OSFR president Mike Roth is quoted here again on Seven Springs water permit:
Read the complete article here at this link to WFLA Channel 8.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Hope lingers in advocates’ efforts to stop Nestlé from increasing water use in Florida springs
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WFLA) – A battle continues as Nestlé Waters continues its efforts to expand a permit from Seven Springs Water Co. to take more than a million gallons a day from a popular tourist spot in Florida.
Outdoors enthusiasts and conservation activists, however, are holding out hope after the third request for more information came from the Suwannee River Water Management District….
“So far, so good,” Michael Roth, president of a conservation nonprofit called Our Santa Fe River, said in an email. “This third RAI extends the determination of this renewal application to a year after it was initially filed. Throughout this time, pumping is grandfathered in, which is disturbing, although Nestle hasn’t been pumping near capacity yet. ”
Ginnie Springs, located in the Santa Fe River, has already been deemed a fragile environment. It’s been labeled as “in recovery” by the Suwannee River Water Management District after decades of bottling companies draining more than 270,000 gallons a day.
“Concurrently, the SRWMD is revisiting its minimum flows and levels for the Santa Fe River, using a new model which conveniently allows additional pumping from the Santa Fe,” Roth said. “This bogus conclusion will go a long way toward helping the board’s collective conscience if they ultimately approve the permit.”
The deadline for the information request is Feb. 25.
