Gary Maddox, Assistant Director of Aquifer Watch, along with son Max, revisits your historian’s home on the banks of the Santa Fe River to test the well water for nitrogen loading.
As we have mentioned, this was the first well tested in the Lower Santa Fe River Basin groundwater study, back in September of 2014, done by Rick Copeland.
Of interest is that the T-N (total nitrogen) on that date was 0.45. The number for May of 2019 was 1.11. Also of interest is that we have had a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) for this area for about six years and it has failed to lower the nitrates. Instead they have more than doubled.
Is it any wonder we have little faith in our water agencies which are failing to protect our groundwater?
Of course, it is possible that we have a special circumstance here, but it is highly unlikely. We think this is part of the overall picture.
Thanks to Gary and Max and also to Aquifer Watch for monitoring our water.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-
There job is to grant permits for water withdrawals. They are doing their job. I do not know of any agencies that protect the quantity or quality of the water.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is charged with protecting water quality; see: https://floridadep.gov/about-dep
The water management districts (WMDs) are charged with protecting water quantity; see: https://floridadep.gov/water-policy/water-policy/content/water-management-districts
None of these agencies are doing effective jobs at PROTECTING our natural systems. These are political problems. Whoever is the governor of FL appoints the head of DEP, the boards of directors of the WMDs, and the administrative law judges who adjudicate in challenges to the actions of those agencies.