South Florida Water Management District Report: December

Conforming Lake Okeechobee Adaptive Protocols to New Schedule

The Water Resources Advisory Commission (WRAC) is conducting workshops to update the Lake Okeechobee Adaptive Protocols so they mesh with the new lake schedule which keeps the lake
1 ½ feet lower than the previous schedule.  The adaptive protocols provide written guidance for low volume releases when the lake is in the Base Flow or Beneficial Use Sub-band.  They are not a rule or order but provide a process for input to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision-making process.

The agricultural community is very concerned about any releases from the lake when they are within the Beneficial Use Sub-band as the lake is typically at or below 12 ½ feet NGVD and water is in very short supply.  Up until recently, there has been agreement among the water users (environment, agriculture, municipalities) that water should be reserved at the beginning of the dry season for later use in the spring to augment estuary flows to control rising chloride levels.  This gentlemen’s agreement has come unraveled as the Caloosahatchee estuary supporters have been seeking releases in early December. 

With the operation of the lake 1 ½ feet lower than the previous schedule, the likelihood of water shortage conditions rise exponentially.  An agreement must be hammered out that will supply the environment with critical water needs while at the same time supplying farmers with the water needed to feed the nation with safe and affordable domestic produce during the winter and spring months. 

Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Program Update

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently provided an extensive update on the restoration efforts that are either underway or are in the planning stages.  These projects and some specific project examples include:

 • Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park
 • Raising the Tamiami Trail with a one mile bridge to increase flows.
 • Degrading the lower 4 miles of the L-67 extension canal and levee to create sheet flow across the area.
 • Kissimmee River Restoration
 • Continuing to back fill a total of 22 miles of canal and rechanneling the river back into its original oxbows.
 • Constructing a new railroad bed for CSX.
 • Critical Projects Program
 • C-111 Spreader Canal modification in southern Dade County.  Florida Farm Bureau and Dade County Farm Bureau are monitoring this project very closely for potential impacts to growers east of Everglades National Park.
 • Herbert Hoover Dike Rehabilitation (surrounding Lake Okeechobee)
 • $122.8 million is budgeted for FY 2010 up from $77.4 million in FY 2009.
 • Reach 1 (between Port Myacca and Belle Glade) is scheduled to be completed by 2013. 
 • Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (10 Initial Projects)
 • Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) well field tests continue.  Initial tests from wells along the north side of Lake Okeechobee are positive recovering greater than 75% of the water.  Additionally, the water coming back out of the well has lower nutrients than the water being injected.

El Niño Discussion

A lot of discussion has been taking place at various meetings in south Florida about El Niño and how it affects south Florida’s winter and spring weather.  Many are counting on El Niño to supply the critical water demands due to the current level of Lake Okeechobee (currently 13.63 feet NGVD).  To prevent water shortages toward the end of spring, farmers would like to see the lake level around 15 feet NGVD in early December. 

The term El Niño refers to the large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate phenomenon linked to a periodic warming in sea-surface temperatures across the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (between approximately the date line and 120oW). 

Thus far El Niño seems to be supplying the region with sufficient and much needed rains with two events occurring thus far this month.  Only time will tell if these conditions persist.  Although forecasts such as El Niño/La Niña and the three/six month rainfall forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center are interesting and certainly a tool that should be utilized, policy should not be set on these predictions due to the factor of errancy that is inherent in such forecasts.

Study to Connect Water Management Districts Presented to Governing Board

The Governing Board enthusiastically endorsed the C-25 Reconnection Study in the December board meeting.  The reconnection could recreate some of the historical flow patterns that existed before the water management districts were created by the legislature in 1972.

C-25 is a canal in northern St. Lucie County located on the upper east coast of the water management district.  This canal is connected in a network to C-23 and C-24 and provides agriculture in this area with storm drainage as well as supplements irrigation water for crops.

Agricultural interests in the area are extremely interested in this project as it has the potential to supply water from St. Johns River Water Management District when water is abundant in Indian River County but scarce in St. Lucie County.  Additionally, farmers with fallow land may be compensated by farming water (storing 1 – 3 feet of surface water on non-productive land).

The St. Johns River Water Management District will be discussing this issue at the Governing Board meeting in January.

Organizational Changes at South Florida Water Management District

Over the past several months, the South Florida Water Management District has been undergoing an upper level reorganization to “better align our agency’s functions and structure for accomplishing our mission and delivering on the priorities set by our Governing Board” according to Carol Wehle, Executive Director of the District.  The District is now organized into four resource areas:

1.    Everglades Restoration and Capital Projects – Plan, design and construct capital and Everglades restoration projects.
2.    Regulatory and Public Affairs – Regulatory, water supply, growth management and water resource issues including consumptive use and environmental resource permitting.
3.    Operations and Maintenance – Operating the regional water management system  to provide flood control and water resource management to the 16 counties that encompass the water management district.
4.    Corporate Resources – Support agency business functions for the other three resource areas as well as synchronizing human resources, budgets, annual work plans and business management functions across the agency.

Included in the reorganization were several shifts in staff.  Florida Farm Bureau is encouraged that the reorganization will streamline many of the District’s efforts to provide water supply, flood control and environmental restoration.  Additionally, Florida Farm Bureau is working diligently with staff to develop and roll out an Ag Team that will provide consistent logistical assistance to the agricultural community.  This team specifically identifies employees that have an agricultural background and know the unique issues that face farmers as they obtain and maintain permits to assure a sufficient water supply to grow crops and keep animals healthy.