Annette Long writes excellent Op Ed - Selling Florida's Water

[Jill Heinerth]

Annette Long wrote an important Op Ed in many local and regional papers today. Governor Rick Scott is taking the first steps towards privatizing water resources.

The town of White Springs is a ghost town because of over-permitted water for the phosphate mine. White Springs itself is virtually gone. Now imagine that the phosphate mine could have the right to sell the water they "did not use" but were permitted to use for the past decade. The water permit was free to them but they could sell the withdrawal quantity to another entity like Jacksonville.

If you think Peacock Springs and other cave diving sites are in danger now, wait until corporate permit holders are cleared to sell their water credits.

We're in a crisis of over-permitting and a crisis of overuse.

If anyone votes for Rick Scott again, they can say goodbye to cave diving, say goodbye to beautiful springs, watch the algae take over Ginnie and get prepared to pay corporations for their water.

This is really serious stuff!

Annette Long: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's new rule takes the first steps toward water privatization. | Gainesville.com

 

[tflaris]

Very scary stuff....

 

[Superlyte27]

If

If anyone votes for Rick Scott again, they can say goodbye to cave diving, say goodbye to beautiful springs, watch the algae take over Ginnie

Believe me, no one dislikes Scott more than I do, but that claim above is just a bit exaggerated.

 

[Jill Heinerth]

Well I am certainly trying to get people to pay attention with my comments. But take a moment and speak with Mark Wray at Ginnie next time you see him. He is worried sick about the rising nitrate levels affecting Ginnie. The natural bottom vegetation is gone in the run and it is being taken over by filamentous algae. Mark has just invested in new monitoring wells to document the rise in nitrates and is working on lawsuits to target the folks that are causing the issues. Water Management won't help him even though the change is exponential.

As we see changes in our springs, they creep along slowly, but if you have been cave diving for more than ten years, you will remember eel grass and natural vegetation. You'll recall Eagle's Nest with sand and beautiful plants and very little algae. You'll recall a time when algae was never seen in Peacock One and the water level was a lot higher on the stairs. You'll remember Crystal River with clear water, natural vegetation and ONLY fresh water coming out of Kings Spring. You'll recall a time when the municipal water supply in Cedar Key was not tainted with salt water from intrusion.

It happens slowly and we get used to new baselines, but we need to be proactive and use our voices to protect our springs and our sport.

 

[Superlyte27]

I agree with all of that, and I remember the those sites and the points you have made about those sites. I've been cave diving since 1997. But gross exaggeration like the above line will just turn off 50% of the people reading. For the people who really love that idiot, they'll immediately dismiss any message you intended. And that doesn't help your cause.

Our company spends bazillions a year on lobbying to get that guy out of here. I'm right there with you in the belief that he doesn't not need to be re-elected.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Jill, any updates on the rules? I haven't dived in Florida since the 1970s, but still treasure those memories. I hope one day to again dive in Alexander and other springs.

John