South Florida Water Management District ag highlights- June 2008

Florida Farmers Welcome EPA’s Clarification of Water Transfer Rule

In a press release on June 9, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a rule to clarify that permits are not required for transfers of water from one body of water to another. Such transfers include routing water through channels (canals), or natural stream courses for public water supplies, irrigation, power generation, flood control, and environmental restoration.

The ruling allows the State of Florida to manage and protect its waters without federal oversight. This is great news to Florida where the state is more proactive than any other in addressing water quality concerns.

This ruling is also critical for agriculture in south Florida. If the ruling went the other way, Clean Water Permits might have been required for movement of water between all water bodies including farm ditches and local reservoirs. It would have brought farming in south Florida to a halt creating an economic disaster affecting all citizens. Although south Florida normally receives close to 50 inches of rainfall per year, most of the precipitation falls during tropical summer rains. The peak growing season for many fruits and vegetables is during the late fall, winter and spring when rain is less.

More information on the rule can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/agriculture

Lake Okeechobee Update

The importance of the health of Lake Okeechobee and its ability to store needed water for south Florida cannot be stressed enough. The 730 square mile lake is the water bellwether instrument in south Florida and what is happening in the lake is felt from Orlando to the Keys.

The water level as of June 17 is 9.27 feet. The lake is starting to respond to summer rains that are falling across the region. This level is still approximately four feet below normal.

The lake rises an average of 2 ½ feet during the summer rainy season. If this occurs, the lake will be at 12 feet going into the winter. This level is not sufficient to reduce the Phase III (45% cutback) water restrictions that are in the Everglades Agricultural Area.

The current Lake Okeechobee water regulation schedule developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) is in response to integrity concerns of the Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD) that surrounds the lake.

Dike rehabilitation is taking place on the eastern side of the lake by filling in the toe ditch on the outside of the dike, creating a seepage berm in this area and creating a ‘cut off wall’ in the center of the dike. All of these efforts are to eliminate the water movement through the dike that moves small soil particles.

The USACOE is currently rehabilitating portions of the dike that were identified as most vulnerable, focusing initial efforts to achieve the most significant impacts. Engineers are also designing the HHD to dam standards, with additional redundancy and resiliency to account for extreme weather events.

The current lake schedule which holds the lake at lower levels will stay in effect until there is reasonable assurance that the dike is stable at higher water levels.

Florida Farm Bureau Federation acknowledges the efforts to protect the health and welfare of citizens and lands around the lake. As repairs will continue until at least 2020, we are highly concerned about the continued federal funding that must be in place to complete this monumental task.

(Graphics courtesy of South Florida Water Management District and USACOE)

Water Management District Begins Rulemaking in Lake Okeechobee Service Area

During this month’s governing board meeting, the board authorized staff to publish a Notice of Rulemaking to address water supply for the Lake Okeechobee Service Area (LOSA), consumptive use criteria, and a recovery strategy for Lake Okeechobee.

This is a confusing topic but the bottom-line is that it affects all water users that currently utilize Lake Okeechobee as a source of water supply and that may desire to utilize lake water in the future. What has caused this issue to surface is the new water regulation schedule that keeps the lake at lower levels and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. These levels result in less water available for the water users.

Over the next several months, the quantity of water permitted will determine the base case in which to implement the rule. It is vital that all of agriculture is represented with the proper Water Use Permit for their operation. In that regard, Florida Farm Bureau Federation has asked the governing board and staff for an extended period to get permitting in place.

Agriculture must have a dependable source of water that not only meets the needs today but also will be available for future needs even if cropping changes. Without dependable water, development pressures will increase dramatically.

LOSA includes the Everglades Agricultural Area, and portions of Hendry, Glades, Lee, Okeechobee, western Palm Beach and Martin counties.