National Conference Spotlights Growing Water Crisis

Imagine 18 million people with an insatiable thirst on one end of a giant straw. That sucking sound you hear is the draining of lakes, rivers and wellfields in the South, where water use has risen six-fold - more than twice the national average - since 1990. That's forcing a change in thinking in areas such as the Southeast, traditionally viewed as water-rich, according to environmental and geological experts attending a symposium in New Orleans in September.

• The South is experiencing the second-fastest growth rate in the country, with coastal residency expected to reach nearly 18 million by 2010. In Florida alone, as many as 5.5 million new residents are projected over the next 25 years.
• Water is being withdrawn from some aquifers faster than it can be replaced, imperiling wetlands, lakes and springs. Most Southern towns and cities have "cones of depressions" underneath them, areas where excessive groundwater pumping has dramatically lowered the water table.
• Dams and other river impoundments have created fragmented habitats for fish that would otherwise be able to travel well upstream. Large dams are most conspicuous, but small earthen structures on private property are very common. The free flow of many rivers in the South has been severely impeded by the construction of farm ponds and reservoirs, according to mapping by the U.S. Geological Survey.

"It all comes back to water resources planning," said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator James Palmer, Jr. Many states are ill-prepared for that task, and even less vigilant in regulating water uses, but water management is coming one way or another. USF researcher Ernst Peebles was among the presenters attending "When the Water Runs Dry," coordinated by the Gulf Restoration Network and underwritten by EPA, the Gulf of Mexico Program and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Compared to other states, says Peebles, Florida may actually be ahead of the curve in some respects.

• In California, ground water is unregulated - the biggest pump wins. This contrasts sharply with the accounting of groundwater withdrawals by Florida's five water management districts.
• In Southern Texas, reservoir construction has dramatically reduced the amount of productive estuarine habitat (estuaries produce more food per acre, on average, than the best Midwestern farmland). Florida, on the other hand, still has a number of free-flowing streams and rivers, in part because the flat land doesn't lend itself well to reservoir construction.
• The Mobile Bay watershed in Alabama contains 17 major dams. Water delivery in this artificial system is highly altered, and white shrimp production in the estuary has plummeted since these engineering projects were completed. In Florida, the original re-plumbing of the Everglades represents an engineering modification of similar magnitude. However, unlike Mobile Bay, the Everglades is being actively restored to a condition that will more closely resemble its natural state. Studies indicate that pink shrimp production, among others, will rise as a result. Most of Florida's impounded watersheds have a single dam or saltwater barrier impeding the natural flow, as opposed to the complex array of dams in many other states. Florida water management officials are evaluating the effects these structures have on downstream ecosystems, and will develop water management plans that address the flow requirements of affected riverine and estuarine ecosystems.

"Clearly, the most daunting thing we're facing is population growth," says Peebles. "New sources of water must be developed, even though every one of them will have real or perceived impacts on Florida's environment. The trick will be to emphasize the lesser of these potential evils."

Foundation Seeks Proposals

Pinellas County Environmental Foundation, a unique partnership between Pinellas County and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is accepting pre-proposals for its challenge grant program through October 15 and again on June 15, 2003. Available to government agencies, universities, schools, corporations and environmental non-profit groups, PCEF grants must be matched by other sources to build partnerships and leverage funding.

Approximately $1.8 million is available and all proposals should address conservation projects that impact the Tampa Bay watershed. Diverse programs funded last year include the Water Walk at the Pier Aquarium, Audubon bird conservation efforts, habitat restoration and removal of exotic plants and wildlife, and educational initiatives through the University of South Florida, local high schools and distance learning. PCEF also provided seed funding for Tampa Bay Soundings.

For more information and applications, visit www.pcef.org.

Cortez Group Nets Gulf Guardian Award

The Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) will receive a first-place Gulf Guardian award in November honoring their efforts to purchase and preserve a mangrove-rimmed waterfront parcel on the northern edge of Sarasota Bay.

FISH treasurer Karen Bell of Cortez calls it the "deal of the century." In December 2000, Louise Shew of Illinois agreed to sell the group 95 acres of highly coveted, undeveloped land for just $250,000 with a $1,000 down payment. "She gave an incredible gift to the community and inspired many to follow in her footsteps with her generosity and goodwill," says Bell.

The Gulf of Mexico Program developed the Gulf Guardian awards three years ago to recognize and honor businesses, community groups, individuals and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the gulf healthy, beautiful and productive. Entries were received from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

FISH hopes to eventually restore the Sarasota Bay site by removing exotics and adding native plants, possibly creating a nature park. Based in Cortez, the non-profit organization seeks to foster a greater appreciation of Florida's maritime history and culture. For more information on the Gulf Guardian awards, visit the Gulf of Mexico program online at. For more information about the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage, contact Karen Bell at 941-794-1249.

Piney Point Water Capacity on Target

As of Sept. 16, water capacity goals are on target for Piney Point, the abandoned fertilizer plant adjacent to Bishop Harbor in north Manatee County. With rainy season winding down, the gypsum stacks at Piney Point can still accommodate approximately 168 million gallons of water, or about 13.6 inches of rainfall runoff.

"It looks like we're out of the woods for the time being," said Phil Coram, administrator of the Bureau of Mine Reclamation for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Tropical Storm Hanna just brushed the site, bringing little more than an inch of rain, he adds, and overall rain for the year is about four inches below estimates.

A series of initiatives have helped reduce the amount of water stored in the stacks this summer. Reverse osmosis plants on site have discharged more than 14 million gallons of high quality water, phosphate plants in Riverview and Plant City are accepting about 400,000 gallons per day, and an agreement with Florida Power & Light is nearing completion. Transfers to the Manatee County water reuse system have been temporarily halted because summer rains have filled those ponds, but they're expected to resume later this year.

Plans for closing the site are under development, notes Coram. A request for proposal (RFP) for assistance in closing the site should be completed by the end of October.

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