Consider water-conserving approach to landscapes

The past few weeks may have seemed like spring had long since arrived in Florida, but the official beginning of spring actually didn’t occur until 1:14 a.m. today.

With spring comes a re-emergence of lawns and landscapes that have been, in many cases in northeast and central Florida, dormant for the past several months. With that new growth comes yard work and more irrigation.

As you consider your landscape needs, there are some important things to consider:

• Our groundwater supply is limited and, on average, half of our region’s residential water is used to irrigate lawns and landscapes.
• Reducing outdoor water use will help delay the time when expensive alternative water supplies are needed to supplement groundwater supplies.
• Year-round mandatory watering restrictions in the St. Johns River Water Management District currently limit irrigation to no more than two designated days a week.
• Choosing the right plants for the right places can significantly reduce your landscape’s reliance on water, making it more tolerant to droughts. Our searchable plant database can help you make the right decisions.

To reduce your overall water use inside and outside of your home, our interactive home water use survey can help you better understand where you’re using the most water.

Public input part of lake level decision-making

Nearly 500 people joined us Jan. 5 for a public meeting in Howey-in-the-Hills to discuss water levels in the Harris Chain of Lakes in Lake County.

The meeting provided an opportunity for numerous community and special interest groups and elected officials to speak publicly and share concerns about declining water levels. They were also able to hear the St. Johns River Water Management District’s presentation about what has been done in recent years to adjust water levels and to enhance water quality, and there was discussion about why the lakes are now so low.

With the ongoing drought conditions this winter, there isn’t much water to move northward through the lakes. And when we do move water to increase one lake level, another must fall. However, the District is considering options that could have at least some positive impact on the northern lakes until the rains fall, which hopefully will be by spring.

There are three dam-like structures in the Harris Chain of Lakes that the District controls. Discharges of water northward through the structures are typically determined based on preventing flooding, especially in the summer rainy periods (not an issue this past year, but could be in the next year).

This winter, like last winter, lower-than-average rainfall during the last two years has resulted in extremely low water levels that make access for boating and fishing difficult in some areas. The low water levels have also raised concerns about the potential for degrading water quality in Lake Apopka, the large upstream lake that contributes flow into the Harris Chain of Lakes.

The District Governing Board during its Jan. 10 public meeting in Palatka will consider options to adjust the quantity of water flowing through the three structures. The decision on how to proceed for the remainder of the winter will be based on maintaining healthy lakes, ensuring that we’re prepared for the potential of future flood waters, and the input received Jan. 5 from the public, including businesses that depend on the lakes, homeowners and recreational users.

While there isn’t much water to manipulate, the options being considered could positively impact some northern lakes by at least a few inches and with a corresponding decrease in the southern lakes. But, perhaps most importantly, the options could stave off further declining water levels. This is all combined with the hope that the area gets some significant rainfall by early summer.

Stakeholders brought together at Lake Apopka Summit

In a clear demonstration of support for the restoration of central Florida’s Lake Apopka, representatives of state, regional and local agencies and organizations and the public came together on Dec. 14 to focus on the future restoration actions for the lake that straddles Orange and Lake counties.

Florida Sen. Alan Hays, Rep. Bryan Nelson and Lake County Commissioner Sean Parks sponsored the first Lake Apopka Restoration Summit to review the progress made in restoring the lake and to discuss a path forward.

Also participating were Rep. Trudi Williams, Rep. Steve Crisafulli, county and city elected officials from throughout the region, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Herschel Vinyard, St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Executive Director Hans Tanzler and representatives from the University of Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Lake County Water Authority (LCWA), Friends of Lake Apopka, and Harris Chain of Lakes Restoration Council.

With much progress made in restoring the lake during the past 20 years, all participants agreed that more work remains ahead. In January, the DEP, SJRWMD, FWC and LCWA will reconvene to consider the next steps. They plan to have an inclusive and candid discussion of all alternatives and ideas.

Presentations made at the summit are available on the District’s Lake Apopka web page.

Another productive season of Gizzard shad harvesting

The pesky Gizzard shad is a fish without many positive attributes. The fish isn’t valued for human consumption: the flesh is soft and rather tasteless, it’s riddled with fine bones and has a strong odor. Scientists learned more than a decade ago that this “rough” fish is a veritable phosphorus factory, helping exacerbate algae growth in murky lakes by feeding on lake bottoms and excreting nutrients into the water. Lake Apopka used to be a prime example of a nutrient-laden lake monopolized by the Gizzard shad.

This year marks the 18th year of Gizzard shad harvesting in Lake Apopka. Harvesting has resulted in an 85% decline in Gizzard shad, which helps clean the lake’s nutrient-rich water and improve its suitability for other fish species. During an average year, between 450 and 500 metric tons of fish and two to three metric tons of phosphorus are removed from the lake. However, during recent years fishing has removed low Gizzard shad numbers with harvests between 150 – 200 metric tons. This year, harvesting commenced in October and so far, the fish catch is about 130 metric tons.

The District has conducted similar harvests in Lake Griffin where sport fish populations have increased and the District stopped harvesting several years ago.

Tanzler recommended for District executive director

The St. Johns River Water Management District’s Executive Director Search Committee on Oct. 3 recommended that Hans G. Tanzler III be hired as the District’s next executive director. The District Governing Board will consider the recommendation at its Oct. 11 public meeting at the District’s headquarters in Palatka.

Tanzler has been the District’s general counsel since July, and previously served on the District’s Governing Board.

The committee – made up of Board members Lad Daniels, John Miklos and Maryam Ghyabi – was created in August and held four public meetings prior to interviewing its top three candidates in a public meeting Oct. 3 in Maitland.

Kirby B. Green III was the District’s executive director for 10 years before retiring Oct. 3.

Landmark agreement extends water supply and helps the St. Johns River in northeast Florida

Kudos to Orange Park and Clay County Utility Authority (CCUA) for being the first in northeast Florida to share wastewater between utilities, thus increasing opportunities for reclaimed water use, preserving fresh drinking water supplies, and reducing wastewater discharges and nutrients flowing into the St. Johns River.

Orange Park on June 2 transferred 937,000 gallons of wastewater to CCUA that CCUA is providing to its customers for landscape irrigation throughout Clay County. Providing the wastewater to CCUA instead of discharging it into the river will:

• Reduce nitrogen loading into the river by 47,840 pounds annually.
• Offset about 200 million gallons of water that is currently withdrawn from the Floridan aquifer each year for irrigation.

CCUA invested $23.7 million and Orange Park invested $10 million on pipeline and wastewater plant improvements to make the project possible. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and St. Johns River Water Management District provided financial and regulatory assistance for the project.

Clay Today recently published a good overview of the project.

Hurricane season resources in one location online

Today marks the first day of hurricane season, which means that the time is upon us to ensure that we’re well prepared.

An important element of preparation is having ready access to resources that can keep you informed about flood predictions, real-time water level information and who to contact for flooding assistance.

The St. Johns River Water Management District maintains a web page that includes a multitude of storm-related resources at floridaswater.com/storm. Among the resources are links to the National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center, local government flooding contacts, and real-time U.S. Geological Survey river stage information. Think of it as one-stop shopping for resources you may need before, during and after major storms.

Remember that hurricane season lasts until Nov. 30, so it's a good idea to be prepared now for the upcoming six months.