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Agenda Item 8ACITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH CITY COMMISSION MEETING STAFF REPORT AGENDA ITEM: Report on the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) SUBMITTED BY: Donna Kaluzniak, CEP, Utility Director DATE: January 21, 2014 STRATEGIC PLAN LINK: None AGENDA ITEM# SA FEBRUARY 10, 2014 BACKGROUND: The 2014 Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) is a Regional Water Supply Plan jointly developed by the St. Johns River Water Management District, the South Florida Water Management District, the Southwest Florida Water Management District and numerous stakeholders. The CFWI identifies programs and projects to ensure water supplies meet the needs of Central Florida through 2035 while protecting the environment and water resources. While none of the projects identified in the CFWI are located in the Beaches or North Florida areas, proposed use of the St. Johns River for water supply in Central Florida has been a past concern of the City Commission. Concerns included potential impacts on salinity, nitrogen levels and concentration of other pollutants. The Draft 2014 CFWI includes the St. Johns River as an alternative water supply source, with potential projects identified to withdraw up to an additional 155 million gallons per day (MGD) from the St. Johns. On June 9, 2008 the Commission passed Resolution No. 08-01, opposing additional water withdrawals from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers until a thorough and complete scientific investigation of the possible effects of upstream water withdrawals was completed. The Resolution also supported that water conservation measures be fully studied and used in areas where withdrawals from the St. Johns River were proposed. Since that time, the St. Johns River Water Supply Impact Study was completed in 2012. This was a rigorous 4-year study to determine the potential environmental effects of withdrawing water from the river. Staff attended the two technical symposiums that were held to review and discuss the study's findings. Over 70 scientists and engineers, including many internationally renowned experts in riverene ecosystems participated in the study. The St. Johns River Water Management District then engaged the National Research Council to peer review the study, and incorporated those recommendations. The St. Johns River Water Supply Impact Study confirmed the findings that St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers could be used as an alternative water supply source without causing significant harm to the environment. AGJ\NDA ITEM II 8A FEBRUNW 10,20 14 Regarding conservation, the CFWI thoroughly examined potential water sav in gs through conservation effotts for th e various categories of water users and those figures are inc luded in the plan . Signi ficant improvements in wate r conservatio n have occurred in th e CFWI planning area. While conse rvat ion can elim in ate an estimated 42 .3 MGD of the proj ec ted water dem a nd in 2035, a lternative water supplies will still be needed. Copies of the Draft CF WI and th e St . Johns River Water Supply lmpacL Study are available o n the District 's website at www .FI Mtd <.ts WqL,9 r.co m under Wat er Supp ly. BUDGET: None RECOMMENDATION: Non e--Report provided for Comm ission information. ATTACHMENTS: Re soluti o n 08-01 adop ted January 14,2008 2 RESOLUTION NO. 08-01 AGENDA ITEM# SA FEBRUARY 10,2014 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THE PROPOSED WITHDRAWAL OF WATER FROM THE ST. JOHNS RIVER SYSTEM; URGING THE ST. JOHNS RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO STUDY THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF SURFACE WATER WITHDRAWALS AND ENSURE THAT NO UNACCEPTABLE IMPACTS TO THE RIVER WILL RESULT; PROVIDING FOR SUBMITIAL OF COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. WHEREAS, growth in the Orlando and surrounding areas will require more water than the Floridan Aquifer can supply by the year 2013, and WHEREAS, the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers have been identified as potential sources of water which would be less expensive than other alternatives such as desalinization, and WHEREAS, Florida's water belongs to all of us, but use of that water also brings with it the responsibility to maintain a healthy environmental balance for all that share in it's use, and WHEREAS, it is the state mandated responsibility of the St Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to ensure that we all live up to our obligations for responsible environmental stewardship of our shared aquatic resources, and WHEREAS, large-scale withdrawals of water from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers may have serious environmental impacts on downstream communities, and WHEREAS, one potential impact of the withdrawal of water is through increased salinity which could impact recreational and commercial fishing as well as the shrimping industry, and WHEREAS, another potential impact is the increased concentration of pollutants including nitrogen for which state and federal environmental regulations require that a Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) be set to protect the rivers, and WHEREAS, cities and counties in Northeast Florida are expected to spend over a billion dollars in this region alone to meet the TMDL limits presently contemplated and those expenditures will have a serious economic impact on virtually everyone in the region, and WHEREAS, any additional expense caused by failure to meet TMDL standards, as a result of water withdrawals by upstream communities would place an unfair economic burden on the Northeast Florida region to support growth in the Orlando area and those costs may be beyond the ability of some cities and counties to fund, and WHEREAS, the SJRWMD is aware of these concerns and has begun studies to detennine the amount of water that can be safely withdrawn, and AGENDA ITEM# 8A FEBRUARY 10, 2014 WHEREAS, the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers can only provide a short-tenn solution to an ever-increasing need for water but cannot fulfill the need in the long term, and WHEREAS, all of these factors have caused significant public concern and have focused the attention of government and civic leaders in Northeast Florida on these issues, NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Atlantic Beach City Commission as follows: SECTION 1. Intent and Purpose That the City of Atlantic Beach joins with other local governments in the region in opposing any additional water withdrawal from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers, and asks that the SJRWMD deny future withdrawal pennits unless and until a. A thorough and complete scientific investigation of the possible effects of the water withdrawals from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers be completed by the SJRWMD,and b. That the SJRWMD invite outside agencies such as private consultants, other institutions engaged in similar scientific research, and private environmental interest groups to participate in the study so as to provide peer review and open discussion of both the methods and results of the investigation with the hope of arriving at a consensus of the effects of water withdrawals proposed, and c. That the results of such study be made available and be widely distributed to the public prior to any pennits being issued by the SJRWMD for withdrawal of water from the rivers and give public and private interests ample time to study said results, and d. Water conservation measures be fully studied, implemented and utilized in the areas proposed to receive the water withdrawals prior to any additional withdrawals being commenced. SECTION 2. Sustainability for the Long-Term The City of Atlantic Beach encourages and supports the SJR WMD and recipient water suppliers to study and implement additional methods of water conservation, desalinization and limitations on future growth to balance the need for water with available supplies for the long term so that balanced solutions will be in place prior to taking additional water from our rivers in the short term. SECTION 3. Distribution AGENDA ITEM# SA FEBRUARY 10, 2014 The City Clerk is authorized and instructed to send copies of this resolution to members of the St Johns River Water Management District Governing Board, the Duval Legislative Delegation and to Governor Crist. SECTION 4. Effective date This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption. Adopted by the City Commission of Atlaritic Beach, Flori DONNA L. BUSSEY, CMC City Clerk as to form and correctness: · 14th day of January, 2008.