News - Polk.WaterAtlas.org

Volunteers Helping Re-establish Native Plants at Circle B Bar Reserve

Unknown — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

LAKELAND -- If you drove into Circle B Bar Reserve today, you'd see a plant you've never seen there.

It is saw palmetto, one of the most common, widespread native plants in Florida.

But whatever saw palmettos were originally growing on this 1,267-acre former ranch were cleared decades ago to make way for cattle grazing.

Now they're back and eventually will be joined by others.

Volunteers worked Wednesday morning to plant 50 saw palmettos and 50 longleaf pine trees along the winding entrance road. Then they mulched the area with pine straw to suppress weeds.

The plantings followed work earlier this year to mow and herbicide thick stands of exotic plants that had overrun the traffic islands and roadsides leading to Polk's Nature Discovery Center.

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Read this story from The Ledger on TimeoutPolk.com

South Florida Cuts Water Use by 20 Percent

Unknown — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

By CURTIS MORGAN

South Florida has suffered through some dreary declines of late — home values, paychecks and the Miami Dolphins, for instance. But in the case of the public thirst for one precious commodity — fresh water — the decline has actually turned into a major money-saving plus.

The 53 water utilities serving Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties pumped about 83 million fewer gallons a day in 2010 than they did in 2000 — despite a population that grew by some 600,000 over the decade — according to a new draft analysis produced by the South Florida Water Management District.

Do the math and it adds up to South Floridians using about 20 percent less water each day for drinking, bathing and sprinkling yards per person than they did a decade ago. That’s about 30 billion gallons over the course of a year, enough unused water to fill 45,900 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

It’s an unexpected but entirely welcome drop-off in public demand in a region that only a decade ago was worried about taps running dry in relentlessly sprawling suburbs.

“It’s not a surprise that it went down,’’ said Mark Elsner, administrator of water supply development for the water management district. “It’s a surprise it went down so much.’’

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SJRWMD Lake Level Management Meeting May 31

Unknown — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) will hold a public meeting on May 31 at 6 p.m. to discuss potential water level management options for the Harris Chain of Lakes for the upcoming year. The system includes lakes Apopka, Dora, Harris, Eustis, Yale, Little Lake Harris (the “Super pond”), Griffin and three water control structures — Apopka-Beauclair, Burrell and Moss Bluff locks and dams. Public input on the proposed management options will be welcomed at the meeting. Following the meeting, the District’s Governing Board will consider low-flow discharges and lake regulation schedules for the next year at a June 12 public meeting in Palatka.

The meeting also will include an update on the schedule and process for developing minimum flows and levels. The meeting will be held at the Paul P. Williams Fine Arts Center, Lake Sumter Community College, Leesburg Campus, 9501 U.S. Highway 441, Leesburg, FL 34788.

"Interim Lake Level Analysis" presentation given by SJRWMD to Harris Chain of Lakes Council on May 4th, 2012

FDEP Schedules Hearings on Water Quality "Human Health Criteria"

Unknown — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

As part of its "triennial review" of Florida water quality, required by the Federal Clean Water Act, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is conducting a series of three public hearings later this month in West Palm Beach (May 15), Orlando (May 16) and Tallahassee (May 17). Two topics will be considered, dissolved oxygen criteria and "human health criteria" -- i.e., people's exposure to chemicals through drinking water and fish consumption.

The FDEP says that the original dissolved oxygen criteria were based on outdated, nationwide studies, and that the Department has more recent Florida-specific research that will improve its "ability to make accurate environmental decisions and reduce the number of cases where state waters are incorrectly assessed."

Factors in the analysis used to calculate the chemical exposure criteria are the estimated fish consumption rate, consumer body weights, and drinking water consumption rates.

Public comments will be accepted at the meetings, as well as via mail and email. A second set of public workshops will be conducted in July, and the new standards are expected to be adopted in September.

Related article in The Florida Current

Impact-Based Stormwater Fee Structure Encourages Low-Impact Solutions, Funds Infrastructure

Unknown — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

By Tom Arrandale, correspondent for Governing

Any municipal utility expects customers to howl whenever water and sewer rates go up. But Philadelphia businesses have been grumbling for two years about their rates. That's because some monthly bills have climbed thousands of dollars to take into account all the property covered by rooftops, parking lots and other impermeable pavement. Those hardened surfaces shed rain as fast as it falls to the ground, and Philadelphia's redesigned stormwater fees target the properties that contribute most of the pollutant-laced water that flows straight to the city's 79,000 storm drains.

The Philadelphia Water Department, however, is willing to cut commercial customers a lucrative break. In fact, the city will forgive the entire bill if owners build artificial wetlands, plant trees, install rain barrels, cultivate rooftop gardens, lay down permeable pavement or add other water-absorbing features that restore the landscape's natural capacity to absorb summertime cloudbursts and soak up winter snowmelt.

Philadelphia is committed to refurbishing 9,500 acres of paved lands as part of a $2 billion plan for complying with federal orders to fix combined drainage and sewage systems that wash raw sewage and contaminant-laced runoff into the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. For four decades, the city funded its stormwater sewers with monthly fees based on how much municipal drinking water a home or business consumed. But in 2010, the water agency deployed GIS imaging to determine how much of a parcel had been paved over by impervious structures. Two years from now, Philadelphia will finish phasing in fees that require landowners whose properties shed the most stormwater to pick up an even bigger share of the tab.

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Click here to read more of "The Price of Greening Stormwater" in Governing.com

UF Journalism Students Explore the "State of Water"

Unknown — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A project of students enrolled at the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida, "State of Water" is a new multimedia reporting project that aims to explain the often-complicated subject of water conservation and management in the state of Florida. Twenty "storytellers," guided by three advisers, will tell the stories of our water resources, and how people, politics, ecosystems, and history affect the way we as individuals and as a society relate to water. The project is described as "an experiment in student journalistic storytelling."

Watch the "State of Water" promotional video

Alliance for Water Efficiency Gives Florida a C+ Grade

Unknown — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Alliance for Water Efficiency and the Environmental Law Institute have released a draft of the report entitled, "The Water Efficiency and Conservation State Scorecard: An Assessment of Laws and Policies." This research effort, funded in part by a grant from the Turner Foundation, identified state level water efficiency and conservation policies and laws throughout the 50 states via a 20-question survey. Water efficiency and conservation laws and policies encompassed in the survey included plumbing fixture standards, water conservation requirements related to water rights, water loss control rules, conservation planning and program implementation, volumetric billing for water, funding sources for water efficiency and conservation programs, and technical assistance and other informational resources.

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Water Quality Fight Could Spawn More Appeals

Unknown — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Florida's long-running fight about water-quality standards for rivers, lakes and springs could be headed toward a federal appeals court in Atlanta.

Groups on both sides of the fight gave formal notice last week that they could appeal a federal judge's ruling about what are known as "numeric nutrient criteria" --- an issue that has drawn widespread attention from state policymakers, local governments, business lobbies and environmentalists.

The South Florida Water Management District also filed such a notice Wednesday, though an attorney said the move was largely procedural. The district wants to make sure it is in a legal position to address issues that might be raised by other groups or agencies.

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Florida Warmer, Wetter Over Last 116 Years, Analysis Shows

Unknown — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Florida has gotten slightly warmer and a little wetter overall since standardized record keeping began in 1895. This is according to a state-by-state analysis by Christopher Burt, the weather historian for the private forecasting service Weather Underground.

“There are some surprises, but by and large the trend is certainly towards warmer and wetter conditions in most regions of the country,” he said.

The state has seen increases in precipitation of 4.4 percent over the long-term average, while temperatures have edged up just 0.4 degrees.

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USGS Makes Historical Maps Available Online

Unknown — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In 1884, the second USGS Director John Wesley Powell briefed Congress on the need for a national mapping program, stating, "The map once constructed should be enduring…"

In keeping with that spirit, The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has publicly released more than 161,000 digitally scanned historical maps spanning in excess of 130 years and covering the conterminous lower 48 states. This Historical Topographic Map Collection provides a comprehensive repository of the landscape of our Nation and tracks changes through time, providing essential clues critical in the understanding of our Nation's topography, geography and development.

"Just as parents might keep a photo album to record their children as they grew, these historical maps are the cartographer's physical quantification of how the land changed as the Nation grew over the last 130 years," explained USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "This historical collection contains immense scientific value as we shaped the land that shaped us."

With the recent completion of the states of Massachusetts and Florida, the Historical Topographic Map Collection can now offer, for free download, digital versions of the USGS legacy topographic map series which includes all scales and all editions originally published for the entire continental U.S.

As chartered, the USGS topographic mapping program has accurately portrayed the complex geography of our nation through maps in the lithographic printed format. Since the official release of the digital, scanned collection this past September, more than 1.2 million historical topographic maps have been downloaded from the website– an average of more than 5,700 maps per day.

These chronological historical maps are an important national resource as they provide the long-term record and documentation of the natural, physical and cultural landscape. The history documented by this collection and the analysis of distribution and spatial patterns is invaluable throughout the sciences and non-science disciplines. Genealogists, historians, anthropologists, archeologists and others can use this collection for research as well as a framework on which a myriad of information can be presented in relation to the national landscape.

The maps are offered to the public at no cost in GeoPDF format or as a printed copy for $15 plus a $5 handling charge from the USGS Store and can be used in conjunction with the new USGS digital topographic map, the US Topo.

Similar historical maps for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Pacific Territories will be available later this summer.

FEMA says Florida Risks Losing Flood Insurance Because of Legislation

Unknown — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is raising concerns with Gov. Rick Scott that an environmental streamlined-permitting bill that passed the Legislature could cause Florida communities to lose their federal flood insurance.

HB 503 passed after initial concerns from environmental groups were resolved. Among other things, the bill provides that the issuance of local or state development permits cannot require other local, state or federal permits be issued first. The bill has not been sent yet to the governor.

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EPA Now Accepting Comments on National Water/Climate Change Strategy

Unknown — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

EPA has released the Draft "National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change," which describes how EPA's water-related programs plan to address the impacts of climate change and provides long-term visions, goals and strategic actions for the management of sustainable water resources for future generations.

The 2012 Strategy, which builds upon EPA's first climate change andwater strategy released in 2008, focuses on five key areas: infrastructure, watersheds and wetlands, coastal and ocean waters, water quality, and working with Tribes. It also describes geographically-based strategic issues and actions.

EPA will accept public comments on the draft strategy until May 17, 2012.

To read or submit a comment on the Draft "National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change" and to learn more about the climate change impacts on our water resources, visit EPA's new website on climate change and water.

Federal Judge Orders EPA to Review Florida Numeric Nutrient Rule

Unknown — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A federal judge is making new ripples in a long-running legal dispute over Florida's rules for putting water bodies on its list of cleanup targets.

Environmental groups say Florida uses the rule to avoid cleaning up polluted water bodies, but the Florida Department of Environmental Protection says the rule establishes scientific criteria to target the most polluted lakes and streams.

In a ruling Friday in Tallahassee, Chief U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review whether new parts of the rule are incorrectly tossing water bodies off the list.

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SWFWMD Community Education Grant Application Deadline May 31

Unknown — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Community members who want to help protect the water resources in their area may apply online for a Community Education Grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

The overall goal of the Community Education Grant program is to actively engage and educate adults about water conservation, protection and preservation. The program is intended to motivate communities to get involved in protecting their water resources through various educational activities. These grants offer reimbursement up to $7,500 to help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about water resources.

To apply, visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/communitygrants/. The electronic application allows applicants to save, review and change portions of their proposals before submitting. Grant applications are due May 31, 2012. Project funding is subject to District Governing Board budget approval.

Individuals, service groups, volunteers, government agencies, nongovernment organizations and others are encouraged to apply.

Potential projects should provide education on any or all of the following topics: water quality, water conservation, flood protection, natural systems and watersheds. Examples of past projects include pond restorations, cleanups, watershed education events, workshops and exhibits.

Projects must take place between November 1, 2012 and July 31, 2013.

To discuss project ideas, please call Robin Grantham at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4779.

In addition to grant funding, a variety of free materials is available and can be ordered on the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/publications

Fire Officials Urge Wildfire Vigilance; Lack of Rain Increases State’s Wildfire Risk

Unknown — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Each year, thousands of acres of land and many homes are destroyed by wildfires. Droughts, lightning, burning debris or carelessness contribute to the ignition of wildfires. Also, a growing number of people live in new Florida communities and are building homes in areas that were once undeveloped and overgrown. The below-average rainfall for the last four to five months has significantly increased the state’s wildfire risk.

Sarasota County Assistant Chief Fire Operations John Elwood warns that “lack of concern of fire safety measures can be disastrous.

"As wildfires often begin unnoticed and spread quickly, residents can reduce risk to family, home and property by creating a family plan," he added. "Decide what to do and where to go before wildfires threaten."

Elwood offers residents the following suggestions to mitigate wildfire risks:

Most Florida wildfires are caused by lightning strikes.

Arson and carelessly discarded cigarette butts also can cause wildfires.
Remember, there is an ordinance against throwing cigarette butts and ashes out of vehicles.
You could be responsible for damages your carelessness may cause.

Define your defensible space.

Ensuring that there is a cleared area around your house reduces the intensity and risk of a wildfire from spreading to your home.
Defensible space helps to protect your home in the critical minutes it takes a fire to pass and also gives firefighters an area to work in.

Clearing flammable vegetation and debris and installing heat-resistant soffit vents will enhance your home’s chances to survive wildfire.
Monitor your local radio and television stations for fire reports, evacuation procedures and evacuation centers.

Keep an emergency checklist handy, and prepare to evacuate if your neighborhood is threatened.
Proper preparation includes closing all windows and doors, arranging garden hoses so they can reach any area of your house, and packing your car for a quick departure.

Store firewood, propane tanks or gasoline as far from the house as possible.
Clean gutters and roof by removing leaf litter and pine needles.
When planting foundation plants, keep a clear space at plant maturity of at least 2-3 feet from the side of the house. Use fire-resistant plants as much as possible.
Do not dispose of yard waste, tree trimmings or dead plants on vacant lots.
Make sure smoke alarms are in good working order in your home.
Do not water your roof when a wildfire approaches your home. It places you in danger and reduces the water pressure for the fire hydrants.
When driving in reduced visibility, reduce your speed and drive with your headlights on.

www.FL511.com

Judge Delays Implementation of NNC Rules for Lakes Until July 6th

Unknown — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Just hours before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new water standards for Florida lakes were scheduled to take effect, a federal judge on Monday postponed the move until July 6. U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle pushed back EPA’s March 6 target date to match the date he previously had set for springs and streams. At issue are the rules governing nitrogen and phosphorous levels. The judge’s latest ruling is designed to give the EPA more time to consider whether to allow the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to use its own state criteria for the nutrients in place of the EPA’s limits.

NRC Study Says EPA Underestimated Water Rules Cost in Florida

Unknown — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A National Research Council study says a federal agency underestimated the cost of a proposed federal water quality rule in Florida.

Scientists say Florida's waterways have become choked with weeds and algae. They say nitrogen and phosphorus from a variety of sources are to blame.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency created an uproar in August 2009 when it signed a court agreement with environmental groups to set nitrogen and phosphorus limits that industry groups said are expensive and difficult to meet.

The federal EPA in 2010 estimated the cost of complying with it at $135 million to $206 million. But the Cardno Entrix consulting firm, hired by utilities and industry groups, estimated the maximum costs as ranging from $3.4 billion to $4.7 billion.

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» Read the full text of this story on TheFloridaCurrent.com

SWFWMD Restrictions Increased in North, Maintained Elsewhere

Unknown — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Five counties within the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s region are now under a Modified Phase III water shortage orderdue to below normal rainfall this winter.

The District’s Governing Board voted today to declare the Phase III order for northern counties in the District’s region which are: Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Levy, and Sumter as well as the City of Dunnellon and The Villages in Marion County. A Modified Phase I alert remains in effect for the remaining counties in the District’s region.

Under Phase III, lawn and landscape watering will be reduced to once per week starting March 10 on a specified day based on address. Microirrigation and hand watering of non-lawn areas still are allowed any day; but like all irrigation, it must occur before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

Groundwater and surface water conditions continue to experience a downward trend based on lack of rainfall. Generally, conditions are worse in the five most northern counties than other regions of the District.

Water utilities and other large users in the northern counties don’t have access to water stored in reservoirs and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wellfields like utilities operated in the central and southern counties of the District.

Phase III also includes restrictions for other water use activities. For example, pressure washing for aesthetic purposes will be prohibited. Residents also can wash vehicles only once per week.

The Phase III order gives local enforcement agencies the power to immediately issue citations instead of warnings for first offenses.

“Groundwater levels have been critically below normal for more than 12 weeks now, and river and lake levels are so low that some boat ramps have been closed,” said Lois Sorensen, District demand management program manager. “Everyone needs to do their part.”

Counties remaining under the Phase I order continue to follow the District’s year-round water conservation measures. That means lawn and landscape watering remains limited to a two-day-per-week schedule and residents only may water before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

Phase I counties are: Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota.

However, some local governments under Phase I have stricter local ordinances limiting watering to one day per week. Residents should check with their local government or utility.

For additional information about water restrictions and water conservation, please contact your local utility or visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/conservation/.

Editorial: St Johns River Study Helpful, Leaves Questions

Unknown — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

By Ron Littlepage, Florida Times-Union

In 2007, a runaway train was barrelling down the tracks to begin pumping as much as 262 million gallons of water a day out of the St. Johns River and its largest tributary, the Ocklawaha.

The St. Johns River Water Management District argued that stress on the Floridan aquifer from burgeoning growth, especially in Central Florida, required finding alternative water supplies to quench the thirst and water the lawns of new development.

After much argument, the district did approve a permit for Seminole County to take water from the St. Johns but also agreed to conduct a comprehensive, peer-reviewed study of the environmental effects of withdrawing water from the river.

Four years and $3.6 million later, that study is complete.

For the non-scientists and non-engineers among us, which includes me, reading the study can make your head hurt.

But it’s clear that the district’s scientists and engineers who were involved are excited about new things they learned about the river and models that were created to gauge the effect of water withdrawal.

The bottom line from the study is that withdrawing 155 million gallons of water a day from the St. Johns and 107 million gallons of water a day from the Ocklawaha would have little effect on the health of the St. Johns.

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Polk County Water School 2012 Holds 7 Week Symposium

Unknown — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Water School is a 7 week symposium designed to educate the public and community leaders about current issues and future concerns regarding water quality, quantity, and conservation in Polk County.

This year, in cooperation with PGTV, Water School will be available via webinar. If you or your business are interested in sponsoring a webinar, please see the info on their website by clicking on the link below.