From: Mckee,Kathleen A Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 11:11 AM To: racevskis,laila anna; Dunne,Edmond; Jacoby, Charles A; Zimmerman,Andrew R; Martin,Jonathan Bowman; Delfino,Joseph J; Obreza,Thomas Anthony; Munoz-Carpena,Rafael; Mossa,Joann; Jordan,Jonathan D; Bauer,Mace G; Clark,Mark W; Cuda,James Paul; Kiker,Gregory A; Ingram,Keith Talbert; Judge,Jasmeet; Larson, Barbra Christine; Liz Screaton; Brown,Mark T; Cohen,Matthew J; Rayfield,Travis J; Harris,Willie G,JR; Frazer,Tom K; MYLAVARAPU,RAO S; Hatfield,Kirk Cc: Mark Newman Subject: today meeting USDA/CREES + NOTES Stakeholders We will meet today to discuss the USDA/CREES proposal 12 - 2 pm in Weil 365 based on feedback from stakeholders we met yesterday at Educational Center, South entrance Ichetucknee Springs State Park. Columbia County pine plantations slowly giving way to 5 acre ranchettes and Lake City is growing fast... What are the major sources of nitrate and how can we develop management plan for curbing nitrate to groundwater. Notes from Ichnetucknee Springs Stakeholders meeting Monday March 5, 2007 The following were invited: • Hugh Thomas (FDACS, SR Partnership) • Daryll Smith (FDACS, SR Partnership) • Richard Hamann, UF Law School • Charles Maxwell, Schoolboard member, Springs ambassador • Dewey Weaver, Columbia County Commission • Jim Stevenson, Ichetucknee Springs Basin Working Group • Dan Pennington, 1000 Friends of Florida • Ichetucknee Springs State Park, 386-497-4690 Attendees: ------------ Joe Delfino, Ed Dunne, Laila Racevskis, Kathleen McKee all from UF Jim Stevenson from Ichetucknee Springs Basin Working Group (ISBWG) Charles Maxwell, the Springs Ambassador of ISBWG and elected School Board Member Darryl Smith of the Suwannee River Partnership Steven Chapman - FDEP and is directed by SRWMD to do management plans for small springs on the Suwannee River as well as some basic monitoring. Jim Stevenson was chief Biologist and naturalist at FDEP, retired around time of Park creation (?) and formed the working group since 1995. Served as chair of FL springs task force. Role of working group is education of selves and stakeholders, agencies, public. Raise awareness of threats, solutions and how basin works. Charles Maxwell was born in O'Leno state park and never left the region. Lives 5 miles from park. Retired 6 years ago from correctional career. Family had a business at Mill pond. Daryl Smith at Partnership since 1999. Partnership started looking at nitrates in mid-Suwannee river and extended to whole district now. Spearhead incentive progs for BMPs. Work with FYN to work with residents. He and Hugh Thomas and Joel Love work full time, out of SRWMD office in Live Oak. BASIN BACKGROUND ------------------- In 1828 was river going to Ichet springs from Alligator Lake. Water goes from Rose Sink to Ichet spgs in 5 days. 7-8 main springs in Ichetucknee river in park - 3 miles of river. After park, another mile to Santa Fe river. Lake City fastest growing in the district. 3000 acres purchased by FL forever and Carr. Bought out limerock mines. For conservation. Columbia county mostly pine plantations and new mobile homes. Park generates $23M / yr in local economy. Best known springs in state of FL. 20,000 people come to the springs every year. Only 5% travel locally. 232M gallons a day from the springs to the Santa Fe River. In old days, people would leave boats strung up and just come from houses to use river or swim. Now the upper part all taken over by tubers, hard to acces, now little local usage. PROBLEMS --------- His opinion is that major contributions to nitrate in springs in order are: 1. Lake City sprayfield - 3M gallons per day 2. septic tanks 3. stormwater runoff - lots going to Alligator lake first Also a problem are cows in creeks. They know of 2 specific problem spots. Loss of diversity in grasses and botanicals, algae killing grasses, very few crawfish now, decimation of loggerhead musk turtle. Open sandy areas covered in algae etc. Human health probs with rashes, respiratory. There are an estimated 14,000 septics in springshed now. 24 pounds of nitrate from each septic per year. They are considering impact fee on new homes. Conventional septics designed for human health protection not nitrate treatment. Newer new nitrate-reducing septic tanks cost $8-10,000 and conventional $2500-5000. New ones reduce nitrate from 40 to 10 mg/L. Most vulnerable part of springshed is the most unconfined (lower left) estimated to have 2300 septic tanks. EDUCATION --------- They have signs on roads that go over tributaries saying "this goes to Ichetucknee Springs" and people are so amazed. Most people have no idea they live in the Ichet springshed. They have brochure: "Beyond Septic Tanks" that talks about the new nitrate-reducing septic tanks. Carolyn Saft is education part of Partnership, she is FYN from Suwannee county but works beyond that county I think... Jim is starting an idea to aim at developers to encourage implementing N-removing septics, use less turf and other ideas. Jim conducts field trips through the basin, 4 hours showing many aspects of water exchange with aquifer and how it moves to Ichet springs from way up north. We have a DVD of a tour he took high school kids on made by Lake City Community College. He has invited elected officials including previous head of FDEP and it resulted in $15M springs initiative! Also took Jeb Bush. He thinks more of these would provide a big impact! He has new poster he is excited about (on the website) he'll be putting them around Lake City. Charles Maxwell will be focusing on contacting people in the Ichetucknee Trace which is the lowest elevation areas north of the springs. RESOURCES ---------- Good news is that a new regional utility has just been formed with new progressive general manager named Scott Reynolds (Greater Lake City Regional Utility Authority). Reynolds wants to reduce nitrate to 3 mg/L instead of 10 mg/L ... also wants to get water reuse going in golf courses. Dewey Weaver or the county planner may have a future land use map - he is Brian Kepner see http://www.columbiacountyfla.com/BuildingandZoning.asp Also, Dan Pennington in the 1000 Friends of Florida works in land use planning group (dpennington@1000fof.org 850-222-6277) 3 rivers trust, Richard Hamann on board; have money. Spending only interest on endowment. Funded turtle research. Springs initiative $2.4M, they need proposals! Annual old-timer's day in the park people who were around before the park came sit around sharing stories, 1 hour a piece, in their lawn chairs. Will be March 31 this year. April 7 is Ichetucknee appreciation day. John Weiler is a Rotarian Business owner in Lake city who developed the "Ichetucknee Promise" where a person will 1) reduce fertilizer use and use slow release 2) have septic tank inspected ea year 3) write commissioners and councils to say they support protection of the Ichetucknee. Starting with all Rotarians who will each donate $50 to build water well supply in developing countries. They'll sponsor other citizens to do, via word of mouth. Weiler also going to big box stores to ask them to implement BMPs and such. FDEP monitors 4 springs - quarterly, takes a year to publish data. There were 3 dye trace studies done. RESEARCH --------- What is the probable nitrate load of septic tanks? Compare conventional and N-reducing. What tools do we develop for stakeholders to use to find out what are main sources of nitrate? How about Well-watch, similar to model setup by Lakewatch. The springs ambassador's team hands out kits so citizens can volunteer to get their wells tested monthly or quarterly. Potential impact of future 5 acre ranchettes (how many, where?) as related to new septic tanks and new wells on water flow and water quality. How will nitrate impacts change as land use changes from pasture to lawns? Involve FYN. Should look at new subdivisions in vulnerable areas; education with one, have another as control group. Joe mentioned that babies at risk under 1 year old from nitrate in water if using formula made from well water. Jim mentioned new Iowa study out of women drinking water with nitrate > X are 3 times more likely to get bladder cancer than women drinking water with nitrate less than Y. Bacteria? When Alligator Lake was dry in drought there was bacteria in well water. Jim says now educ/outreach efforts need to be integrated; now just 'shotgunning it' Discussion ----------- In RFA: focus on 3rd bullet on page 11. Should talk about developing tools stakeholders can use to identify areas posing the greatest risk to water quality ("Well-Watch" or "Springs Watch" or we could call it "Iche-Watchee"!!). See Lakewatch website: http://lakewatch.ifas.ufl.edu/ More than 1500 Florida volunteers have monitored 1504 water bodies and saline or offshore stations monthly in 55 counties. How to integrate so many efforts in education and outreach happening now? Tools for measuring changes in behavior; tools the Ambassador can use.