BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — Representatives from the water management district received an earful during a recent visit to the county commission meeting.
Historically, Suwannee River Water Management District staff members have delivered a payment in lieu of taxes to the county. The district is a governmental taxing authority, so its own lands are tax exempt. The county receives an annual check to make up for a portion of the lost revenue.
Amy Brown, deputy executive director for water resources for the Suwannee River Water Management District, said those payments are now being mailed out in June, but said staff still wanted to be there to “check in” with the commission.
Brown also reviewed how the district works toward its missions, which include ensuring water supply and quality, flood protection and restoration of natural systems. They use funding generated through its property taxation for cost share programs with counties and helps obtain funding for water supply and protection projects from the state.
She offered an overview of some of the projects underway and in planning, including setting minimum levels for lakes Santa Fe and Hampton, both of which are currently meeting minimum levels. Work is ongoing for the lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee rivers and associated springs, where additional water is needed to reduce the strain on the aquifer, Brown said.
“That’s where we’ll be engaging with communities to try and identify projects that we can do to shift water supplies where we can recharge water and increase efficiency,” she said.
They are also working with the St. Johns River Water Management District to update the regional water supply plan to identify constraints on the system and propose solutions.
Specifically, within Bradford County, Brown said they are working with Rayonier on a silviculture enhancement and recharge project, examining how forestry practices can shift to support water supply. Looping Hampton’s water main will add efficiency and reduce losses to the system thanks to alternative water supply funding obtained from the state. Pending an award of matching funds from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, SRWMD has also obtained funds to replace water mains in Lawtey.
Construction of wetland mitigation projects, including management of invasive plant species, is ongoing. These are related to the Edwards Bottomlands in Starke off Alligator Creek and the Starke bypass.
Finally, Brown said SRWMD is kicking off a planning project for Starke and Bradford County to pull together research on available water supplies and develop a list of projects that could tackle multiple objectives, including water supply and flood protection.
Commissioners, however, felt they had been signaling the district about project priorities for some time without action. Commissioner Carolyn Spooner, for example, brought up a tour of the Chemours mining area last year, including Northeast 227 and Northeast Sixth Avenue, as well as the Florida Power and Light property near Northeast Seventh Avenue and C.R. 125. Both areas are prone to flooding when rainfall is combined with runoff or the release of water, she said.
Brown said the goal is to identify projects and turn them into multi-tier projects, so they are not just addressing flooding but identifying an alternative water supply or aquifer recharge point.
“There have been some recent studies that have identified areas of Starke and Bradford County in general that are flood prone, and so the hope would be to kind of develop a short list of what action could be taken,” she said.
Commissioner Kenny Thompson brought up Water Oak Creek and the flooding that occurs in Lawtey. It wasn’t enough to continue hearing about coordinating and prioritizing. Thompson said the creek has gone for decades without a cleanup, and when water is released from Chemours, it floods “everybody.”
“It kills us over there,” he said. “I’ve begged since I’ve been a commissioner to look at it, but it’s been studied for five or six years.”
For Commissioner Chris Dougherty, it is the stormwater shed that flows from the east into the city of Starke flooding multiple streets along the way. Commission Chair Diane Andrews brought up flooding on Crosby and Sampson lakes as well. The water control constructure at Sampson Canal is in such disrepair that the county must use the Jaws of Life to operate it, she said.
Before there are any solutions, there is more studying to come. Leroy Marshall, a chief professional engineer in the office of agriculture and environmental projects, said the district will be working on a master plan for Bradford County as Brown had indicated.
As of the commission’s Nov. 15 meeting, the district was still negotiating a contract with a consultant. That consultant will be tasked to meet with the county manager and other concerned officials to hear more about these issues. That information will be included in the consultant’s study.
“The hope is that when we look at these areas of concern, they are overlaps between your areas of concern and our areas of concern,” Marshall said. “We may be looking at water quality in that area, and you may be looking at flood protection, and there could be one project that does both. So that’s kind of the intent of the study is to find those areas of concern and then start drilling down and focusing in on those areas.”
Whatever SRWMD does must meet its core values, he said. It must do so for the entire district, which covers 7640 square miles, including all or a portion of 15 north central Florida counties.
Suwannee River is the fifth largest water management district in the state, responsible to 340,000 residents, not just the 28,000 or so residing in Bradford County.
Dougherty asked the water management representatives to be “diligent,” saying the district has been talking about studying the same issues for years.
Brown said all that information would be aggregated to look or the areas of overlap Marshall mentioned to identify a list of projects to implement.
“I just ask that when you study it, come during a rain event, so you can really see what’s going on, because that’s when we see and we hear about it,” Dougherty said.
New map highlights district lands
Brown said a new online portal provides an interactive map of district lands and how these public spaces can be used for recreation. By visiting the recreation page at Mysuwanneeriver.com, you can view the various tracts on the map, including information about amenities and directions.
Opportunities in Bradford County include Santa Fe Swamp, which allows biking, hiking, bird watching, wildlife viewing, horseback riding and hunting; Lake Rowell, which allows birdwatching, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing; and Mud Swamp near Brooker, which allows biking, hiking and wildlife viewing.
Near Worthington Springs is Santa Fe River Ranch, which allows biking, hiking, horseback riding, birdwatching, wildlife viewing and fishing.
Lake Alto and Lake Alto Preserve also lie across the county line in Alachua County. Depending on the track, hunting, hiking, biking, birdwatching and wildlife viewing are allowed.
According to the page, some tracts throughout the district offer parking and marked trails, and others are so remote they can only be accessed by canoe or small boat.
“Here you are your own tour guide, free to explore natural lands and waterways – including the legendary Suwannee River.”
Some restrictions apply, including visiting hours, where one can camp and dog leash requirements. Other actives are prohibited altogether, including igniting fires, using ATVs, possessing and drinking alcoholic beverages, and waste disposal.
