Water Shortage Rules, 40D-21, F.A.C., to be Revised

The District is developing a substantial revision to its Water Shortage Plan contained in Rule 40D-21, F.A.C. The District is required by Chapter 373, Florida Statutes, to have a Water Shortage Plan. In 1984 the District adopted Chapter 40D-21, Water Shortage Plan, F.A.C. in accordance with this requirement. Since that time, the District has extensively used this Plan. The District is now updating the Plan and variances to the Plan to reflect the experience and knowledge gained through the droughts and other water shortage events that have occurred since1984.

The draft plan provides for hydrologic water shortage indicators for surface and ground water; four water shortage phases consistent with the proposed amendments to section 62-40.411, F.A.C. of the Water Resources Implementation Rule; response mechanisms – which are not in all cases use restrictions – for each phase for each type of water use; and provides flexibility to declare shortages based on a particular water body or water supply source or geographic area.

Rule development workshops were held in February and March 2005 on the current draft. Additional workshops are anticipated to be held after discussions with the Governing Board at its April 2005 meeting.

A copy of the draft of proposed amendments and supplemental material are available from the District’s website www.watermatters.org.

Southern Water Use Caution Area Draft Rules for Minimum Flows and Levels and Recovery Strategy

A central provision of the current draft rules is a cumulative impact analysis which will be applied to applications for the withdrawal of new quantities of water within the Southern Water Use Caution Area ("SWUCA") that are projected to impact the salt water intrusion aquifer level. A model is under development that will simulate the change in the potentiometric surface of the upper Floridan aquifer within the Most Impacted Area resulting from each permit action since 2000 where there are reductions in ground water withdrawn and projects add quantities to the upper Floridan aquifer as well as permitted new quantities of water and growth into existing permits. To determine the potential impact of a withdrawal of new quantities on the salt water intrusion minimum aquifer level, the evaluation will also include the annual upper Floridan aquifer recovery required to achieve the salt water intrusion minimum aquifer level. The amount of annual upper Floridan aquifer improvement needed to achieve the proposed salt water intrusion minimum aquifer level is also under development.

Staff will present preliminary modeling results to the Governing Board in April. Once those results are reviewed, any changes necessary to the draft rules will be made and rule workshops will be scheduled. The current draft rules are on the District's website at www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/waterman/swuca/SWUCA.htm.