wisdom than we actually have.

The Native Americans who preceded us here by 12,000 years or more had a reverence for this water, as they did for all of nature. Their deities were woven into it, and not separate from it. Water held fish and snails, fed wildlife, watered crops, floated dugouts, gave life. In storms and in drownings, it also took life away.

Water was enchantment, certainly. But it was also deeply feared and honored, held close to the heart in both mystery and awe. It was sacred.

When they settled here, Europeans chose natural harbors on the coast, and along high river bluffs or atop ancient Indian middens inland. Florida was one big swamp and marsh and the best and surest roads were its waterways. The ether that others once worshiped became utility. Florida became a place to be sopped up, trimmed and tamed.

Perhaps nature as religion may have had a chance in Florida. But when technology developed to allow "submerged bottomlands" to be drained and sold for as little as 25 cents an acre in the l9th century, then Florida's destiny -- which was once to flow -- began to ebb.

Humans have done more to disconnect themselves from Florida's water in the last century than they did in the 12,000 years that came before. Water has become a visual Muzak, a background to our clever hardware-driven lifestyles, a solvent to be turned on or off, ditched away or drained. Once a noun and a verb, once a giver of life -- once a muse to writers, artists, musicians -- water in the 20th century became an expletive. It was called "flood control."

Today, our lack of connection has caught up with us. The feature that most shaped Florida into a singular place is being transformed. Now, lakes are drying or turning eutrophic; the springs declining in magnitude; the coastal estuaries becoming cloudy with sediment. The reefs, those miraculous living berms of color just offshore, are ailing. Even when we have the best intentions, we seem to forget that water is guided by gravity. We all live downstream.

And we have a tremendous thirst, far beyond any sustainable use the Timucua or Mayaca or Tequesta may have imagined. Floridians use 170 gallons of water a day -- compared to 110 gallons nationally. Uplands that might recharge aquifers with rain disappear under hard surface.

As if these insults weren't enough, we are preparing to siphon 260 million of gallons of water a day from the St. Johns system simply because developers bully water districts into doing so. Forget that half our residential use irrigates non-native landscapes that, in Florida, are simply impractical.

Our innate affinity for natural places -- what Pulitzer-winning biologist Edward O. Wilson calls "biophilia" -- is thwarted. The ability of our spectacular landscape to nourish us and to provide solace is diminished.

For the first time in the history of Florida, the liquid energy that once shaped us is now being shaped by us. We have taken ownership of water away from the gods. Fort Drum Creek, which a century ago, would have floated a dugout, struggles to catch its breath. As do we all.

WASTED

2008-03-07T21:04:00.005-05:00

The top photo was taken at the JEA chilled-water plant that is located near the Arena. The sprinklers had been running every day for at least two weeks in row. It then took over a week just to get someone to turn off the irrigation system once it had been reported, because no one knew who was responsible for maintaining this property. It turned out that the irrigation system was the responsibility of the City of Jacksonville (not JEA).

The second photo was taken today at FCCJ at 6:15 p.m. on my way home from work while it was raining. In fact, it had been raining all day. Look closely and you will see the sprinklers going full throttle in the background. This property is located on State Street between Jefferson and Broad.

Unfortunately, incidents like these are not that rare. We just can't continue to waste such a precious and limited resource as water. We had better get our act together in NE FL or we will be singing the Orlando and Atlanta blues soon, as well.

St. Johns Riverkeeper Takes Legal Action

2008-03-05T09:41:00.003-05:00

Here is the press release that we sent out yesterday announcing the legal action that we are taking to stop the withdrawal of water from the St. Johns by Seminole County.

On Tuesday, March 4th, St. Johns Riverkeeper officially filed for an administrative hearing to challenge the permit request from Seminole County to withdraw an average of 5.5 million gallons of water per day (MGD) from the St. Johns River for irrigation purposes. In addition to challenging the permit through an administrative law court (DOAH), St. Johns Riverkeeper is joining Public Trust Environmental Law Institute of Florida to pursue other legal actions, as well.

St. Johns Riverkeeper and Public Trust Environmental Law Institute of Florida have notified the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) of their intent to seek an injunction to require the SJRWMD to do the following:

1. Cease granting any consumptive use permits (CUPs) involving the St. Johns River;
2. Cease granting any consumptive use permits involving the Ocklawaha River;
3. Cease giving "assurances" to municipalities that the municipalities will be awarded CUPs involving the St. Johns and the Ocklawaha River surface water prior to proof that the legal requirements of issuing CUPs have been met.

The injunction would be effective until all the pending studies are completed by both the SJRWMD and the DEP.

The administrative legal challenge by St. Johns Riverkeeper and the pursuit of an injunction are in response to the recent announcement that the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) staff has recommended approval of the Seminole County request to withdraw an average of 5.5 million gallons of water per day (MGD) from the St. Johns River for its proposed Yankee Lake project.

The SJRWMD Governing Board was scheduled to decide upon the permit request at its next meeting on March 11th, but the legal action taken by St. Johns Riverkeeper will postpone any decision by the Board.

Seminole County is proposing to use the surface water from the St. Johns River for irrigation purposes. Seminole County is seeking to withdraw an average of 5.5 million gallons per day, but the amount of water withdrawn from the St. Johns could be as much as 11 million gallons per day during certain times of the year.

After 2013, Seminole County proposes to use the St. Johns River to supplement its drinking water needs, as well. Seminole County has plans to eventually withdraw as much as 80 MGD from the St. Johns River at the Yankee Lake facility. Water withdrawal proposals from Seminole County combined with those from other counties and utilities total nearly 400 MGD.

"Today, we are making good on our promise to do everything within our power to protect the St. Johns River. We will not allow Seminole County to move forward and destroy the River's health,” says Neil Armingeon, the St. Johns Riverkeeper. "This permit is not about 5.5 MGD; it is about the future of the St. Johns River."

Armingeon continues, “We could not take the chance that the Governing Board would do the right thing and deny this permit. We need to try and nip this in the bud, and put an end to these withdrawal proposals now before the flood gates are opened.”

Regarding the injunction, Warren Anderson of the Public Trust Environmental Law Institute of Florida stated, "It is not just Seminole County wanting to draw-down the River. We want a judge to order the SJRWMD to stop granting these permits until all the appropriate scientific studies are completed. Finish the studies first. With the health of the St. Johns River at stake, is that too much to ask?"

Let the videos begin!

2008-02-28T11:27:00.003-05:00

Today, St. Johns Riverkeeper announces the start date of the Conserving Water To Save Our Rivers PSA Video Contest.

“Conserving Water To Save Our Rivers” PSA Contest entries must be 60 seconds or less and address the importance of protecting our water resources and the St. Johns River system. We are not looking for entries that simply provide water conservation tips. We want kids to raise awareness by challenging viewers to examine how we use water, to understand why it is important to conserve water and the consequences of over-use, and to consider how to sustainably protect the St. John River and our groundwater resources. We expect this to be a challenging task for kids to tackle in 60-seconds or less, but never underestimate the talents and creativity of our youth.

All of the decisions that involve how we use our groundwater and the surface waters from our rivers are being decided by politicians and adult decision-makers. The PSA Contest will provide our youth with the opportunity to have a voice in the debate and to help raise awareness about an issue that impacts their lives, as well. In fact, any problems that should arise from the decisions that we make will fall to our kids to bear and to solve.

For more information, visit the St. Johns Riverkeeper website at
www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org.

On the PSA Contest page of our website is a really cool video about the Contest that was created by our partners in this project, Team Gaia.

Also, there is a video posted on the Florida Times-Union website about the Contest.
Check it out! www.jacksonville.com/news/waterwars

2008-02-23T21:45:00.002-05:00

Below is the unedited version of a recent letter written by Jimmy Orth, Executive Director of St. Johns Riverkeeper, that appeared in the Florida Times-Union:

Everyone in NE FL seems to be in opposition to the proposals by Central Florida and the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to withdraw millions of gallons of water a day from the St. Johns River. Most local governments have passed resolutions in opposition to the plan. Mayor Peyton and many of our state legislators are concerned that these proposals will harm the river. Everyone also acknowledges that we have to do a much better job of using our limited water resources more responsibly and efficiently. Even the SJRWMD claims to support an expansion of water conservation measures. Unfortunately, our actions don’t correspond with our rhetoric. Each day, I see businesses and residents watering at the wrong time of the day or too frequently with sprinklers that are not properly adjusted. Recently, I reported a problem at a city-owned property where the sprinklers have been operating every day for at least 2 weeks, extending beyond the10AM rule and pouring thousands of gallons of water on the adjacent street. Four days after reporting the problem to the city, the sprinklers were still running. In NE FL, we have not adopted mandatory water conservation measures and our utilities provide few incentives for conservation. Even though the SJRWMD has said that conservation could postpone the water withdrawal plans, they continue to rubber stamp consumptive use permits (CUPs) for the withdrawal of our groundwater. In 2007, permits were issued that total 2.845 million gallons a day (mgd) for golf courses, 1.74 mgd for sod farms, 4.31 mgd for a fish farm, .769 for water bottling plants, and 1.296 mgd to a Cocoa Beach surf shop for its cooling and air condition. That is a total of 10.96 mgd or over 4 billion gallons of water a year. These are just some of the more egregious or excessive permits and only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the total amount of water that is permitted each year for withdrawal from our aquifer. Now, the SRJRWMD wants to allow Seminole County to withdraw 5.5 million gallons per day from the river to be used primarily for irrigation purposes. The bottom line is that we have not taken water conservation seriously, and we absolutely must. We must provide more effective education, substantially increase incentives and markedly improve and strengthen regulations that govern water use. Using over 50% of our potable water on our lawns and shrubs is no longer an option, and we must start using drought-tolerant landscaping practices. We also have to start making prudent decisions about the appropriate uses and how we prioritize and allocate this essential public resource. Now is the time for us to decide – do we continue to just talk a good game or do we also start demonstrating our commitment by taking aggressive and more responsible actions. Yes, we all oppose the plans to take water from the river. But, we must also take responsibility and conserve our water resources to the point that there is no need to withdraw water from our river in the first place.

Damn Yankee

2008-02-18T18:10:00.005-05:00

The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) has announced that it is recommending approval of a permit by Seminole County to take up to 5.5 million gallons of water a day (mgd) from the St. Johns River at its Yankee Lake facility primarily for irrigation uses.

This comes right on the heels of the SJRWMD announcing that it will spend nearly $2 million of our taxpayer dollars to study the potential impacts of the withdrawal proposals over the next 2 years. We certainly support further studies before any withdrawal decisions are made. However, the District's decision to recommend approval of the Yankee Lake project permit before the study has even begun gives the impression that the study is just window-dressing for a done deal.

The Yankee Lake permit will be voted on by the SJRWMD Governing Board at their next meeting in Palatka on March 11th. Even though the SJRWMD staff is recommending approval, the Governing Board can vote to deny the permit application. Write or e-mail the Governing Board members and let them know what you think about this permit and the water withdrawal proposals in general.

If you can, try to attend the meeting on March 11th, as well. We need to show up in force and let the Governing Board members know that they have an obligation to protect our St. Johns River and our water resources.

For contact information for the Governing Board, visit the Riverkeeper website and click on the image in the Current News section or go directly to http://www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org/thirstthreatens.asp.

Where's Charlie?

2008-02-12T22:24:00.002-05:00

Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals overturned a ruling by the district court that would have allowed the Army Corps of Engineers and Georgia to enter into an agreement for water rights to the Lake Lanier reservoir. The decision was viewed as a victory for Florida and Alabama.

Governor Crist applauded the court for "recognizing the importance of maintaining Florida's water flow."

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary, Michael Sole, also supported the ruling, saying that lower river flows would harm Apalachiacola Bay.

Why don't they apply that same logic to another one of our state's most important rivers, the St. Johns?

Similar to the situation in Georgia, the St. Johns is also threatened by plans to reduce its flow by using its waters to supplement the drinking water needs of communities that have reached their water supply limits.

The St. Johns River water withdrawal proposals could be just as harmful to an important and fragile aquatic ecosystem. In fact, the rate of flow of the St. Johns is less than the Apalachiacola and the tidal influences are much greater. This results in the St. Johns not being able to flush pollutants efficiently to begin with.

The bottom line is this: Less freshwater and less flow are bad for BOTH rivers.

Governor, when are you going to stand up and defend the St. Johns River, too?

Let's maintain the flow in the St. Johns, as well.

Conserving water to save our rivers

2008-01-29T17:36:00.000-05:00

This past Friday, elected officials and concerned citizens from Northeast Florida gathered at the St. Johns County Convention Center at World Golf Village for the Water Supply Summit. Your Riverkeeper, Neil Armingeon, was one of the speakers who voiced opposition to the plans in Central Florida to withdraw millions of gallons a day from the St. Johns River.

Dozens of citizens attended wearing "Every Drop Counts" stickers to let the elected officials know of their concern and opposition to the withdrawal proposals.

One of things that Riverkeeper is concerned about is the lack of discussion and dialogue about the reasons our river is being concerned for withdrawals in the first place. Before one drop is even considered for removal, we must begin to address the problems that have created the need for more water - overdevelopment, unsustainable growth, poor planning, and an extremely inefficient use of water. Let's address those issues before we move on and deplete and cause harm to another one of our water resources - the St. Johns River.

This is why Riverkeeper is developing the Conservation First campaign. The St. Johns River Water Management District keeps saying that conservation alone will not provide all of our water needs. We say - How will you know until you really try?

Are You A KEEPER?

2008-01-05T08:58:00.000-05:00

If you are a Riverkeeper member, then the answer is definitely "YES".

Thanks to YOU, our loyal and generous supporters and members, Riverkeeper had a very successful year in 2007 and is poised to continue to make significant progress toward our goal of a clean and healthy St. Johns River.

· In 2007, we released our first annual Compliance Report that exposed and raised awareness about the numerous wastewater discharge permit violations that have taken place over the last two years. Soon after its release, FL Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Sole announced that DEP would strengthen its penalty guidelines and would take a tougher stance against the most serious environmental violations.

· We initiated a legal challenge against JEA for repeatedly violating the Clean Water Act that will hopefully result in infrastructure upgrades at the Arlington East and Buckman wastewater treatment facilities and fewer Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) of untreated sewage.

· We continued our fight for a meaningful and protective nutrient pollution reduction plan (TMDL) for the St. Johns.

· We led the effort to stop the proposals in Central Florida to annually withdraw millions of gallons of water from the St. Johns River. As a result of our involvement, resolutions opposing the withdrawal projects were passed by the Neptune Beach City Council, Jacksonville Beach City Council, Jacksonville City Council, Jacksonville Planning Commission, Town of Keystone Heights, and numerous citizen groups.

· Riverkeeper was in the news over 120 times, spoke to over 60 organizations, and had over 60,000 visits to our website.

· Riverkeeper released its second documentary film, Revenge of the River that addresses critical issues, such as the rapid loss of wetlands, inadequate enforcement of our environmental laws, and the depletion of our groundwater supply. Recently, the documentary was nominated for two regional Emmy Awards. In September, our first documentary, The Green Monster, received first place honors at the national Awards for Reporting on the Environment.

· Riverkeeper hired an Education and Outreach Coordinator and retained a General Counsel for legal services.

· Danielle Dolan, our Education and Outreach Coordinator, developed and led numerous educational boat trips and field trips for families and children. She also began developing lesson plans and programs for teachers and schools that will be available this year.

· Michael Howle, our General Counsel, initiated several important legal actions and assembled a stellar Legal Advisory Committee consisting of Marc Hardesty, Warren Anderson, Bill Sheppard, and Wayne Hogan.

· We started our Partnership for a Clean River business program with our charter members: Black Creek Outfitters, Kayak Amelia, Sadler Point Marina, Jacksonville University, and Commercial Diving Academy.

· Neil Armingeon, the Riverkeeper, was named the “2007 Outspoken Citizen of the Year” by the Southside Business Men’s Club, and the St. Johns Riverkeeper organization received the Zone VIII Conservation Award from The Garden Club of America.

Although we had some success and certainly made progress in 2007, the St. Johns and Riverkeeper will continue to face many difficult challenges in 2008. We will need your unwavering support more than ever this year.

As you know, Central Florida and the St. Johns River Water Management District continue to move forward with plans to withdraw millions of gallons of water each day from our river. We will continue to oppose the withdrawal projects and to advocate for aggressive water conservation measures and sustainable building and planning practices.

Within the next week or so, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will notice the discharge permit for the Georgia Pacific Paper Mill in Palatka. This notice will begin the public comment period for this permit, and it signals the beginning of yet another battle to stop GP from moving its polluted discharge from Rice Creek to the St. Johns via a pipeline.

Make no mistake, this will be a time consuming and costly effort. This pipeline threatens the health of the River. Our general counsel is researching our legal options. I will be providing regular updates on this issue, including fact sheets and ways you and your family can help our efforts. We will need all of your help if we are to mount an effective campaign to stop GP’s efforts to build its pipeline and increase its discharge to the River.

As always, thank you for all you do for the St. Johns River. We look forward to meeting the challenges facing the River, and we will do everything within our power to make sure our St. Johns is protected during the coming year.

Happy New Year!

Water War

2007-12-11T15:11:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, the Orlando Sentinel had a front page article about the water withdrawal issue. In the article, the question is raised, "Whose thirst comes first?".

Unfortunately, the Sentinel did not ask a much more important question - "Why are we experiencing water shortages in the first place?"

We can get bogged down in a debate over who has a right to the water in the St. Johns and Ocklawaha and what the science says about the potential impacts, but we need to first address the reasons that we are in this predicament. As a result of poor planning, unsustainable growth and development, and the extremely inefficient use of our water resources, Central Florida is now desparately turning to the St. Johns River to solve their water supply problems.

However, before we condemn Central Florida for its actions, we must first look at how North Florida is growing and managing its resources. Unfortunately, North Florida is chugging along the same path forged by Central and South Florida and is guilty of the same unsustainable and misguided policies and practices.

Let's use this issue as an opportunity to begin the self-examination process and a meaningful dialogue about Florida's future.

To read the Orlando Sentinel article, go to:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-water0907dec09,0,4281811.story?coll=orl_tab01_layout

Momentum is Mounting

2007-11-29T21:59:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, the Jacksonville City Council passed a resolution in opposition of the water withdrawal proposals in Central Florida. The vote was unanimous. This comes on the heals of similar resolutions that were passed by Neptune Beach City Council and the Jacksonville Beach CC. Today, we received copy of a letter that Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton recently sent to the St. Johns River Water Management District expressing serious concerns about the proposed withdrawals and urging them to look at other water supply alternatives and conservation measures first.

The St. Johns Board of County Commissioners is currently considering a resolution, as well.

As public opposition continues to grow, our elected officials are finally beginning to step up, voice their concerns, and demonstrate the leadership that will be necessary if we are to stop these ill-conceived and shortsighted withdrawal plans. Hopefully, the Governor is listening and will take action, as well.

If you haven't already done so, please contact the Governor and let him know that you are opposed to the withdrawals and support an expansion of wastewater reuse, more sustainable planning and building practices, and agressive water conservation programs.

Education is the Key

2007-11-24T08:58:00.000-05:00

As I have mentioned before, we are excited to have Danielle Dolan on board with us. Danielle is our new Education and Outreach Coordinator. She will be developing lesson plans, educational activities, and programs and leading educational boat trips. As I am writing this, Danielle is getting ready to embark on the latest Family River Ride boat trip with over 50 kids and adults.

I will go ahead and state the obvious. Education is critical to the future of our river. If people don't understand, appreciate, and have a connection to the river, they will not be as inclined to take responsibility for protecting it. Through the boat trips, we are trying to give people the opportunity to get to know their river. The St. Johns is a unique, fascinating, and beautiful body of water with a rich history and biodiversity, and many people just don't know that much about it.

If you can't take one of our boat trips, I encourage you to get out there and explore the St. Johns River on your own. Visit a park that is located on the river, attend a naturalist program, go for a paddle, or just take a stroll along the riverwalk. Read a book about the St. Johns (I highly recommend "River of Lakes"),and learn more about this remarkable river. On our website, we have a lot of information about the ecology and history of the river. We also have a page about the inspiration that the river has provided for artists and a section about how to access the St. Johns - where to eat, hike, boat, camp, rent a kayak, etc. Our new Education page has links to numerous education websites related to the river.

For more information about upcoming Family River Ride boat trips:
http://www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org/calendar.asp

St. Johns Riverkeeper Education and Outreach website page:
http://www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org/ourWork_Education.asp

Oil Spill Update

2007-11-12T10:27:00.000-05:00

As we reported last week, a large fuel oil spill occurred on the St. Johns River on November 3rd. We now know that Sun State Towing was involved in the spill, although the Coast Guard is apparently still trying to determine who will be held responsible.

Last week, cleanup crews were busy at Jacksonville University cleaning off boats, docks, and rocks along the shoreline. Unfortunately, not much more can be done to clean the oil off of the shoreline vegetation.

These two pictures were taken at Jacksonville University by Dr. Gerry Pinto.

Fuel Spill

2007-11-04T19:55:00.001-05:00

Today, we were contacted by a concerned citizen and fisherman who witnessed a significant fuel spill on the St. Johns River near the Lions Club Boat Ramp in Jacksonville. As a result, we called the Coast Guard to report the incident. We were told by the USCG that a barge was recently receiving fuel at a fuel dock and the person filling the tanks left the pump unattended while he went to use the bathroom. As a result, the barge tanks overflowed, spilling over 500 gallons of fuel oil into the St. Johns River. The USCG is in the process of investing the incident and will fine the company responsible for the spill.

As you can see from the photo, the aquatic vegetation at Lions Club Boat Ramp is coated with an oily residue. We are thankful that the concerned citizen contacted us and informed us about this incident. We will follow-up with the USCG to make sure that the responsible parties are held accountable for this unfortunate incident. This is a good example of how citizens can help us to indentify and resolve problems impacting the health of our river.

Eco-Heritage Boat Trips

2007-11-04T18:17:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, we completed our most recent 3-day St. Johns River Eco-Heritage Boat Trips between Sanford and Jacksonville. We had 36 passengers on the trip from Jax to Sanford and 38 passengers on the return trip from Sanford to Jax. Despite the ominous weather predictions and the approaching Tropical Storm Noel, we were fortunate to be able to explore the St. Johns and learn about its rich history, culture and ecology without too much foul weather or discomfort. We experienced some rain, sunshine, and a passing cold front. We learned about Trout Creek from Naturalist Beverly Fleming, the steamboat Maple Leaf from Shorty Robbins, the river culture of West Volusia County from Bill Dreggors,and the history and ecology of the St. Johns from author Bill Belleville. We saw manatees, bald eagles, gators, and numerous wading birds. We were immersed in the St. Johns and experienced the rhythms and essence of one of the great rivers on this planet.

Bill Belleville talks about the importance of establishing and developing a sense of place and connnection to our natural world. These trip hopefully help to bring the passengers and the staff of Riverkeeper closer to realizing that goal and understanding the importance of protecting the health and integrity of the St. Johns River.

The picture above was taken from the balcony of Blair's Jungle Den motel in Volusia just south of Lake George. You can see that the river narrows significantly and does not look anything like the river that flows through the Jacksonville metropolitan area. Seeing the river as I did in this picture makes me realize how fragile it is and how troublesome the proposals to withdraw water from the river just south of here really are. There will be more to come about the trips and the water withdrawal proposals soon.

A Better Jacksonville Plan

2007-10-18T15:50:00.000-05:00

Today, I received a call from a concerned citizen about the Cahoon Road Drainage Improvement Project sponsored by JEA and the City of Jacksonville. I went out and visited the site to observe for myself how the contractor, Felix and Associates, was performing on this Better Jacksonville Plan project. Unfortunately, the contractor is doing a terrible job of controlling sediment at the site and the City of Jacksonville is doing a poor job of inspecting and making sure that they are in compliance with sediment-control regulations. As you can see by the pictures, the creek next to the site is filled with sediment from construction-site runoff and the sediment control devices in many places are not properly installed or have completely failed. We have called the City and are working to make sure that this site is brought into compliance.

All Aboard!

2007-10-16T08:40:00.000-05:00

Recently, we hired Danielle Dolan to serve as our Education and Outreach Coordinator. Danielle will be developing teacher resources, planning educational activities, and organizing boat trips. Below is a description of the Friday boat trips that we have coming up. We also have a Family River Ride Boat Trip scheduled for this Saturday, but unfortunately, it is is already filled up. We are glad to see that the there is so much demand, and more trips will be scheduled in the near future. In the meantime, you still have a change to get out on the water this Friday.

“BROWN BAG” BOAT TRIPS

Launch your weekend off early with a relaxing lunch on the St. Johns River. Join us aboard the Water Taxi for a 45 minute cruise. Local ecology, history, and current Riverkeeper projects will be discussed.

Dates: Friday, October 19 & 26

Time: 12:00 Noon – 12:45PM
Boat will depart promptly at 12:00 noon.

Location: The Jacksonville Landing
2 Independent Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32202

What to Bring: Your own lunch & beverages; Water will be provided.

Attire: Be prepared for current weather conditions.

Suggested Donation: $10 per person

Reservations: Email name & contact information with number of participants to Education & Outreach Coordinator (Danielle.Dolan@gmail.com)

For more information, visit the Riverkeeper website at www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org.

RiverTown Won't Control Its Dirt

2007-10-08T08:20:00.000-05:00

Once again, the massive RiverTown development project in St. Johns County has muddied the creeks as a result of poorly managed construction-site runoff. Last week, the regulatory agencies announced that the previous water quality violations at the site were significant enough to warrant a fine or penalty that is yet to be determined. Scroll down to see pictures of the first violations.

Apparently, they didn't get the message. Ben Williams sent us these photos that he took on Sunday morning of two of the creeks that run through the RiverTown property. This demonstrates why it is so important that citizens keep their eyes open and help us to monitor these construction sites for potential water quality violations. If you see muddy water, please contact us at 904-256-7591.

This Sucks

2007-10-06T09:20:00.000-05:00

It's not too late! Pick up your copy of the latest Folio Weekly magazine and read the excellent article by Owen Holmes about the proposal in Central Florida to withdrawal water from the St. Johns River. You can also learn more about this issue by visiting the Riverkeeper website and reading the fact sheet that is available on the homepage.

We are gearing up to address this issue by creating a public awareness campaign and a water conservation program. Riverkeeper is also researching Florida water law to better understand our legal options, and we are assembling a team of scientists to review the St. Johns River Water Management District studies that are being used to justify the withdrawal. We also hope to put together a coalition of concerned citizens, businesses, and orginizations. We'll keep you posted about how you can get involved and join the effort to promote Conservation First.

Conservation First

2007-10-01T12:39:00.000-05:00

The following is a guest column by Cynthia Barnett that was in the High Springs Herald. She is a writer for Florida Trend magazine and the author of a new book, Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. We highly recommend this book for anyone who is concerned about Florida's environment and St. Johns River.

Cynthia Barnett Guest Column: Florida should learn to conserve water first

During the notorious Tampa Bay water wars that raged from the early 1970s through the mid-1990s, residents of rural Pasco and Hillsborough counties who lived near the well-fields of urban communities to the south and west watched lake beds turn to weeds, sinkholes open up and backyard wells run dry.

Water managers assured them, over and over again, that it was all just part of the natural hydrological cycle. The groundwater pumping had nothing to do with it.

Now, everyone knows better.

In addition to lowering our freshwater aquifers, groundwater pumping is responsible for 80 percent of all land subsidence in the United States, according to a U.S. Geological Survey report.

These days, water managers across Florida say that groundwater has been so over-tapped, many parts of the state don’t have enough to sustain population growth past the year 2013.

(Notice you rarely hear water officials say. “We’ve over-permitted the groundwater,” although that’s a more-accurate description of what’s happened.)

Now, as The High Springs Herald’s Rachael Anne Ryals reported earlier this month, water managers are turning to Florida’s rivers and lakes to supplant the tapped-out groundwater. Citizen outcry, from the northeast coast in Jacksonville to the central-west coast in Citrus County, is considerable.

But it should come as no surprise. If you want to know why Floridians are worried about the way the government will manage the state’s surface-water supply, just look at the way it has managed our groundwater supply. Or the way it has managed our wetlands.

In Jacksonville’s Florida Times-Union, water managers called concerns about over-tapping the St. Johns River alarmist. Florida’s rivers, they said, cannot be compared to the Colorado and others in arid west that are so over-allocated there isn’t enough water for all permitted users, much less fish and wildlife, during times of drought.

But taking lessons from western water history, as well as our own, is exactly what we should be doing. As Winston Churchill said, “The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.”

America’s top water scientists in the 19th Century thought that Florida and the entire eastern half of the United States were so wet, they would never even need irrigation. Those in the 20th Century thought the Floridan Aquifer would give us an endless supply of groundwater.

What assumptions are we making today that will seem equally far-fetched 50 or 100 years from now? One assumption is that increased growth and economic prosperity must mean increased water use.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Water use in the United States stopped rising in the 1980s, yet population and gross domestic product have grown steadily ever since. While some Florida communities have managed to slash water use with serious conservation programs, overall, our per-capita consumption is edging up.

Water managers’ supply predictions are based on Florida using more and more, when we should be using far less. For example, in every other part of the country where agricultural water use is being converted to urban use, overall consumption is going down.

Why isn’t that the case in Florida?

North Florida can learn many lessons from the Tampa Bay water wars – about the benefit of regional cooperation, about the fruitlessness of lawsuits.

Two other important lessons from those wars: 1) major infrastructure projects always have unintended consequences and 2) serious conservation works.

Tampa Bay’s wars ended when the local governments decided to start working together on water supply rather than competing. One project they embarked upon, the Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant, is five years late, $40 million over budget and still not working as it should.

But to me, the most interesting part of the desalination story is this: In the years that the plant has sat idle, the region managed to reduce overall groundwater pumping from 192 million to 121 million gallons a day despite population growth – and without one drop of the desalinated water officials once insisted they needed to meet that goal.

Similar stories can be found around the nation. Water use in the greater Boston area hit a 50-year low in 2004, following an aggressive conservation program begun in the late 1980s that has indefinitely postponed construction of a diversion from the Connecticut River and saved residents more than $500 million in capital expenditures alone.

Florida hasn’t done enough to gain conservation efficiency to justify the economic and ecological cost of ginormous infrastructure projects such as those proposed from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers. Those potential transfers would cost taxpayers many hundreds of millions.

And yet, only one county among those receiving the transfers – Volusia – has mandatory water conservation measures in place.

Why not require efficiency first?

Ocala Water Wars Summit

2007-09-30T15:44:00.000-05:00

Ocala, Florida—(September 18. 2007) Marion County residents and many of their neighbors in North Central Florida are fighting mad over the St. Johns River Water Management District’s (SJRWMD) plan to pump up to 108 million gallons daily from the Ocklawaha River to 18 utilities in Central Florida.

That’s why the Smart Growth Coalition of North Central Florida (SGC) in conjunction with the Putnam County Environmental Council (PCEC) is sponsoring a ”Ocala Water Wars Summit” on Sunday, October 7, from 2:00 to 4:00 at the Marion County Commission Auditorium, McPherson Government Complex, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala.

Event planners fear environmental damage will occur if SJRWMD’s 136 mile, $500 million pipeline is built. They also point out that losing the Ocklawaha River to Central Florida deprives residents of Marion, Putnam and other counties of a possible local water supply for their own future needs.

In addition, they question the legality, the necessity, and the methods being used to justify the pipeline. “We’ve assembled a host of qualified people--journalists, elected officials, environmental activists and a scientist--to address these issues,” says SGC’s Susan Dunn., the summit’s moderator. ”We want to inform the public about the issue, the need for good science, the possible lawsuits and legislative attempts to stop the pipeline, and the need for the public to speak out against what’s happening.”

The key speaker at the October 7th event is Cynthia Barnett, a veteran reporter for Florida Trend magazine, and author of Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. Part investigative reporting, part environmental history, Mirage tells how the eastern half of the nation – historically so wet that early settlers predicted it would never even need irrigation – has squandered so much of its abundant fresh water that it now faces shortages and conflicts.

Barnett’s book also examines Florida’s water wars, the politics of development, and inequities in the price of water, the bottled-water industry, privatization, and new-water-supply schemes. In a glowing review, Publisher’s Weekly notes that Mirage "should become vital reading for citizens and policymakers as global concerns over water scarcity grow." Barnett will focus her expertise on the pipeline threat at the Ocala summit.

Other summit speakers include: Brad Rogers, editor, Ocala Star Banner; former Senator Nancy Argenziano, Florida’s Public Service Commission; State Representative Kurt Kelly; Marion County Commissioner Andy Kesselring; Robin Lewis, professional wetlands scientist and PCEC Lead Science Advisor; Karen Ahlers, president, Putnam County Environmental Council, Inc.; and, Guy Marwick, environmental activist, and member of the SGC, Marion Audubon Society, and other organizations.

For details call 685-2434 or 694-4461.

RiverTown Muddies the Water

2007-09-26T13:46:00.001-05:00

The aerial photo of the RiverTown project in St. Johns County was taken by South Wings, a non-profit group of volunteer pilots who assist groups like Riverkeeper. The muddy water was caused by construction-site runoff from the RiverTown project. This photo is courtesy of Ben Williams.

The creeks that cross this property are unique ravine streams that deserve better protection than this. Riverkeeper has alerted St. Joe Co., the regulators, and the county about our concerns. We will continue to press for better protections and accountability.

Despite the significant problems associated with construction-site runoff, these incidents happen frequently and are often able to persist because of a lack of enforcement. We need your help monitoring construction sites like Rivertown to make sure that they are in compliance. If you see a muddy creek or sediment leaving a construction site, please call us and help us to resolve these problems. Call 904-256-7591.

Gators, Crabs, Shrimp and Musings

2007-09-11T09:21:00.000-05:00

Written by Ben Williams, former Board member of Riverkeeper

Good morning. And it is morning, shortly after 2 am as I set this down. And no I'm not still up from the night before but rather, as it so often is with us crazy fishermen, already anticipating the days excursion on our St. Johns. Actually today, more accurately only the couple of hours surrounding sunrise, will be spent chasing large lizards.

Now I know a number of you may not approve of this behavior but take from the fact that we are able to engage in it the positive. The positive is that in the not too distant past the American Alligator was listed as a endangered species, yet today, all over the Southeast, not just here in Florida, the alligator has returned. He's returned not only to the point that his important role in the environment is being fully filled but to the point that commercial and recreational hunting of alligators in a number of states is allowed.

And I might add that here in Florida the revenues generated from those hunts fund, fully I am told, the states alligator management programs, programs which would seem to be working, based on the ever increasing numbers, maybe as many as 2 million, certainly over a million. And we're talking a species that breeds almost as quickly as feral cats so they can stand a bit of harvesting.

The obvious positive being that sound environmental policy has allowed the alligator to return. A success, something we who focus on the environment so often miss, that there are successes. It seems the nature of our effort that we focus on what is wrong and seldom on what has been accomplished.

I've attached, for those of you who might be interested in such, a picture or two of the 5th gator we harvested this season. He's not all that big, 10' 5" and a bit over 400 pounds. In fact we've already harvested 2 others of similar size this season. What is different is that this one was caught as the sun came up which gave us the opportunity to take some clear pictures right after he was caught. Also you'll note that the crew on this trip consists of me, the old guy using a block and tackle to bring him over the stern, and one girl. Actually Louann, wife of 27 years and constant companion on the water and in the woods.

Enough about gators, for as with my previous postings the reason I set this stuff down is because I know so many of you, who work so diligently at protecting and improving our St. Johns, get scant opportunity to immerse yourselves in it. I'm more than fortunate in that regard and am always mindful as I recreate on and seek sustenance from our river that without those efforts...........well you know what would happen if we did not work to protect our river.

So what else has been going on of late out there that you've been missing?

In no particular order, and maybe in a somewhat confused recounting, here's some of what we're seeing of late.

Shrimp! Lots of shrimp. And you'll need a map to appreciate this if you're not VERY familiar with the river: shrimp from the south end of Crescent Lake to the south end of Lake George. Atlantic White shrimp (panaeus setiferus), the white shrimp that once they reach maturity and run out into the ocean will constitute the most important part of our commercial catch here in NE Fla.

We're having so far, and will continue to have so long as some ugly tropical event does not drop enough water on us to flush them from the river, a banner year here in our river. In the last few weeks we've been on the river at all hours. Seen a number of sunsets and sunrises, and moon rises and moon sets while chasing gators, and sweltered through more than a afternoon or two chasing the elusive black bass. I say elusive only because our performance in tournaments of late has been less than stellar. Those risings and settings, and that sweltering, has occurred from Julington Creek to the southern ends of George and Crescent.

During the night, at all hours, we've noted docks with nets being tossed off of them onto the shrimp. And during the day, this past Friday and Saturday included, we've passed hundreds of folks tossing nets along the river channel, and at the edges of drops, and in the ends of deep sloughs. And this shrimp fleet, a recreational fleet is what it is, for there is no commercial harvest allowed south of downtown Jax., is a real cross-section of our community.........at least based on the variety of boats, and souls, engaged in it. From pontoon boats to old kicker boats to fancy bass boats to 25+ foot cruisers and sportfishermen, to ski boats ( Here I might add a fisherman's prejudicial remark.....that finally those ski boats are engaged in something unannoying. Now if only we can find such for the PWCs. )............you get the picture.

And the people tossing the nets. They look and sound like America. From the expected southern English of the boys in the bass boats to the Spanish and Korean and Chinese and Tagalog and .......well you get the picture again.

And it's not just the faces and accents that are different but also, if you know what you are seeing, the different ways the nets are tossed. Take a walk along the Old Shands in Green Cove at night and pay close attention. Watch how the nets are folded and readied for throwing. Different methods form different places.

And it's not just the shrimp, and the shrimpers, that are doing well here in the our river. Those who catch crabs for a living are having a good year also. The crabs have been relatively thick, relatively large, and relatively evenly distributed throughout the area. The run has been so good, with so many large males in the mix, that it's actually worked against some of the crabbers, those who peeler fish specifically.

Peelers, crabs that will soon molt and thereby become the most valuable blue crab of all, the soft shell, are specifically sought by some. The standard catch method is to bait a trap with a large live male crab. This baited trap is pulled just as would be a trap baited with fish except in this instance the expected catch is not large mature crabs destined for the steamer but rather juvenile female crabs.

You see, it works like this. The large male crab, sitting in the bait well of that trap, is constantly emitting pheromones. Those pheromones draw the juvenile females to him. Crabs, females at least, generally mate only once in their life at what is referred to as their pubertal molt. This is the molt where the triangular apron on the bottom of the juvenile females shell becomes rounded........and no I'm not going to draw any tacky analogies.......and she becomes sexually mature. It is only immediately after molting, while she is still soft, that she can mate. The male will cradle her, both protecting her while she is in a most vulnerable state and passing along his genetic contribution at the same time.

===== Here I must pause for it's now 4 am and time for the boat to go in the water, more later. ===============

10:05 am, back from the river. Been down south of Palatka looking for gators. Only luck this morning was bad.

Now that's not actually true. We, Scott Campbell, his son Scottie and I, were on the water well before the east started to lighten. We were treated to a spectacular sunrise, over the trees not over the condos. We did see a few gators, actually managed to foul up a good opportunity to harvest one.

Getting back to the crabs:

When the crabber pulls these "peeler pots" as they are called, he dumps out the soon to molt females and feeds the male in the bait well before returning the full but frustrated male and the trap to the water. The females, at least the ones that are far enough along towards the molt, are carried to a shedding house where they are placed in holding tanks. These tanks, protected from the sun and with constantly flowing water, will be their home until they shed, which may be anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

Once a crab sheds it is allowed to firm up a bit and then is removed from the water, carefully placed on a tray and covered with wet newspaper or wet straw. They are then refrigerated.

Once out of the water their shell will not harden. On the other hand should a crab be allowed to stay in the tank for to long after shedding its shell will firm up to much and it will be of no value as a soft crab. This fact makes shedding crabs a 24 hour a day occupation. Generally the tanks must be checked every two hours. As many, if not most, of the local shedding operations are mom and pop efforts this means little sound sleep for the family during the peeler runs.

And I could go on about this but you kind of get the picture, so don't complain about the cost of that one soft-shell crab.............

And then there are the mullet. Not a very exciting fish but arguably among the most important because of the gap it bridges in the food web. Being a vegetarian, complete with gizzard, it is one of the great transporters of plant energy on up the food chain. Needless to say the mullet is incorporated, unwillingly, into many other species of fish.

The mullet in our river have been growing like crazy all summer. This years crop is excellent, great numbers all over. In the next few weeks they will start to get antsy about migrating as the first few cool days of fall arrive. They will also start to develop roe. Mullet roe, once a great delicacy along the southeast coast, is today a food in demand by only a few. It's something we're soon to lose as a culture, the love of it. Mind you I don't much care for it but I do care for tradition and a holding on to....oh well regardless it's a passing thing.

And for those of us who've caught them, and who know what we are looking at, the appearance of the schools will change over the next few weeks as they aggregate for the run to the ocean. The scattered schools, often no more than a few fish, will come to gather into schools that will string for hundreds of yards....or more. And they'll travel. It'd take a page or two to describe it.

And it's worth mentioning that a mullet is not just a mullet. Out close to the ocean we've got a mix, black mullet ( Also called striped. ) and silver mullet. The silvers are much smaller, seldom over a pound. The blacks, those are the mullet of our river, the ones that travel all the way south. They are the ones that attain 4 and 5 and more pounds, and produce the once so highly prized roe. And that roe. During this time of year the commercial fishermen will gauge the mullet by the roe. The constant question, because the price paid to the fisherman hinges on it, is what percent are they cutting? This refers to the pounds of roe per hundred weight of female mullet in the round that can be recovered. At times this can be as high as 15 to 17 percent.

The male fish are basically crab bait.................and you can figure out why.

Midges. A.K.A. blind mosquitoes. Last year we had numerous hatches all the way to south Jax. Almost every night of gator season we endured some level of swarm. A few nights it was so bad that we had to rinse off the boat because their accumulated eggs and squashed bodies rendered the boat slippery. They were so prevalent, and its been so long sense we've had significant hatches up this way, that there were news articles written on them.

Why they are gone this year........I'd venture the salt. And in this part of the river the fact that the salt has killed the grass. Why we've not seen significant hatches on Crescent or George or south of Palatka, places where the grass is a gorgeous as I can remember........can't answer that one. When we're gator hunting we don't miss them swarming our lights and crawling in and under and around our persons and belongings, but we do know they, like the mullet, are transporters of energy up the food chain so we wonder.

And there's a lot more but..................time...............

Do let me share this quote. It came from Louann as we drove back across the Shands bridge from a gator effort. She was looking out at our river over the rails of the bridge and noting the groups of boats, both north and south and spread all about. Some, most I'd say, were shrimping, a few were fishing, a couple were sailboats and of course a PWC or two was skimming along.

And Louann said "Look at all those people enjoying the river. That's a good thing."

And it is a good thing. And it's a good thing that can be still happening a hundred years from now. And if it is it will be because of the good thing all of you are doing for our river. That's what I think. I think because of the efforts of a lot of people, people who to infrequently get to enjoy our river, our river will still be a productive and enjoyable place for our grandchildren.

Ben

An afterthought.........the gator......he will be used. We use them all. The meat from that one, all of it not just the tail, went to Magnolia Point Golf Club. The hide will end up in the hands of a artisan leather worker, most likely in France or Italy.

Central Florida's Thirst Threatens River

2007-09-07T15:52:00.000-05:00

Starting in early 2003, an influential group of business leaders, called “The Florida Council of 100”, met behind closed doors to divvy up the state's water supply. Those meetings resulted in the development of a report published in September, 2003, entitled, Improving Florida’s Water Supply Management Structure.

The controversial report called for the establishment of a statewide water supply commission and presented the idea of redirecting of North Florida’s precious water resources to thirsty, booming Central and South Florida. The report also called for the alteration of the water management law policy at that time called “Local Sources First.”
The report caused a firestorm. The specifics of the Council’s closed meetings that led to the report were published in numerous newspapers accounts statewide. The idea that communities that had allowed unsustainable growth and were suffering water shortage issues would be allowed to take water from other areas was universally condemned.

The Florida Senate sponsored a series of public hearings to discuss the report, and at every venue, citizens denounced the idea of piping water from north Florida to south and central Florida. The opposition to the Council’s report was so overwhelming, that many felt that the idea of water transfers had been defeated. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

The ideas put forth by the Council are not dead. To the contrary, the Council’s ideas have been moving forward under the guidance of the State’s Water Management Districts. The idea of taking water from one area of the state to meet the needs of another is no longer a concept, it is a reality. Unfortunately, the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers are the testing grounds for this experiment.

Overview

• The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) has stated that central Florida has out-stripped the Floridan aquifer’s ability to provide a sustainable drinking water source beyond 2013. The District has told communities they will have to seek alternative water sources (AWS).

• The SJRWMD has stated that 155 million gallon days (MGD) can be “safely” removed from the St. Johns River between the headwaters and Deland (State Road 44). The term “safely” applies to the District’s belief that a 155 MGD withdrawal will not affect the aquatic health of the river or its ecosystem.

• At a July 18 meeting in Orlando, various cities and counties submitted ~ 46 withdrawal projects/proposals vying for the 155 MGD.

• Because river water has a high salt or mineral content, most withdrawals will involve reverse osmosis, or RO. A by-product of RO is high mineral content and/or very salty water. RO water is also high in nutrients. The byproducts, or pollutants, are called “concentrate”. The SJRWMD has recently started a study to document the problems with concentrate on the river environment—the study will end in a year.

• The SJRWMD is also focusing its attention on the lower Ocklawaha River. Although District staff has not set a minimum flow level, or MFL, for the Ocklawaha River, the agency is telling counties to expect to be able to withdraw 90 to 108 MGD from the river.

• The SJRWMD is currently looking at potential withdrawals from the St. Johns River totaling 262 MGD.

• Withdrawals from the St. Johns will impact the river’s salinity line.

• One of the largest proposed water withdrawals, Yankee Lake, is planned in an area just south of the Wekiva Aquatic Preserve! Also, this plant could eventually discharge concentrate into the river.

• The only county proposing to withdraw water from the River that has a mandatory water conservation plan is Volusia County. None of the other counties or municipalities that are planning water withdrawals has mandatory water conservation programs.

• The current withdrawals plans will only provide drinking water needs until ~2030, less than 25 years into the future.

Riverkeeper’s Concerns

1. St. Johns Riverkeeper is concerned that the withdrawals from the St. Johns and the Ocklawaha Rivers have the potential to harm the health of both rivers.

2. The SJRWMD has minimized the risks to the River’s ecological health by portraying the withdrawals as a simple percentage of the river’s total flows.

3. The withdrawals will cause the river’s salinity line to shift upstream especially during low flow conditions. No one, including the SJRWMD, fully understands the potential impacts to the river’s health and fisheries from the proposed withdrawals.

4. In addition to withdrawing water from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha, the SJRWMD is also proposing to utilize Aquifer Storage Recovery, or ASR, a process that injects minimally treated water back into the ground water aquifers. There are risks associated with this procedure. For example, ASR has been linked to high levels of arsenic found in the stored water because of chemical changes during the storage process.

5. “Concentrate” from the RO process could harm the river’s health by adding additional pollutants to an already stressed system.

6. SJRK is concerned the SJRWMD could issue numerous withdrawal permits before the concentrate study is completed.

7. The SJRWMD has not required mandatory conservation programs in an attempt to reduce the need to withdraw river water.

8. All of the District’s studies rationalizing and/or minimizing the environmental impacts of water withdrawal have been done “in house”, i.e. written by staff or consultants paid for by the District. There has been no independent review of any of these reports.

9. Once the river water withdrawal program is started, there will be no turning back, regardless if the act is harming the River’s ecological health.

Congrats and Thanks

2007-09-05T15:21:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Mary Pepe for winning the raffle for the Gibson Les Paul studio guitar signed by JJ Grey of MOFRO and the members of Los Lobos.

A special thanks goes out to JJ and MOFRO for making Riverkeeper the beneficiary of the festival. We appreciate all that they are doing through their music and their support of Riverkeeper to spread the word about protecting the REAL Florida .

Thanks also to Gibson for donating the guitar, to Randy and Beth Judy for donating 2 tix to Magnolia Fest, and to Paul Levine for donating 2 tix to Bear Creek Music Festival.

Finally, thanks to all of our volunteers who helped staff our table and everyone who supported the raffle. We can't continue to do this work without the support of our members, volunteers, and the community. THANK YOU!

2007-09-05T15:15:00.000-05:00

Jimmy Orth backstage with JJ Grey of MOFRO and the legendary, Willie Green.

MOFRO concert benefits Riverkeeper

2007-08-31T12:32:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that this Sunday, September 2, is the Blackwater Sol Revue, featuring MOFRO and a host of other great bands. Riverkeeper is the beneficiary of the festival. Come on out, see a great show, and support Riverkeeper. We will have a table at the event selling raffle tickets to for guitar donated by Gibson and signed by JJ Grey. We are also raffling off 2 tickets to Magnolia Fest! The drawing will be help before MOFRO takes the stage.

http://www.blackwatersolrevue.com/

Drains to the River

2007-08-21T15:10:00.001-05:00

I am collecting photos of storm drains that are poorly maintained or are being used for trash receptacles instead of stormwater. Send your pictures to me at jorth@ju.edu.

Photo of the Day

2007-08-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

Riverkeeper Seeks Compliance

2007-08-15T18:06:00.000-05:00

On Monday, St. Johns Riverkeeper filed suit against the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) in United States District Court. The suit was filed under the Federal Clean Water Act for JEA’s continuing water quality violations at the Buckman and Arlington East Wastewater Treatment Facilities (WWTF).

The sewage collection systems for Buckman WWTF and Arlington East WWTF have repeatedly failed over the last several years, illegally discharging over 8.3 million gallons of raw sewage and poorly treated wastewater into Duval County waterways. The Arlington East WWTF experienced 96 illegal discharges of raw sewage, or Sanitary Overflows (SSOs), between September 2001 and July 2007. The Buckman WWTF experienced 111 illegal SSO discharges. The lawsuit is a natural progression of our campaign to step up compliance and enforcement of environmental regulations related to wastewater discharge permits in the lower St. Johns River.

As you may know, St. Johns Riverkeeper and the Public Trust Environmental Law Institute of Florida released the Lower St. Johns River Compliance Report in June, a study that analyzed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) specific to the lower St. Johns River. That study documented 301 violations of the NPDES permit limits or conditions.

This legal action is just a continuation of the Compliance Report Project. We spent hundreds of hours reviewing DEP files and documents and confirmed that there is a serious problem with permit compliance and the enforcement of the laws that are supposed to protect our waterways. We found that ongoing violations continue to occur at these and other wastewater treatment plants and are not being adequately addressed by JEA or the DEP. We feel like the ongoing situation leaves us no choice but to file suit, and let the courts resolve this matter.

"We hope that JEA and DEP will get the message that these violations are unacceptable and must be adequately addressed,” noted our General Counsel, Michael Howle. “Riverkeeper cannot stand idly by and allow this to happen. If our regulatory agency won’t do its job and enforce clean water laws and JEA won’t take the responsibility to fix these ongoing problems in a timely manner, then Riverkeeper will step in and make sure that the public interest is protected."

If JEA is truly committed to protecting our waterways, then fixing failing wastewater treatment facilities and sewage collection systems should be one of its top priorities. Based on the ongoing violations at the Arlington East and Buckman facilities, JEA does not appear to be adequately living up to that commitment. Our goal is to make sure that they are fulfilling their legal responsibility and obligation to operate facilities that are fully and consistently in compliance with the law and don’t cause harm to the public or our river.

We'll keep you posted as things progress.

The Green Monster Returns

2007-08-11T08:08:00.001-05:00

This photo was taken on Wednesday along Julington Creek by Dr. Gerry Pinto while doing his bi-monthly aerial manatee survey. It serves as a reminder that the nutrient pollution problem has not been resolved and could even lead to a more substantial bloom like we had in 2005. We will keep monitoring the "Green Monster" and let you know if it gets worse or if the algae turns out to be toxic like in 05'. Read the latest article that was in the Daily Record about the recent algae sitings.

Pollution Pipeline

2007-08-09T10:16:00.001-05:00

As I’ve mentioned before, the Georgia Pacific Paper Mill’s (GP) discharge permit is up for renewal. We have been following the application as it moves through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection‘s (DEP) process.

You may remember that DEP issued GP a permit in 2002 that would allow the mill to build a 1,500 ft, 48 inch diameter pipeline that would move its discharge point from Rice Creek to the heart of the St. Johns River. GP has said that building the pipeline was a last resort effort; the pipe would be used only if all of the plant upgrades left them no choice. Now, the Mill seems to have changed its tune, and according to a new GP website, the company now plans on constructing the pollution transfer system in the near term.

Riverkeeper opposes the construction of this pipeline. We believe the mill should not be able to move its pollution from Rice Creek to the River and the mill should do more to reduce its impacts from the environment. GP is the second largest source of nitrogen in the lower St. Johns discharging over 200,000 lbs/year. Nitrogen is the cause of the Green Monster. The Mill’s pollution also has such an impact on the dissolved oxygen levels in Rice Creek that the mill has to inject liquid oxygen into its waste stream. There are still byproducts of the mill’s bleaching process that have been shown to cause impacts to fish reproduction processes.

Riverkeeper and our partner, Clean Water Network of Florida, will continue to follow the permit renewal process. Given the prospect of massive water removals from the river, discharge permits such as GP, will have even more significance for the River’s health. We will keep you posted on this important issue. We will need your help in this battle.

What is that sucking sound?

2007-08-09T10:07:00.001-05:00

If you haven't already heard, Central Florida is planning to withdraw large amounts of water from the St. Johns River and the lower Ocklawaha. This issues is huge, and it grows daily. We’re busy plowing through hundreds of pages of documents, and there is much more to learn. We will be producing a white paper and/or fact sheets on this topic. Here’s what we know right now:

The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) has stated that central Florida has out-stripped the Floridan aquifer’s ability to provide a sustainable drinking water source beyond 2013.

The District has told communities they will have to seek alternative water sources (AWS). The SJRWMD has stated that 155 million gallon days (MGD) can be “safely” removed from the St. Johns River between the headwaters and State Road 44. This number was based upon a study done by a consultant hired by the district. By “safely”, the District means 155 MGD withdrawal will not affect the aquatic health of the river or its ecosystem.

At a July 18 meeting in Orlando, various cities and counties submitted ~ 46 withdrawal projects/proposals vying for the 155 MGD.

Because river water has a high salt or mineral content, most withdrawals will involve reverse osmosis, or RO. A by-product of RO is high mineral content and/or very salty water. Also, RO water is high in nutrients. The byproducts are called “concentrate”.

The SJRWMD has recently started a study to document the problems with concentrate on the river environment—the study will end in a year. RK is concerned SJRWMD could issue numerous withdrawal permits BEFORE the study is complete.

The SJRWMD is also focusing its attention on the lower Ocklawaha River. Although District staff has not set an MFL, minimum flow level, for the Ocklawaha River, the agency is telling counties to expect to be able to withdraw 90 to 108 MGD from the river.

The only county proposing to withdraw water from the River that has a mandatory water conservation plan is Volusia County. None of the other counties or municipalities that are planning water withdrawals has mandatory water conservation programs.

One of the largest water withdrawals, Yankee Lake, is planned in an area just south of the Wekiva Aquatic Preserve! Also, this plant will eventually discharge concentrate into the river.

This current process will only provide drinking water needs until 2025, less than 20 years into the future.

If you are concerned about this process you can contact the Executive Director of the SJRWMD, Kirby Green, at kgreen@sjrwmd.com or 386-329-4262 and Barbara Vergara, Chief of Water Supply, at bvergara@sjrwmd.com or 386-329-4169.

If you want to contact the policy makers of the SJRWMD, the Governing Board, you can send a email c/o Linda Lorenzen, executive assistant, and ask her to forward your correspondence to the board. Her contact is llorenzen@sjrwmd.com.

Thanks again for caring for our beautiful St. Johns.

Water Wars

2007-07-27T18:02:00.000-05:00

July 24, 2007

Central Florida shouldn't take water from St. Johns
By RON LITTLEPAGEThe Times-Union

Lovers of the St. Johns River be warned.

The St. Johns River Water Management District is gung-ho about plans to take perhaps as much as 150 million gallons a day out of the river to quench the thirst of Central Florida where growth continues out of control.

And it's not just the St. Johns. Millions of gallons could also come out of the Ocklawaha, a major tributary of the St. Johns.

And it's not just water for Central Florida. South Florida and Southwest Florida are bellying up to the bar as well in a behind-the-scenes ploy to get around the public outcry that came when a similar idea was proposed a couple of years ago.

A major problem is no one knows for sure what sucking that much water out of the St. Johns and Ocklawaha would do to the health of the rivers.

It's easy to tell the water management district is serious about proceeding. Why else would it pay the law firm of Fowler White Boggs Banker about $1 million to facilitate planning sessions for the projects?

One such meeting was held in Orlando last week where about 40 entities expressed interest in staking out claims on water from the St. Johns and the Ocklawaha.

The St. Johns Riverkeeper, Neil Armingeon, attended the meeting and described the atmosphere as being "like dogs fighting over a hunk of meat." When he asked about challenging the projects, Armingeon said he was told, "Hey, dude. It's a done deal."

Well, it shouldn't be a done deal.

When communities spend perhaps as much as $300 million on a plant to treat the river water to make it potable, do you really believe the water management district is going to say, sorry, it turns out we were wrong and the health of the river is being adversely affected, so stop using the water?

And there's no satisfactory answer as to what will happen to the effluent from the plants. When you remove the dirty stuff from the river water, where does it go? Back into the river in concentrated form?

"This is madness," Armingeon said.

The water management district insists withdrawing the water will be safe. I know scientists who disagree.

One big question is how taking that much fresh water out of the St. Johns would affect the river's salinity levels and ecology.

Gov. Charlie Crist has been presenting himself lately as an environmentalist. I applaud him on his efforts to cut greenhouse gases.

He also needs to make it clear to the boards of the state's water management districts that their mission is not only water supply.

It's also protecting the health of the state's waterways.

He has a perfect opportunity to drive that point home.

The board of the St. Johns River Water Management District has nine members. The terms of three of those members have expired. Crist needs to appoint people who get it.

One thing didn't come up at the Orlando meeting where hands were wrung over finding alternative water supplies to meet the needs of burgeoning development.

Half of the water being taken from the aquifer is being used for irrigation.

Institute strict conservation programs and leave the St. Johns and Ocklawaha alone.
ron.littlepage@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4284

Study Reveals Significant Compliance Problems

2007-06-21T12:30:00.001-05:00

If you watched our new documentary, Revenge of the River, then you know that we have been working on an analysis of Clean Water Act permit compliance for the Lower St. Johns River. Well, the study, Lower St. Johns River Compliance Report, is finally complete and the findings are rather troubling.

In 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, a law that marked a new direction in the management of pollution discharged to our waterways. As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program was created to regulate point sources (e.g. a pipe) that discharge pollutants into the waters of the United States. In Florida, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been authorized to administer the NPDES permit program. Thus, DEP has the primary legal authority to implement, oversee, and enforce the permit process.

St. Johns Riverkeeper and the Public Trust Environmental Law Institute of Florida, Inc. initiated the study to analyze the DEP NPDES permit data specific to the St. Johns River. The groups established an 20-month time frame, from January 1, 2005 to August 31, 2006, as the study period.

The purpose of the Lower St. Johns River Compliance Report is to: (1) evaluate the effectiveness of facilities in complying with the limits and conditions of their NPDES permits, and (2) educate the public and provide insight into how DEP oversees the NPDES program and fulfills its responsibility of protecting our waterways. The results clearly indicate that problems exist with the compliance of NPDES permits and the administration and execution of the NPDES program. This analysis serves to document those shortcomings and provide recommendations to address those problems.

Key Findings:

The permit review documented 252 violations of NPDES permit limits or conditions and 46 Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) for a total of 298 total violations during the 20-month study period. SSOs totaled almost 266,000 gallons of material, with the majority relating to sewage.
Nitrogen-related violations were the most frequent type of violation with 73 incidences. Other Water Quality issues were a close second with 65 occurrences. Bacteria violations numbered 44, and Oxygen related violations totaled 26. There were 21 violations involving heavy metals, followed by 12 violations involving toxic chemicals. There were 11 flow violations. When combined with the 46 SSO violations, flow and SSOs combine to create a substantial problem.
JEA’s Julington Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF or WWTF) led all facilities in the number of violations with 37. The Julington Creek wastewater treatment facility was followed by Paradise Point WWTF with 27 violations. Hiawatha and Hart Point WWTF each had 22 permit violations.
JEA facilities, the majority of which are wastewater treatment facilities, violated their permits a total of 64 times. JEA facilities accounted for over 90% of the SSO violations, 42 of the 46 events.
The review noted that DEP designated 27 facilities as “Out-of-Compliance” and documented 36 various “compliance” related incidences. Eighteen facilities were designated as “Significantly-Out-of-Compliance”.
A review of the data indicates that some facilities were allowed to operate for long periods of time with an out-of-compliance designation. In some cases, the time period was over a year. For example, the DEP declared East Putman County Road WWTP as “significantly-out-of-compliance” in March 2005. A year later, the facility was again designated as “significantly-out-of-compliance”. The Palatka WWTF was listed as “out-of-compliance” in July of 2005. A return inspection almost a year later, in June 2006, resulted in the plant being declared “significantly-out-of-compliance”.

Currently, the Lower St. Johns River is designated as “impaired” or polluted because of too much nutrient (nitrogen) pollution, and most of the creeks and tributaries in Duval County have high levels of fecal coliform bacteria. In other words, our river and creeks are already polluted. These permit violations are violations of the law--illegally contributing additional pollution to our waterways causing further degradation.

If we are going to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to restore the health of the St. Johns, then compliance and enforcement of our environmental laws must be a priority, as well. The facilities that are violating the terms of their permits must do a better job of complying with the law. DEP, the state agency charged with protecting the river, must do a better job of enforcing the laws and encouraging compliance. We deserve better, and so does our river.

For more information, visit our website – www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org. You can download the Lower St. Johns River Compliance Report and view the original documents from the DEP files that verify the violations.

River of Late.......

2007-06-11T12:45:00.000-05:00

The following is from the latest river observations of Ben Williams, former Riverkeeper Board member, avid fisherman, and owner of Fisherman's Dock seafood market.

Ospreys - Though over the last few decades they have become pleasantly ubiquitous, they can still serve as barometers of things. In that vein, it's worth noting that of late we've noticed at least a couple of nests where the parents have managed to rear 3 chicks to fledge. I'd venture that this is a result of the current conditions in the river. Both because of the great schools of mullet, and because of the large number of distressed freshwater fish, easy picking abound. I should also add that, because of the good crab season we're having, there are more traps around, and therefore, more discarded bait to be scavenged each morning. Less chance of a young osprey not getting a full belly and, therefore, less need for his less strong sibling to go even hungrier.

And speaking of traps and discarded bait, gators love it too. We've noted gators working away from the bank at sunrise in Lake George, precisely when you'd usually expect to see them going in the other direction, and they're working out towards the trap lines.......think they've learned something?

And it is that salt water that is of special note. Marker 18, on the north head of the bar at Browns landing, which is about a dozen miles south of the 17 Bridge at Palatka, had barnacles on it as of Saturday. Not little tiny pinhead ones either, but rather barnacles of BB size or larger. NEVER seen them so far south. Asked around. Found a few fishermen older than I to ask and their response was the same. In the old days, 30 years ago, even the docks in the Toccoi area were barnacle free. And it was big news when, a decade ago, barnacles were growing within sight of Palatka, way beyond that now.

And with those barnacles, riding too on the salt, have come the fish. Tarpon, 3 I know of hooked by one bass fisherman on Friday last. And snook, and porpoise south of Green Cove, and jellyfish to the Shands and beyond, and the crabs are carrying sponge south of town, which pushes the crabbers farther south to escape those they can not sell legally. And here at the house, Fruit Cove, a few hundred yards south of Julington Creek, the fish feeder's school of bream has dwindled. Driven from the constant source of food by the salt, I assume. And I think it a good assumption for, and trust me I know what I am looking at, as I look off the dock I see few freshwater fish. Where a couple of months ago there would be groups of small bass and sundry panfish species wandering the shallows, today, none.

But it's not as if there is no life there, for the saltwater species have replaced them. Mullet, and schools of small croakers, and spots, and pinfish, and all sorts of minnows. And where we would see shad, we're now seeing porgies. And a few hours ago I noted vast numbers of tiny marine shrimp, the result of the spring spawn, moving along the bank. And their general direction of movement, as is to be expected this time of year, is south.

And the eel grass is in full retreat here near Julington. Since January, it's transitioned from lush to sparse, with gone on the way. It's headed where it was a decade ago, white sand and sight casting reds off the dock................... But to the south, Lake George and the river proper, there the grass is coming back with a vengeance. The bars in the river, bars which for the last 4 or 5 years have been just that, sand bars, are now sprouting grass. And in Lake George, how beautiful it will get is anyone's guess. We were there yesterday. Along the east shore, there are places where it extends hundreds of yards from the bank, farther than we can ever remember seeing it. And the west shore, according to reports as I've not been over there lately myself, has recovered nicely from the lashing of the hurricanes. The grass, which had been rooted up in mass by the waves of those storms, is well on it's way to lush also.

And more good news. With the exception of a report or two from Crescent Lake, there has been no sign of our ugly green friend. Of course, it's only in the last couple of weeks that the water has hit the mid 80s steady, which may change things, but then the salt will have some effect?

And the mullet.............! If there have been more mullet in the river in recent years, we missed it. It's hard to explain this, but generally while we do see some significant size variation in the mullet populating the river, the mullet in the river will be more of the larger and fewer of the smaller. Of course, the river harbors mostly black mullet and not the silvers that tend to run smaller. But what we're seeing is a population structure with a far greater number of small, as in what fishermen call "finger mullet", than usual. And the numbers are huge. Doctors Lake is literally seething with them. How this unusually large population of vegetarians will effect things, who can tell.

And then there is the bottom in the shallows. When we have grass, the grass tends to impede the passage of sediments down the river. Here at the house, and in many places, a muck layer will develop behind and amongst the grass. The bottom not covered by grass will be dark. Now though, even in the shallows, sand is much more visible. And where did the muck go? And where did the nutrients bound up in that muck go? And is this good? And is this a natural cycle that allows the river to purge to some extent? Questions that prove we need science and scientist because we fishmongers can only guess. I guess it's a good and natural thing, guess being the operative word.

Revenge of the River

2007-05-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

Riverkeeper's new documentary, Revenge of the River, looks at some of the critical issues facing the St. Johns River and explores what can be done to prevent our booming population from overwhelming our river. As our state continues to experience rapid growth and development, we are faced with significant challenges and critical decisions that will impact the future of our river. Will we decimate our remaining wetlands, lower or inadequately enforce our environmental protections, deplete our groundwater, and establish communities that are unsustainable? The decision is ours. We still have time to reconcile with our river before it seeks its revenge.

DVDs will be available soon. For more information, call 904-256-7591.

Spring Eco-Heritage Boat Trip

2007-04-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

The following has been posted by Jimmy Orth, Executive Director of St. Johns Riverkeeper.

We have been blessed with an absolutely beautiful day as we begin the spring Eco-Heritage Boat Trips. This is the type of day that you dream of - blue skies, soft breeze, glassy waters, mild temperatures and low humidity, and an abundance of wildlife all around. We are only on day one, and we have already seen limpkins, alligators, and a manatee. As usual, Trout Creek is a delight to the senses and a reminder of what we have to lose. You hope that generations to come will be able to experience this creek as it is today. As much as we discuss the problems that are impacting our river and focus on what ails it, the river and its tributaries still support a tremendous amount of wildlife and much beauty still remains.

However, the impending growth and development that is projected to besiege our state may change our river for the worse, if we don't change course now. I spoke with one of the passengers, Bill Basford, at lunch, and we both agreed that the river as we know it today will most likely not remain the same for much longer. I thought about this realization and the dilemma that we are faced with. Can we sustainably accommodate the enormous growth that is projected, - a doubling of our state population by 2060? Will we be able to restore the health of our river, or at least maintain its current state of health - impaired but still sustaining life and providing significant economic and recreational benefits?

I am often nostalgic for how I remember the way things once were - the woods where I used to play as a child where houses now stand, an old marina where I used to buy bait that has since succumbed to soaring land values, my favorite local fish camp now filled with transplants and tourists, or the beautiful canopied back road that is now lined with strip malls and towering billboards. I long for the culture, charm, character, flora and fauna that seem to be withering away from my home and birthplace, as we seem to be intent on fulfilling Patrick Smith's prophecy of Florida as a land remembered. I don't want to one day have to reminisce about and long for the river of today, one that is polluted and, in many measures, in decline. I don't want to ever have to say, "At least we used to be able to eat fish on occasion and swim in some parts of its waters with precaution."

Even though our river has its problems and its health must be improved, we are still fortunate to have undeveloped and pristine sections along the river where we can catch a glimpse of our river in its natural state. We still have so much worth fighting for. Despite the challenges that lie ahead of us, my spirit has not been dampened and I am certainly not ready to give up. In fact, the wonders of the river that I am experiencing on this trip make me more determined than ever to protect our river and our quality of life. I am optimistic that we can successfully and sustainably coexist with our river and our natural world, but it will require that we put an end to the status quo. Business as usual has run its course. Let's use our American ingenuity and resolve to craft a new vision and path for our state and for our river. Let's not settle for fond memories or a polluted river. Let us settle for nothing less than a clean, healthy and vibrant St. Johns.

Observations of the River

2007-04-17T14:42:00.000-05:00

The following is from a recent e-mail from one of Riverkeeper's founding Board members , Ben Williams. Ben is an avid fisherman and owner of a seafood market, Fisherman's Dock. Enjoy!

The ospreys. They are finishing their nests and a few, I'd venture, are sitting eggs. For weeks now we've observed them ferry, not just the usual fish, but all manner of plant material back to their growing nests. Numerous times we watched as one, a clump of moss or such grasped in a talon, swooped down and dragged the moss across the surface of the water. Why do they do that? Don't know but they do. For the moment, as they've recovered to the point that their nests are almost ubiquitous on channel markers, they simply take flight if we fish to close. In a few weeks noisy defensive behavior, in lieu of just taking to the wing, will be their response to our encroachment. A sure sign little ones have arrived.

And the wood ducks. The nest boxes at the head of the our dock, put there by a thoughtful neighbor, are in use. As sure a sign that the box is in use, as sure as actually seeing them entering a box, is the presence of a pair in the same location each afternoon and morning. They're waiting for the small ones to tumble to the water. Later in the year there will be less of this consistent presence by adult pairs. And it should be mentioned that the ospreys eagerly await the little ones too. As do a host of other predators, from bass to otters to turtles.

And the coots. The coots are notable by their scarcity. While their numbers this year were not as high as in previous years (Their numbers fluctuate quite a bit, for what reason I do not know.) for the last few weeks the few that were here have been leaving. And with their leaving the eagles lose one source of food. So you've never seen a eagle hunt coots? Unusual methods for a bird of prey, a bird we expect to hunt by ambush. The eagle will lazily swoop and dive, back and forth, over a flock of coots on the water. Coots are slow to the wing and prone to dive for protection. Generally the eagles activities will succeed in driving the coots, in a fluttering running rush, back and forth across the water. The eagle just swoops and watches, watches for a weak one, or a stupid one. And if you've never seen coot feathers floating down across the yard as a eagle plucks his meal........

And in the water. It is very busy in the water. It's spring you know and love is in the air (water).

While we haven't heard the gators bellowing yet, it won't be long. They've been much more active of late. Not just sunning themselves but actually behaving as if they're hungry. Had to pull a expensive lure away from a small one the other day.

The other reptiles, the turtles. Friday we noted a big female cooter laying eggs a few feed from the patio. How she, and the many more like her we've see over the years, navigate up the bank, through the thick vegetation.....more impressive is how the quarter sized hatchlings will do the reverse in a few weeks..... the hare knows.

And the river grasses. What we fishermen ( I will NEVER use the PC term "fishers" to describe fishermen. A fisher is a weasel. And "fishermen" is a gender neutral word in the real world! ) call eel grass is, and has been for a few weeks farther south, sending forth it's flowers attached to long round stems. In places the water is speckled with the lime green pollen for them. At least I figure it's pollen, could be the seeds? Anyway it's lime green and floats. In a few weeks the specialized stems will disappear.

And the filamentous algae. It's ahead of itself this year. We've attributed that to the warm winter, maybe wrongly. We fishermen call the algae "snot". Snot, because it hangs on a lure like........well you get the picture. And the algae, when it gets thick enough, will float to the surface in ugly snotty green mats and......well enough of that.

And the fish. My favorites, obviously. As a fisherman, not a fisher!

For the last few weeks the gar, the long nose brand specifically, have been grouped up in breading schools. It may be a stretch to call one large female being followed by as many as 6 smaller males a school, maybe a.......won't got there. Anyway they lay their eggs in the grass. As best I know they thrash their way into some thick stuff, make a group deposit, leaving the eggs to hatch untended. Maybe not right, but I think so. Whatever they do it's obviously working as we've no shortage of gars. And imagine the mating group. A big female, notably darker and pudgier, followed by her admirers, slowly swimming about the shallows, almost oblivious to the boat: unless you make a sudden move. And when they thrash about, the female sometimes of almost 20 pounds, and in water mere inches deep, quite a commotion.

And the bream. Now let's be clear, "bream" is used by we fishermen as a general term for various members of the sunfish family of freshwater fishes. But in truth there are bream, a distinct species, and shellcrackers, and red breasts and pumkinseeds and........well there are more, grouped under that "bream" umbrella. In the last few days the "bream" have started to move from the shell bars and the ends of docks, where they have been staging, into the shallows to bed. In just the last few days we've noted large bedding concentrations, some the size of a boat and some pushing the size of a garage, in the shallows. The biggest concentrations will usually be shellcrackers, at least that's my opinion. The true bream will generally bed in much smaller groups, often times as individual fish, on pieces of sunken wood or dock pilings. In the early morning a active bream bed, especially at low tide, will make the water above it jiggle like Jell-O. They're active little fish when on bed.

And the catfish. They too, have, in the last few days, started to bed. Most of the catfish we see bedding are the smaller speckled cats. They make pitiful looking beds, expending no more effort than it takes to get a area two or three times their body width cleared of vegetation so she ( And I say she because with the cats I can not ever remember seeing more than one fish on a bed at a time. Much different from all the other bedding fish we see.)can rear their young. Catfish are better parent than the bream and gar that just leave their offspring. In a few days we'll start seeing small clouds of very small catfish in the beds with the females. Imagine a catfish of 1/2 to 1 inch long....black and soft, perfectly formed. Of all the juvenile fish it's the one most often to garner the description, "cute". Not a term applied to the adults. Why?

And the bass. They've been bedding for weeks. The activity starts in the springs along the west shore of Lake George, sometimes as early as December. As the water warms the activity, following water temperatures, gradually generalizes up the river. The last few weeks have been spectacular. We've boated, and released, 3 ten pound class fish and 20 or more over 5 pounds. For weeks, actually months, each spring our attention while fishing is tuned to the bright spots in the grass. Those bright spots often times are the fanned out depressions that will receive the eggs of the female bass. The initial bed is fanned out by the male, who will be joined by a female after a day or two. Over the course of a few days the two fish will guard the bed, with a increasing degree of aggressiveness, until the female lays her eggs. After the eggs are laid the female will wander off and leave the male to guard the eggs. The male will continue to guard the eggs, even after they have hatched into fry, and for as much as a week or more after that.

And most of this, and much more, we've noted, not running up and down the river but up close and quiet. For the primary fishing method, for those bedding bass, is that we stand on the bows of our boats and pole them slowly along in the shallows so as not to spook the fish. Needless to say we get to see far more than the fish.

And I guess it is proper, and necessary, to finally note the human component in the life of the river. Families pulling tubes, the sand bar south of Palatka loaded with boats, we fisherman, thousands of us, flailing the water, the kayakers and more............all evident in increasing numbers.

And if you ever wonder if it's worth all the effort, the effort to keep it cycling, it is. And it is appreciated....... And appreciated even more by those of us who get to experience and enjoy. I guess my biggest wonder is that so many who get little chance to enjoy it would work so hard to keep it.

Ben

Thoughts About Our River

2007-02-21T11:39:00.002-05:00

I speak to many groups in my role as the St. Johns Riverkeeper. It's important to be able to tell them, and you, what Riverkeeper is about. I've honed my message to make it as direct and to the point as possible. We believe the St. Johns is one of most unique rivers on this planet. We believe the St. Johns River is northeast Florida's most important natural resource. We also believe that what's best for the River is best for our community.

Some people accept that message and embrace it, others don't. I've had people tell me that our vision is too myopic, too short sighted, or worse, unrealistic. One gentleman told me one can't simply put the well being of a river above all the other needs of a community. I believe you can.

Clearly, the St. Johns is one of our most important economic engines; it is worth billions of dollars annually to the communities it touches. But, it is important beyond dollars and cents.
The St. Johns River defines us as a community. Our connection to the River is beyond geography.

The river speaks to each of us in a way that is personal and important. It is our link to the natural world; it is our connection to the other creatures we share this resource with.

I've spoken with people who have lived on or near the river for their entire lives. They speak about the comfort its presence brings them. The River is their connection to a happy time with their family, or a connection with a manatee, pelican, great blue heron, or a river otter. For many people, these memories are priceless. You don't have to live on the River to experience a connection to the River. It belongs to all of us.

Soon, it will be spring, a perfect time to get out and explore our beautiful waterways. The next time you're planning an outing, think about involving the River. Take a walk on the River Walk(s), enjoy a round trip water taxi ride, go fishing, or visit one of the Preservation Project Parks.

Be creative! Think about exploring the river south of Jacksonville, south of Palatka, or visit one of the springs. Need help knowing where to go? Check out our website: stjohnriverkeeper.org. We have listed public access points, boat launches, outfitters and other attractions along the entire length of the River.

We're blessed to have the River as part of out lives. Let's all take a few minutes and be thankful.

Email me if you have a special memory of the River you'd like to share.

For the River,

Neil
St. Johns Riverkeeper

2006-12-29T16:27:00.000-05:00

Riverkeeper Revisits 2006

2006-12-27T15:04:00.000-05:00

I wanted to end 2006 with a quick run through of some of the highlights for the St. Johns River. This was a big year for the river and our organization. Simply put, we are making progress.

First, no "Green Monster"; we escaped the toxic algae blooms that plagued the river during the summer of 2005. No one is quite sure why the river didn't turn into green goo, but most believe it was due to an unusually dry summer. That's not to say we've done a lot to remove the tons of nitrogen and phosphorus that enter the river each day, we really haven't. But, programs are underway that will make a difference.

Riverkeeper is continuing our efforts to make sure nutrient reduction programs have meaningful and legitimate goals. We won and federal lawsuit in October 2005, and since that time we have fought off several attempts to moot our victory including the State of Florida's attempt to reduce the river's health. We believe we need 60% reduction in the amount of nitrogen that enters the river to maintain the river's health. We will prevail.

In July, Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton announced the River Accord, a multi-pronged approach to begin to restore the river's health. The $750 million project focuses on upgrading wastewater treatment plants, removing pollutants from stormwater, phasing out septic tanks and increasing public access. While the Accord looks good on paper, it has been slow to start. We'll keep you posted on its progress.

Riverkeeper completed four more boat trips between Jacksonville and Sanford this year. This three-day boat trip is a incredible way for one to immerse oneself in the culture, history, and ecology of one of the most unique waterways on the planet, the St. Johns River. Check our website, http://stjohnsriverkeeper.org, for more information on these wonderful trips.

This year saw the release of our "River Friendly Yards" program. The project included a 30-minute television show entitled the Green Monster that drew rave reviews from viewers and was nominated for an Emmy. We hope to update the feature in 2007. How does the Return of the Green Monster sound? Please check out the River Friendly Yards section on our website to see what you can do to help reduce your impacts on the river.

Finally, I want to thank all our members and supporters who helped make 2006 the breakthrough year for the St. Johns Riverkeeper organization. We are now recognized as the "voice of the river" and look forward to working hard in 2007 to protect and restore our greatest natural resource, the St. Johns River.

Have a Happy New Year! Talk to you soon.

Neil Armingeon
St. Johns Riverkeeper

2006-12-19T13:16:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our new Riverkeeper Blog! We plan to use this blog to keep you informed about current St. Johns Riverkeeper activities and river-related issues and news. As an independent voice for the river, we will provide you with information and observations that have not been influenced by political or financial motivations. Our only bias is what is best for the St. Johns River and the citizens to whom it belongs. We are absolutely passionate about the St. Johns River, but we do not allow our emotions to dictate our actions. St. Johns Riverkeeper always attempts to identify and strategically address problems that are impacting the health of the river with reason, logic, and sound scientific support. So, don't hesitate to share your thoughts and concerns with us, and please join us in the effort to protect our greatest natural resource, the St. Johns River.