Museum focuses on future of St. Johns

BEACON PHOTO/PAT HATFIELD
River enthusiasts — Love of the St. Johns River and art brought people together at the Museum of Florida Art in DeLand Sept. 22. Those attending the forum on the well-being of the river also were on hand for a gallery viewing of St. Johns River-region art. Included were, from left, St. Johns Riverkeeper organization board member Lane Welch, museum docent Jo Hall, museum curatorial consultant Jeanne Dowis, museum Director Jennifer Coolidge, St. Johns Riverkeeper Neil Armingeon and museum docent and Beacon columnist Bill Hall.

By Pat Hatfield
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Oct 1, 2009 - 10:34:18am

The future of fresh water and perils to the St. Johns River were on the minds of about 125 people who attended a public forum recently at The Museum of Florida Art in DeLand.

“The St. Johns River: Yours Mine and Ours” was moderated by current-events commentator John E. Evans.

Attendees at the Sept. 22 event also viewed the museum’s current exhibit, Liquid Muse: Paintings from the St. Johns River.

The art focuses on the beauty and mystery of the St. Johns River and its environs — water, sky, light, riverbanks, flora and fauna, and even some people.

Museum Director Jennifer Coolidge explained, “Great art is a catalyst for discussion of the river.”

Panel members were:

• City of DeLand Director of Water Utilities Keith Riger,

• St. Johns Riverkeeper Neil Armingeon,

• Volusia County Council Member Andy Kelly,

• Deltona Deputy City Manager Dave Denny,

• Hydrologist Bill Dunn of Watershed Connections Inc., and

• Former St. Johns Water Management District Commissioner Ann Moore.

Evans asked the panel, “Is the river an unlikely tap dancer to Central Florida’s thirst?”

Armingeon replied, “This has not been a good summer for the river.” He described a toxic-algae bloom on the northern stretch of the 312-mile river caused by heat, low water level and pollution.

“Let’s start with the reality that our river is not healthy,” he said.

Water withdrawal, as municipalities look to the river for a source of drinking water, is one of the most critical issues facing the river, Armingeon said.

The St. Johns Riverkeeper is going to court to challenge Seminole County’s plan to withdraw river water at its Yankee Lake plant.

Riger, of DeLand, said that on the utility supply side, DeLand is one of four water suppliers, along with Deltona, Orange City and the County of Volusia, working together to find enough water to meet the future needs of its residence.

Riger said the source of that water traditionally has been wells. The Water Management District has mandated increased water rates for higher consumption of water, in an effort to protect the aquifer.

Central Floridians can expect to pay more for this water, and pay high rates for the cost of water treated at desalination plants. These reverse-osmosis plants have a huge energy and an environmental cost. They discharge brine and pollutants back into the water, he said. The local economy could be ruined, Riger said, because the high cost of water would make it difficult for local businesses to compete.

“Our children and grandchildren won’t be able to stay here,” he said.

Cooperation is crucial in studying these issues, Riger said. “We want very much to be good stewards,” both financially and of the environment.

Council Member Kelly said, “The river is ours to enjoy and pass on to future generations.” He said he’s concerned about “the aggregate of tens of millions, up to 155 million gallons a day of use” of water from the river.

Denny, of Deltona, said water from the aquifer has been a cheap and clean source of water for many years. “Now, those low rates are going to be a thing of the past.”

He called the cost of planned water-treatment plants “scary” — ranging anywhere from $300 million for a plant on the river to $1 billion for a desalination plant in the ocean.

This may be necessary, since the Water Management District has told local utilities to reduce the 2002 rates of water consumption by 50 percent in 2018.

Denny said he’s glad a Water Management District study of the river is under way. The worst thing that could happen is to put water plants on the river and find out later they are destructive, he said.

Development brings need for more water

The discussion brought a series of questions from the audience about the connection of growth to water shortage.

One asked why must we pay more now for water, so that developers can come in and build more developments, leading to more consumption of water?

Another asked, why aren’t our governmental agencies looking to limit population to a sustainable limit, if water use has exceeded sustainable limits?

Isn’t population growth the No. 1 problem with water, they asked.

Riger replied that the state is in charge of comprehensive planning and the water supply.

But, he said, “Growth, like it or not, is one of the biggest industries here.”

Hydrologist Dunn said water availability should be a concurrency issue. That means a water supply should be in place before a development is approved.

Armingeon said large-scale development is still being approved, with often only a piece of paper stating a water utility is willing to supply water.

“We think we can grow our way out of this,” he said, referring to the economic situation. The public is told rates are going up, then large-scale developments are approved, Armingeon said.

“The public needs to be part of these decisions,” he said, and challenge decisions. “We are the problem, and we are the solution.”

Conservation is essential

Panel members said that conservation can go a long way to protecting the aquifer and the river.

Some important notes:

• Around half of the water supplied for residential use goes outside, for irrigation and lawn-watering. That means valuable, potable water is being poured on St. Augustine and other thirsty grasses. Use of drought-tolerant lawns and less watering is crucial.

• Conservation enforcement will need to be toughened.

• The water supply will be important in the next gubernatorial race and needs to be brought up in every political race.

• If drawing water from the river is necessary, then it must be done when river levels are high and it will cause the least damage to the river. Taking water from the river and dumping in brine in dry spells, when the river is already low could be disastrous. That’s when the demand for river water will be highest, however. Creation of reservoirs to store water may be necessary.

Denny suggested that bypassing river plants that may be useful only in the short term and going straight to ocean desalination plants may be the least destructive and most cost-effective way to proceed.

Riger said the bottom line is, water will be available, but it’s going to cost more.

Armingeon said there’s a great struggle going on to defend the St. Johns River.

“I ask each of you to think how you can alter your daily lives,” he said, to protect the river.

He urged the audience to “see the magic of the St. Johns River.” If they do, Armingeon is sure they will then want to protect it.

The Liquid Muse exhibit continues at The Museum of Florida Art until Sunday, Nov. 22.

For more information, call (386) 734-4371 or visit online at www.MuseumofFloridaArt.org.

— pat@beacononlinenews.com

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