News - Polk.WaterAtlas.orghttps://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/Recent news items for Polk County Water Atlas60Tear reported at the Mosaic phosphate mine in Polk Countyhttps://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22853<h4> The tear in a gypstack is the latest in a series of environmental mishaps at the New Wales phosphate plant, near Mulberry.</h4> <p> A tear has been confirmed in a phosphate mine that straddles the Hillsborough-Polk county line.</p> <p> Mosaic first reported a possible tear in a gypsum stack at its New Wales mine to state environmental officials in October.</p> <p> In a letter dated Dec. 14, Mosaic officials confirmed they found a tear after a drop in water pressure was reported. Company officials said they have discovered a cavity below the gypsum stack and are working to repair the tear.</p> <p> It is unknown how much of the water in the gypsum stack -- which contains mostly rainwater -- seeped underground. But state officials said a nearby recovery well has been dug to keep the water from seeping underground.</p> <p> In 2016, one of the deepest sinkholes ever recorded in Florida opened beneath the New Wales Plant. More than 200 million gallons of polluted water spiraled into the underground aquifer. It took the company two years to seal the opening.</p> WaterAtlas.orgThu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTFDEP invites public input on new water quality credit programhttps://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22859<p> Florida&rsquo;s Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is inviting the public to a rulemaking workshop Thursday [March 21st] to share feedback on a proposed water quality credit trading program.</p> <p> The program would allow government entities to buy &ldquo;enhancement credits&rdquo; to compensate for negative impacts to water quality from development projects. An &ldquo;enhancement credit&rdquo; represents a quantity of pollutant removed as a standard unit of measurement, <a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&amp;Search_String=&amp;URL=0300-0399/0373/Sections/0373.4134.html#:~:text=%E2%80%94As%20used%20in%20this%20section,a%20quantity%20of%20pollutant%20removed." target="_blank" title="FS 373.4134 (2023)">per Florida Statute</a>.</p> <p> Florida&rsquo;s existing <a href="https://floridadep.gov/water/submerged-lands-environmental-resources-coordination/content/mitigation-and-mitigation-banking" target="_blank" title="FDEP program webpage">mitigation banking program</a> relies on similar credits intended to offset negative wetland impacts from development. But Gabrielle Milch of St. Johns Riverkeeper has concerns about both programs, saying they&#39;re designed to prioritize speedy development approvals when environmental health should come first and foremost.</p> <p> &ldquo;It&#39;s easier to keep pollution out of the water than it is to take it out of the water,&rdquo; Milch said, also adding &ldquo;it&#39;s a lot cheaper.&rdquo;</p> <p> Milch previously worked for the St. Johns River Water Management District, where she says her role included helping oversee and enforce development permitting regulations.</p> <p> Back then, in the 1980s, Milch says development permitting in Florida wasn&rsquo;t perfect. But she thinks it&rsquo;s worse today: &ldquo;more generalized and more streamlined,&rdquo; allowing for rapid, potentially unvetted development.&rdquo;</p> <p> FDEP&rsquo;s move to establish the new program follows state lawmakers&rsquo; unanimous approval of HB 965 in 2022, authorizing the creation of water quality enhancement areas (WQEAs), for which credits may be used to compensate for a lack of water quality treatment available onsite.</p> WaterAtlas.orgThu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTState seeks to speed up decision in wetlands permitting casehttps://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22843<p> TALLAHASSEE &ndash; Florida is asking a federal judge to speed up a final ruling in a high-stakes case about permitting authority for projects that affect wetlands, as the state sets the stage for a likely appeal.</p> <p> U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss on Feb. 15 ruled that federal officials did not follow required steps in 2020 before transferring wetlands-related permitting authority from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the state. Moss vacated the shift but said the state and the federal government could seek a stay of his ruling. He also did not decide certain legal issues in the case.</p> <p> In a filing Monday, attorneys for the state urged Moss to issue a final judgment, which would help clear the way for an appeal. The filing said Moss&rsquo; Feb. 15 decision has effectively resolved the case&rsquo;s key issues in favor of environmental groups that challenged the shift.</p> <p> &ldquo;This single judicial ruling, which gave complete relief to plaintiffs, immediately placed over 1,000 projects across Florida (including permit applications for environmental restoration, roads and bridges, hospitals, schools, affordable housing, senior living facilities, and grid reliability, among many others) in regulatory limbo with no clear timeline or expectation for a permit decision,&rdquo; the state&rsquo;s 21-page filing said. &ldquo;The situation was immediately urgent and becomes more so with each passing day.&rdquo;</p> <p> The state on Feb. 26 also filed a motion for a stay of Moss&rsquo; decision. The judge has not ruled on the motion and has scheduled an April 4 conference in Washington, D.C. The plaintiffs have opposed a stay.</p> <p> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the transfer of the permitting authority to the state in December 2020, about a month before former President Donald Trump&rsquo;s administration ended. Florida became the third state, after Michigan and New Jersey, to receive the permitting authority.</p> WaterAtlas.orgWed, 13 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTConservation group celebrates establishment of Everglades to Gulf Conservation Areahttps://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22839<h4> Region spans 12 counties west of Lake Okeechobee, Including watersheds critical to Florida&rsquo;s water quality.</h4> <p> On Monday, Florida Conservation Group (FCG) Executive Director Julie Morris joined Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to announce the establishment of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area in southwest Florida.</p> <p> The Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area will allow the USFWS to work with landowners to secure conservation easements over ecologically sensitive lands, protecting those lands in perpetuity while allowing continued agricultural operations.</p> <p> FCG engages in conservation science, planning, outreach, and land protection. The organization assists landowners with conservation easement and incentive programs to ensure that Florida&rsquo;s highest-priority lands are identified and protected.</p> <p> FCG partnered with the USFWS National Wildlife Refuge System, the University of Florida&rsquo;s Center for Landscape Conservation Planning and the National Wildlife Refuge Association to provide the science foundation behind establishing the Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area. FCG also worked with USFWS to lead stakeholder outreach efforts.</p> WaterAtlas.orgWed, 13 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTBiological survey for Lake Bonnet drainage project starts March 11thhttps://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22832<p> <img alt="Lakeland logo" src="https://cdn.wateratlas.org/img/logos/Lakeland.jpg" style="float:left;margin-right:10px;width:150px;" /></p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p> LAKELAND &ndash; A wetlands/protected wildlife and plants survey is planned to start on Monday, March 11, 2024, in the Lake Bonnet Drainage Project area. The AECOM Biological Survey Team will be working in the community to collect data until approximately April 30, 2024. Members of the team will walk through, inspect, and photograph the area and may enter and exit from the land and/or the water to complete the required data collection.</p> <p> The City of Lakeland was awarded a $42.9 million grant from the Florida Department of Commerce (DOC), formerly known as the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO). The grant is facilitated through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development&rsquo;s, or HUD, Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program, as part of the Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program.</p> <p> The project consists of wetland restoration, lake bottom sediment dredging, and the development of flood mitigation infrastructure to reduce flood risk for the May Manor Mobile Home Park and surrounding areas with an expectation of a six-year start-to-completion schedule.</p> <p> Laurie Smith, the City of Lakeland&rsquo;s Project Manager said, &ldquo;The survey provides important data that will allow us to understand the existing conditions of habitats and ecosystems within the area &ndash; it is an important component of the Phase 1 Feasibility Study.&rdquo;</p> <p> Learn more about the Lake Bonnet Drainage project at <a href="https://www.Lakelandgov.net/LkBonnetDrainageProject" target="_blank" title="Project webpage">Lakelandgov.net/LkBonnetDrainageProject</a>, or contact Laurie Smith, CPM, CFM, Project Manager, Lakes and Stormwater Manager, by email to <a href="mailto:Laurie.Smith@Lakelandgov.net">Laurie.Smith@Lakelandgov.net</a>; by telephone to (863) 834-6276; or by mail to City of Lakeland, Public Works, 407 Fairway Avenue, Lakeland, Florida 33801; or contact Amparo Vargas, Public Information Officer by email to <a href="mailto:Amparo.Vargas@aecom.com">Amparo.Vargas@aecom.com</a> or by telephone to (863) 410-0727.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> WaterAtlas.orgMon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTEnvironmental groups oppose a stay in the fight over wetlands permitting in Floridahttps://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22829<p> Environmental groups Thursday pushed back against a request by Florida for a partial stay of a ruling in a legal battle about a 2020 decision that shifted permitting authority from the federal government to the state for projects that affect wetlands.</p> <p> U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss on Feb. 15 ruled that actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in approving the shift violated the Endangered Species Act.</p> <p> Moss issued an order vacating the approval of the shift.</p> <p> Such permitting authority is usually held by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.</p> <p> Saying permits were in &ldquo;regulatory limbo,&rdquo; the state filed a motion for a limited stay of Moss&rsquo; ruling to keep the &ldquo;bulk&rdquo; of Florida&rsquo;s permitting program in place until a new plan can be put in place or until further court decisions.</p> <p> But in a 22-page filing Thursday, environmental groups argued the state&rsquo;s request would &ldquo;create confusion and perpetuate violations&rdquo; of the Endangered Species Act.</p> <p> &ldquo;The least disruptive path forward, which would also serve developers&rsquo; interest in clarity &hellip; is therefore to deny a limited stay, leave permitting authority with the (Army) Corps, and allow Florida to propose a new program subject to EPA approval,&rdquo; Thursday&rsquo;s filing said.</p> <p> The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, the Sierra Club, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Florida Wildlife Federation, Miami Waterkeeper and St. Johns Riverkeeper filed the lawsuit in January 2021 against the federal government.</p> <p> The state later intervened.</p> <p> The U.S. Department of Justice has opposed the state&rsquo;s request for a partial stay of Moss&rsquo; ruling, but Florida business groups have supported the request.</p> WaterAtlas.orgMon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTSWFWMD launches &ldquo;Water 101&rdquo; campaignhttps://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22820<p> <img alt="SWFWMD logo" src="https://cdn.wateratlas.org/img/logos/SWFWMD_logo.jpg" style="float:left;margin-right:10px;width:150px;" /></p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p> <em><strong>March 6, 2024</strong></em></p> <p> With more than 1,000 people moving to Florida every day, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has developed the Water 101 campaign, a program to educate new and existing residents as well as communities about how they can help protect local water resources and save water and money.</p> <p> Water is a limited resource in Florida that we all play a role in protecting, which makes it important to understand your personal impact. The choices you make as a homeowner or community, from the plants in your landscape to how you water your lawn, can make a big difference on your overall water use. The District encourages everyone to do their part in protecting and conserving our shared water resources.</p> <p> Water 101 connects homeowners and community managers with helpful water conservation and water quality tips and resources. Residents can visit the Water 101 for Homeowners webpage to access a one-stop shop of tips and educational resources that can help reduce at-home water use, save money and protect nearby waterways. This includes information about the basics of irrigation, local water restrictions and Florida-Friendly Landscaping&trade; as well as instructional videos and an overview on stormwater ponds. Homeowners can also sign up for District newsletters via the webpage or learn where to follow along on social media for more information.</p> <p> The Water 101 for Communities webpage provides resources to help communities lead by example, reducing their water use and encouraging residents to do the same. This includes free online classes hosted by the District with continuing education units for community association managers. It also includes educational materials that can be downloaded and easily shared in newsletters, websites and other community platforms, as well as funding opportunities for water conservation projects.</p> <p> In addition to the website, the District has created a Water 101 for Communities Facebook group that will provide up-to-date information on water conservation classes, water restriction reminders and helpful resources to share with community residents.</p> <p> To learn more about how to save water and money, visit <a href="https://WaterMatters.org/Water101" target="_blank" title="SWFWMD website">WaterMatters.org/Water101</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> WaterAtlas.orgFri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTThe Atlantic is hotter, earlier. That&rsquo;s a bad sign for hurricane season, Florida coralshttps://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22807<p> It&rsquo;s only February, but sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean are already hitting early summer levels, a worrying trend that could indicate an active hurricane season ahead &mdash; or another marine heat wave.</p> <p> Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami, called this early season heat &ldquo;very, very exceptional,&rdquo; and said it&rsquo;s a strong sign that the upcoming hurricane season could see an above-average number of storms.</p> <p> In the North Atlantic, he said water temperatures are running three months ahead of schedule, at May-level temperatures. In the main development region of the Atlantic, where most hurricanes are born, McNoldy said sea surface temperatures are closer to July levels.</p> <p> &ldquo;That is like hurricane season out there right now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just blowing past all the other years, there&rsquo;s no comparison.&rdquo;</p> <p> But hurricane season doesn&rsquo;t start until June 1, leaving plenty of long weeks of heating between now and the official start date. High sea surface temperatures are closely connected with more storm formations and an earlier start to the season. Scientists have suggested that climate change-driven warming has pushed the start of the hurricane season above two weeks earlier, to mid-May.</p> WaterAtlas.orgFri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT2024 Water Conservation Art Contest open for entrieshttps://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22805<p> <img alt="Polk County logo" src="https://cdn.wateratlas.org/img/logos/Polk.jpg" style="float:left;margin-right:10px;width:150px;" /></p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p> BARTOW &ndash; Polk County&rsquo;s annual Water Conservation Art Contest is open for all Polk County students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Winning entries will be featured in Polk County Utilities&rsquo; 2025 Water Conservation Calendar.</p> <p> Participants are encouraged to create a poster or picture that demonstrates the &ldquo;how&rdquo; and/or &ldquo;why&rdquo; of water conservation. Students may use words or slogans, images, etc. Suggested subjects include saving water, reclaimed water, stormwater protection (pollution runoff), &ldquo;one water&rdquo; and the water cycle.</p> <p> While original artwork is preferred, younger artists may choose to utilize the printable template available on the website listed below.</p> <p> <strong>All entries must be received by Monday, April 22, 2024</strong>. Submission guidelines and complete rules, including acceptable sizes and media, can be found at <a href="https://www.polk-county.net/services/utilities/water-conservation-art-contest/" target="_blank" title="Contest Details">www.polk-county.net/services/utilities/water-conservation-art-contest/</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>WaterAtlas.orgFri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTUF Study: About half of Floridians not aware of local water restrictionshttps://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22801<h4> Water restrictions can be set by cities, counties and the state&rsquo;s water management districts</h4> <p> GAINESVILLE &ndash; Half of Florida residents don&rsquo;t know about their local water restrictions, but those who are aware can be persuaded to abide by them, new University of Florida research shows.</p> <p> Water restrictions can be set by cities, counties and the state&rsquo;s water management districts.</p> <p> But if homeowners don&rsquo;t know the local or regional rules, it&rsquo;s logical that they cannot develop favorable perceptions about these policies. Residential buy-in is the key to less irrigation, said Laura Warner, a UF/IFAS associate professor of agricultural education and communications.</p> <p> &ldquo;I think the most important finding is that we can now understand who intends to comply with irrigation restrictions in the future,&rdquo; said Warner, lead author of the paper.</p> <p> There are lots of reasons half the public doesn&rsquo;t know about local water restrictions, Warner said.</p> <p> &ldquo;A simple explanation would be that there are either not enough educational messages, and/or the messages that do exist are not reaching the people they need to reach,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But another element is potentially that we have so many new residents to Florida.&rdquo;</p> <p> Even if people are aware of the restrictions but don&rsquo;t fully understand them, that&rsquo;s also a problem.</p> <p> &ldquo;Perceived complexity is the biggest barrier to compliance among people who are aware of these policies,&rdquo; Warner said.</p> WaterAtlas.orgThu, 29 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT