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Hernando Today
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Minimum Flows, Maximum Importance
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Published: October 7, 2008
BROOKSVILLE - At some point, scientists and environmentalists agree, man's effort to slake his thirst often winds up hurting Mother Nature.
So when it comes to pumping water to meet west central Florida's burgeoning demand, how much is too much?
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working to answer that question for dozens of water bodies in its 16-county region, including the Withlacoochee, Weekiwachee and Chassahowitzka rivers.
The water management district, known as Swiftmud, will host a public meeting today at 6 p.m. at its Brooksville headquarters, 2379 Broad St.
It's an opportunity to give the public a chance to find out more about the process and provide feedback on the water bodies in Swiftmud's five-year plan, said Adam Munson, senior environmental scientist for the district.
It's a critical process that warrants the public's attention, Munson said.
"You kind of take for granted that when you turn on the tap, water will come out," Munson said. "That water comes from somewhere and, in a lot of cases, it's where we recreate, relax and spend the weekends."
Setting minimum flows requires scientists to become sleuths of sorts to recreate the natural conditions that existed before humans started to have an impact on water levels.
They use historical data from gauges on rivers and lakes and factor in the natural climatic cycles. They insert data on topography and wetlands and include research on species such as bass and bluefish to create models of a pristine ecosystem.
Researchers then use the models to estimate how much - if any - water can be pulled from the surface of a river or pumped from the surrounding aquifer before the ecology starts to suffer.
The district's regulatory department and governing board will use the minimum flow levels when deciding on whether to grant a permit for water supply projects or groundwater pumping in the region.
Minimum levels have already been set for Hernando lakes including Neff, Hunters, Lindsey, Mountain and Spring.
Munson and his team are currently collecting data for the Withlacoochee River, though it's clear that "the river is not flowing like it was 30 years ago, or even 20 years ago," Munson said. Minimum flows should be in place for that river by next year.
The Weekiwachee River is already near the breaking point, said Mike Heyl, chief environmental scientist for Swiftmud who is working on the data for that water body.
Swiftmud will submit its findings on the Weekiwachee to the district governing board by the end of the year. The report: The river could withstand about a 10 percent reduction in average daily flow before its ecology is threatened, Heyl said.
The river, though, is already "hovering around a 9 percent decline" in flows, Heyl said.
That could play a role in whether water use permits are granted in the region. And that, environmentalists say, is how the system is supposed to work.
It's been clear for years that rivers in Florida and right here in Hernando County are suffering, said Joe Murphy, Florida director of the Gulf Coast Conservancy and a longtime Hernando resident. But Florida's growth parade has marched on relatively unchecked.
"Now it's time to solve the problem, and that comes down to making some tough decisions," Murphy said. "And that's where minimum flows come in."
Chuck Morton, a longtime Weeki Wachee resident, a member of the Hernando County Port Authority and president of the Hernando Environmental Land Protectors, says he's skeptical that those tough decisions will be made even with the mounting scientific data.
Once rivers reach their designated minimum flows, "Are they going to say, 'We're not going to issue any more building permits'," Morton wondered. "I don't think so. But they need to say that."
If you go
WHAT: Public meeting on minimum flows for rivers, lakes.
WHEN: 6 p.m. today.
WHERE: Southwest Florida Water Management District Brooksville office.
CONTACT: 796-7211.
On the web
To find out more about Swiftmud's effort to set minimum flows and levels for the region's rivers, lakes and aquifers, visit www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/projects/mfl/
Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.
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