As I wrote about yesterday, Governor DeSantis’ Executive Order 19-12 calls for the Basin Management Action Plans around Lake Okeechobee to be “updated” by January 10, 2020.
Dr Goforth (http://www.garygoforth.net/Other%20projects.htm ) is a familiar and trusted friend in our fight to protect the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. Today, I am sharing his comments made during the development of the Basin Management Action Plan for the St Lucie River; and also his easy to read charts presented at the June 10, 2019, SFWMD Northern Estuary Workshop. It is my hope, that my very oversimplified post from yesterday can be complemented by Dr. Goforth’s input.
From Dr. Gary Goforth, Ph.D
- Subject: Estuary Water Quality Protection, July 8, 2019
Looking forward to a productive workshop on Wednesday…
Gary Goforth
*Please see attached:
Key Recommendations for Enhancing the SLRE BMAP
2. Subject: RE: Estuary Water Quality Protection, July 12, 2019
Thank you for a very productive workshop Wednesday on water quality and its impacts to the northern estuaries.
I’ve been asked for copies of the documents I held up during my public comments. These were developed pursuant to the 2007 Northern Everglades and Estuary Protection Program (NEEPP), and were to serve as the technical foundation for an expanded Works of the District (Rule 40E-61) regulatory program administered by the SFWMD. These documents summarize the most comprehensive analyses of water quality and hydrology for the Lake Okeechobee and estuary watersheds. These were presented to DEP during the development of the BMAPs – but DEP chose not to take advantage of them. Even worse, prior SFWMD management worked with an agricultural lobbyist to remove all references to these documents from the 2015 SFWMD annual environmental report (“In 2014, South Florida water managers were on the verge of an agriculture pollution crackdown, but at the last minute reversed course. TCPalm obtained emails that show how a lobbyist influenced water policy. The South Florida Water Management District changed course immediately after a Dec. 3, 2014, meeting with U.S. Sugar Corp. lobbyist Irene Quincey, eventually halting its planned policy in favor of a plan that takes polluters at their word and holds no one accountable if water quality suffers.” http://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/investigations/2017/08/30/u-s-sugar-lobbyist-influence-over-florida-water-pollution-rules/464671001/).
They can be downloaded from the following links; I’m sure staff could provide hardcopies (they’re several hundred pages in length).
Lake Okeechobee Watershed:
Click to access Draft_LOW_TSD_-_Feb_2013.pdf
St. Lucie Watershed:
Click to access TSD%20for%20SLRW%20-%2012%2018%202013.pdf
Caloosahatchee Watershed:
Click to access Deliv%203%2015%20Draft%20TSD%20for%20the%20CRW%20-%209%2030%202013.pdf
Let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Gary Goforth
http://www.garygoforth.net/Other%20projects.htm
Dr Gary Goforth
Yadda, yadda, yadda- comments, schmaments. You do realize FDEP has been talking about these basins for 30 years and the problems just get worse. The water in the upper basin of the Kissimmee needs to go back on the land. Pay ranchers for the ecosystem services associated with that, outlaw urban fertilization and require native plantings, put in treatment trains for stormwater, clean up the septic tanks and outlaw the spreading of biosolids. Get the public and legislature to back all that; problem solved. Oh, right, leg just did away with home rule. Ooops.
On Wed, Jul 17, 2019, 8:25 AM Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch wrote:
> Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch posted: “As I wrote about yesterday, Governor > DeSantis’ Executive Order 19-12 calls for the Basin Management Action Plans > around Lake Okeechobee to be “updated” by January 10, 2020. > https://wp.me/p3UayJ-a2Q Dr Goforth ( > http://www.garygoforth.net/Other%20proj” >
Thank you for your comment whoever you are
Bravo, Dr. Goforth !! His analyses are wise and provide a pathway for restoration of a healthy ecosystem. Kudos for exposing the dirty deeds of the previous SFWMD members and their cozy relationship with U.S. Sugar Corp. lobbyist Irene Quincey. Thank God we have Gov. DeSantis and Cong. Brian Mast taking a stand and affecting change for all Floridians. What a difference from our #toxic18 nightmare !! Jacqui – your reportage is always a wealth of information in order to understand the difficulties of how to hold polluters responsible and fighting so hard for the soul of our environment. THANK YOU !! ♥
When hurricanes or other desasters come and state gov. does NOTHING you can ask how the BMP scam is going.
We now have 30 plus miles of sea grass . Our country did not get 30 trillion in dept by accident. Lies and more lies. These STA are NOT going to clean anything. Just like killing the lagoon it is an atempt to destroy the farmer and make us totally dependant on the government for food. Stalin did the same thing and it took 50 years for former soviate countries to claw their way out of the mess they caused.
It would be nice if you had a name. Believe me, I am not a fan of dependance.
Sorry—who else would have 30 miles of sea grass growing. Back in the 60s there was some serious land grabbing going on by corupt politicians and their familys. Cecil Plat was a commisioner in West Melbourne and I believe it was his brother working for the city that was supposed to send everyone a one dollar drainage tax and did not. Come to find out Cecil Plat had bought every ones land for a dollar. It cost more than the land was worth but right is right and wrong is wrong so my dad fought it and won—-everybody got their land back. This is how (I believe)a few all for me and none for you people came to own thousands of acres all across this state when the average citizen does not own 1 acre. I am sure there is a lot of political pressure to change this but if you flood this land Florida’s cattle industry will go down the toilet and the burmise python will take over.
Storm Water Treatment is what it will be—Once the water is above ground they will treat it with pesticides to kill the mosquitos and herbicides to kill the hydrilla. Poison will be preserved in muck. Florida will soar from the number 2 state for people dieing of cancer to number one.
You say —believe me I am no fan of dependance— If this were true you would endorse the Florida cattlemens association and US sugar. They have brought more money into Florida from other states and around the world than you—Desantis— and every other state politician combined.
Washington DC does not have anything on Brevard County politics. For the first time it looked like we would have a conservitive majority 3-2 county commissioneers but the news paper slamed them over and over. One of thems husbandis in jail on charges that would not have happened if his wife were not county commissioner. The other one is a racest for telling the truth. Yesterdays headlines read Sheriff Wayne Ivey requested to raise taxes and county commissioners voted 4-1 to raise taxes. The news paper said the vote was a SUPER MAJORITY. This was their way of giveing them a carrot after beating them with a stick. From now on I think all votes by county commissioners will be 4-1for rapeing the taxpayer– now that the fake news has the gun to their head. I used to work with a guy who would say—dont vote—it will only encourage them.