December
12, 2002
Ms.
Trudi Williams, Chairman
South
Florida Water Management District
3301
Gun Club Road
West
Palm Beach, Florida 33416-4680
Dear
Ms. Williams,
As
you are aware, the Southwest Florida Watershed Council supports the
”Integrated Plan for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration and
Sustainability,” particularly the goal to “get the Water Right:
to deliver the right amount of water of the right quality, to the right
places at the right times.” To
that end, we applaud your recently announced water conservation program for a
portion of Southwest Florida by restrictions of use.
However, from the information published we believe two additional
elements should be included to more completely support the stated goal.
1.
All
users within the sixteen county jurisdiction of the South Florida Water
Management
District
should be included in the water conservation program, with exceptions only for
those entities engaged in best management practices and/or having a regulated
allocated supply of the water resource. Through restrictions of use, this
approach will not only benefit the aquifer supplying the coastal counties as
targeted in this program ,but also the water supply from wherever drawn.
2.
Recognize
the need for public education to stimulate voluntary compliance with use
restrictions
fro water conservation. Education
coupled with necessary enforcement will effect a successful program.
In this context, we are alarmed that most of the South Florida Water
Management District’s area was excluded from this conservation effort and
particularly dismayed that Hendry and Glades counties were not included in the
list of counties in the information published about this plan.
We suggest that if your intent is to expand water use restrictions to the
entire area of the South Florida Water Management District from a beginning in
Southwest Florida, do not dilute the effect by either seeming to privilege
Hendry and Glades counties from what will become a necessary burden for all or
negating the longer term benefit of a population educated in water conservation
in this rapidly growing area.
We
thank your for your leadership in this effort, and we look forward to working
with you to make the conservation of water resources a normal part of life for
every citizen living within the South Florida Water Management District’s
boundaries.
Sincerely,
Noel
Andress
Chairman
Copy:
Mr. Henry Dean, Ms. Carol Wehle
