Water Supply and Water

Quality Issues in

Suwannee River Basin and

Awareness within the Ag

Community

Practicum Decision

Suwannee Basin

Regulatory Challenges for Agriculture

Suwannee River Partnership

Practicum Process

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

Jefferson Madison

Taylor

Hamilton

Suwannee

Lafayette

Dixie

Levy

Alachua

Gilchrist

Columbia

Baker

Bradford

Union

Ware

Clinch

Worth Coffee

Charlton

Tift

Irwin

Colquitt

Brooks

Dooly

Thomas

Echols

Berrien

Wilcox

Lowndes

Crisp

Cook

Turner

Atkinson

Lanier

Ben Hill

0 20 4010

Miles

Florida /Georgia

Suwannee Basin 9,950 sq. Miles

57% of basin is in GA

Most freshwater springs worldwide

Suwannee River has the 2nd highest annual average discharge in Florida

> 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

Water Quality

Water Quantity

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FDEP Established in Fall 2008

0.35mg/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

Water Resource Caution Areas

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 incentive-

based programs

Involve Everyone in the Solution

Voluntary adoption of BMPs for all Ag Commodities

Develop Quality Assurance Programs

Provide supporting education programs

Recognize Participants (CARES)

Irrigation System Upgrades

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

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 tons @ $400/ton = > $1.1m

2010 SRP involved with BMAP process for SF Poor Ag stakeholder attendance during development

2010-2011 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

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

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 24th 2 productive hours and 3rd hour was a challenge

Separate people from the issue Defining Positions

Second meeting Mar 28th 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

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

Broadened perception and ability

Envision some of the upcoming challenges

Organize efficient productive meetings

“Government Mentality” issues

SRP’s future

Survey results will help focus May 1st meeting

Follow up water use reporting meetings

Phase III Water Shortage Well Permitting Policy BMAP

SF Administrative Challenge Suwannee Basin

Florida Leaders Organized for Water (FLOW)

Thank You NRLI and the Project

Team!