Over a considerable time and effort since early in 2019, Our Santa Fe River persevered to bring attention and awareness to a multi-million-gallon daily water grab from Ginnie Springs. At the behest of OSFR, the public attended government meetings, marches and rallies in local community and at least three kayaktivism events aimed at bringing attention at Ginnie Springs where the water is being removed daily.
Our organization, its members and supporters rallied against the permitted withdrawal of our river’s spring water. Nearly 20,000 public commentators went on record in a government portal requesting the state deny this water use.
The day of reckoning for just what is public interest is imminent in a new trial within the Department of Administrative Hearings. Science and habitat will get their time for consideration in a court of law.
Although Our Santa Fe River hit a brick wall during our DOAH case, we have a lot of hope for justice riding on the coattails of Mr. Douglas MacLaughlin, an experienced water policy attorney formerly employed by South Florida Water Management District.
The Florida Springs Council has patiently waited for a winnable case and Our Santa Fe River has hopefully given it to them on a silver platter. With freshwater resources dwindling all over the planet why should Florida put ours in a disposable plastic bottle which only exacerbates and perpetuates nature’s harm on so many levels of consumption and waste?
