South Florida Water Management District Report: August 2009

South Florida Water Management District has a full governing board

Florida Farm Bureau Federation is encouraged that Governor Crist filled the three vacant seats on the water management district governing board. The one position that has historically represented agriculture has been vacant for over a year. We are equally impressed with the selection of candidates whom we feel will represent all water users well.

• Joe Collins (Vice President, Lykes Brothers, Inc.) is an at-large member for the area that includes Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, Highlands, Glades, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola and Polk Counties. Mr. Collins’ term expires in March 2013. This seat was previously held by Bubba Wade.
• Gladys Perez (Attorney, Law Offices of Gladys Perez) is a member representing Miami-Dade County. Ms. Perez’s term expires in March 2012. This seat was previously held by Paul Huck.
• Kevin Powers (Partner, Indiantown Realty Corp.) is an at-large member for the area that includes St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. Mr. Powers’ term expires in March 2013. This seat was previously held by Melissa Meeker who has recently been appointed to the Water Resources Advisory Commission at the District.

We welcome the new members and look forward to meeting with each one individually to tell them about the importance of agriculture to all residents of the district.

Water Conditions Across the District Close to ‘Ideal’

To paraphrase “It don’t get much better than this” would be an understatement. Rainfall has been ideal in all areas of the district with the exception of some dryer conditions on the southwest coast in Collier County.

The upper Kissimmee lakes, the Kissimmee River, Lake Okeechobee, and the Water Conservation Areas are all at normal levels for this time of year. The Army Corps of Engineers has been making some releases from Lake Okeechobee due to their concerns with the integrity of the Herbert Hoover Dike that surrounds the lake. Florida Farm Bureau continues to urge the Corps to hold the level higher to provide water supply during the dry season (December – May). Additionally, any releases are detrimental to both the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Estuaries as basin runoff is providing all of the fresh water needed.

Water quality is also very good in all areas.

Proposed New Water Quality Regulations of Grave Concern for Agriculture

Florida Farm Bureau has been monitoring a proposal that could have catastrophic effects on agriculture if adopted into rule. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are proposing to enact new stringent numeric nutrient water quality standards in lakes, flowing waters and Class III waters by January 2010 and in coastal waters by January 2011.

Florida Farm Bureau members have adopted policy that supports efforts to protect Florida’s water quality. We have been instrumental in working with the state’s model Total Maximum Daily Loads program and have developed the County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) program to recognize agricultural operations that are actively participating in the program. However, the proposed numeric nutrient criteria that the DEP has published to date, and potentially even more restrictive criteria that may be forthcoming from the EPA, are 1) technically and scientifically debatable; 2) economically unattainable, creating major hardships for Florida agricultural economy; and 3) potentially adverse to the health of flora and fauna (i.e. freshwater and marine-based plant and animal life).

Florida Farm Bureau has developed a white paper on this topic (Proposed New Water Quality Regulations for the State of Florida). If you wish to receive a copy of the white paper, please contact me.