Activists: Hands off our water

In the often murky politics of Florida water, fed by the chasm between urban and rural needs, one thing is aquamarine clear to opponents of a water management plan in Citrus County — they want it dead in the water and would pile on if necessary.
Officials of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, or Swiftmud, which unveiled a plan to tap into flows of Chassahowitzka and Homosassa rivers, are receptive and continue to be willing to listen to input.
Wednesday, in what could be a last-ditch effort by a working group of stakeholders comprised of activists, government environmental officials, private citizens and politicians, opponents brought in two experts to expand on their case against the Swiftmud plan.
Hydrogeologist Todd Kincaid laid out a study done in the Wakulla Springs/Tallahassee area, and longtime area researcher and environmental scientist Robert Knight spoke about damage to spring-fed areas.
Last June, Swiftmud announced the beginning of a consultative period to gauge reaction to its plan to withdraw up to 5 percent from the Homosassa River and up to 11 percent from the Chassahowitzka.
In subsequent workshops, opposition to the plan has been steady and pretty much on course — withdrawal of water from already depleted waterways will be devastating to the marine life and would allow for more salt water intrusion into the aquifer system. And there’s suspicion that water removed from here will be transferred to more populated and thirsty locales further south.
Swiftmud is on record that it wants to listen and weigh all manner of data before making a final recommendation.
“And that is still the plan,” said Darcy Brune of Swiftmud. “We want to look at all the factors and information people have to present before a decision is made.”
She said she was unsure about the exact date of a decision, but it will happen after the Swiftmud board has a chance to thoroughly examine all the information.
However, stakeholder Brad Rimbey of the Chassahowitzka River Restoration Committee said the only thing good about this plan is if it’s dead.
“The whole idea behind the MFLs is to help restore and prevent the further degradation of these rivers, especially since they are on the list of Outstanding Florida Waters (OFW),” Rimbey said.
Forty-one of the state’s 1,700 rivers and some lakes and lake chains have been designated as OFWs. In Citrus, the Homosassa, Chasshowitzka and Withlacoochee rivers have been so designated.
The designation also means, according to Rimbey, that Swiftmud cannot allow discharges to OFWs that would lower ambient (existing) water quality.
“And, it is clear if they withdraw 11 percent out of the Chassahowitzka, there will be more saltwater intrusion and that would degrade the water quality,” he said.
Rimbey thinks Swiftmud ought just withdraw the plan and try to come up with a plan that should be helping restore some of the marine life and water flow the rivers enjoyed in the past.
In his presentation Wednesday, Kincaid shared data from a study which clearly demonstrated correlation between increased withdrawals of water in Tallahassee and the increased intrusion of salt water into Spring Creek from the Gulf.
“The simple answer is, we shouldn’t permit more than we can allocate,” he said.
Knight, the other expert, buttressed his points about the effects of ecological impairment at springs by giving the example of Silver Springs, which he had studied for a long time.
 He said a year-long study revealed dwindling productivity in the springs and the growth of algae which, in turn, is driving down the number of visitors to the once-pristine attraction.
Rimbey said after the workshop he hopes the latest presentations helped change officials’ minds. He said if all fails, they may take the next step of legal action.
“Hope it never comes to that, but it may be the only way to settle it.”
Chronicle reporter A.B. Sidibe can be reached at (352) 564-2925 or at asidibe@chronicleonline.com.