This should be a great event with some great bands. Note what Tamayo writes below:
It’s come to our attention that the owners of Ginnie Springs are abusing the Floridan Aquifer and taking advantage of the water we all share and love.
For this good reason the band refused to play at that venue. Seven Springs/Ginnie continues to pump our water from our springs and aquifer with plans to increase the amount several times over. This will draw down the spring with an inevitable negative impact.
The river there is staggering from over-pumping and nitrate pollution, yet our industry-serving water district renews their pumping permit and gives away more and more water. They have no workable plans to restore the Santa Fe River and are working on lowering the minimum flows so that Ginnie and others can legally withdraw more.
We have a water management district that simply cannot say “no” to water users and sincerely believes their job is to issue a permit to anyone who applies. They are doing the bidding of an incompetent Department of Environmental Protection which allows our springs and rivers to decrease in flow and increase in pollution year after year after year. There is no end in sight and the DEP and the water district have no workable plans to fix it. It is apparent that they plan to continue to issue permits until the river is dry.
Our only recourse is legal action. This is very expensive even though there are caring lawyers who work for reduced rates. But they must eat too, so we need your help. Please come out and enjoy the bands while aiding a good cause.
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
