Water Supply and Water Quality Issues in Suwannee River Basin and Awareness within the Ag Community

Transcription

1 Water Supply and Water Quality Issues in Suwannee River Basin and Awareness within the Ag Community

2 Practicum Decision Suwannee Basin Regulatory Challenges for Agriculture Suwannee River Partnership Practicum Process

3 Suwannee River Partnership Goal Evolving Issues Lack of Awareness Regulatory agencies lack of outreach FDACS perception that Presumption of Compliance was valuable Ag not aware regulations are coming Survey being developed by UF Center for Public Issues Education Water Supply and Water Quality Issues in Suwannee River Basin and Ag s Awareness of Them

4 Dooly Crisp Wilcox Florida /Georgia Suwannee Basin 9,950 sq. Miles Turner Ben Hill Worth Tift Irwin Berrien Coffee Atkinson 57% of basin is in GA Colquitt Cook Thomas Brooks Lanier Lowndes Echols Clinch Ware Charlton Most freshwater springs worldwide Jefferson Madison Hamilton Taylor Suwannee Columbia Lafayette Gilchrist Dixie Baker Union Bradford Alachua Suwannee River has the 2 nd highest annual average discharge in Florida Levy Miles

5 > 200,000 acres in ag production More than 7,000 farms Over $5 billion in total economic impact Exceeds 17,000 jobs for direct employment More than 31,000 jobs related to agriculture

6 Water Quality Water Quantity

7 Jun-54 Jun-55 Jun-56 Jun-57 Jun-58 Jun-59 Jun-60 Jun-61 Jun-62 Jun-63 Jun-64 Jun-65 Jun-66 Jun-67 Jun-68 Jun-69 Jun-70 Jun-71 Jun-72 Jun-73 Jun-74 Jun-75 Jun-76 Jun-77 Jun-78 Jun-79 Jun-80 Jun-81 Jun-82 Jun-83 Jun-84 Jun-85 Jun-86 Jun-87 Jun-88 Jun-89 Jun-90 Jun-91 Jun-92 Jun-93 Jun-94 Jun-95 Jun-96 Jun-97 Jun-98 Jun-99 Jun-00 Jun-01

8 FDEP Established in Fall mg/L Nitrate Nitrogen Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) Santa Fe BMAP adopted March 2012 Suwannee BMAP scheduled for later 2012 EPA s Numeric Nutrient Criteria

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11 Water Resource Caution Areas

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13 To provide research based solutions that protect and conserve the water resources within the Suwannee River Water Management District by emphasizing the implementation of voluntary or incentivebased programs

14 Involve Everyone in the Solution Voluntary adoption of BMPs for all Ag Commodities Develop Quality Assurance Programs Provide supporting education programs Recognize Participants (CARES)

15 Irrigation System Upgrades

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17 Emphasize Crop Education Irrigation and Nutrient Mgt. at Grower Field Days

18 90% of Dairies participating 99% of Poultry participating 75% of Row Crop At 50 lbs N/acre reduction Estimated reduction in lbs of N applied per year 5,598,150 (2,799 $400/ton = > $1.1m

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20 2010 SRP involved with BMAP process for SF Poor Ag stakeholder attendance during development SRP involved with SRWMD in Water Supply Planning Poor Ag stakeholder attendance during process Level of awareness in the industry and how can the SRP get Ag better informed

21 SRP Coordinator takes new position Personal and Personnel challenges SRP Executive Committee Chair resigns Program Challenges Regulatory mindset Consumptive Use Permit Petitions BMAP Restoration Focus Area (RFA) Water Use Monitoring and Reporting--January 2012 Water Shortage-- April 2012

22 UF Center for Public Issues Education developed survey Surveys administered at workshops Mailout and Internet survey to be conducted 2012 Water Use Monitoring meetings February 2012 SRWMD GB First meeting Feb 24 th 2 productive hours and 3 rd hour was a challenge Separate people from the issue Defining Positions Second meeting Mar 28 th Murphy s Law Cost still issue April 2012 SRWMD GB meeting Stakeholder meeting brought new innovative ideas to the table Thinking out of the box Santa Fe BMAP Signing RFA meetings to start

23 Water Quality Other person is cause of problem Not a perceived threat Water Quantity Ag--Why does SRWMD need water use data Align water use with allocation Paying for water What benefit does data provide? Distrust SRWMD Need data to quantify resource Doesn t Ag value availability of low cost water

24 Broadened perception and ability Envision some of the upcoming challenges Organize efficient productive meetings Government Mentality issues SRP s future

25 Survey results will help focus May 1 st meeting Follow up water use reporting meetings Phase III Water Shortage Well Permitting Policy BMAP SF Administrative Challenge Suwannee Basin

26 Florida Leaders Organized for Water (FLOW)

27 Thank You NRLI and the Project Team!