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January 10, 2012
Board approves increasing water levels on Lake Griffin
The St. Johns River Water Management District’s Governing Board approved a change to low-flow discharges on the Harris Chain of Lakes that will result in higher lake levels on Lake Griffin without causing a drop in levels on lakes Harris, Eustis, Dora and Beauclair.
The Board also directed District staff to make further adjustments as needed based on water quality and to shift to zero discharges once the benefits of the adjusted discharges and rainfall had restored the lake levels on Lake Griffin.
In November, the Governing Board approved temporarily reducing or eliminating discharges through the Apopka-Beauclair, Burrell and Moss Bluff locks and dams in Lake and Marion counties to protect water levels and water quality in the Harris Chain of Lakes and Lake Apopka during the winter dry season.
Congdon named General Counsel
William H. “Bill” Congdon was named general counsel by the District’s Governing Board on Jan. 10.
Congdon, a St. Johns County resident, has served as interim general counsel since October 2011 and has been with the District for 15 years. Hans G. Tanzler III, who vacated the general counsel post to become District executive director in October, recommended Congdon to fill the position.
A University of Florida graduate, Congdon has been a member of the Florida Bar for more than 30 years. He has experience in the public and private sectors, having begun his legal career practicing general civil law. He subsequently served as an assistant state attorney prosecuting criminal cases and as a deputy general counsel for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Water supply development cost-share funding awarded
The District’s Governing Board on Jan. 10 approved $4.28 million in cost-share funding for five water supply development projects that are designed to protect water flows and levels and the long-term health of water bodies.
Project funding was approved for a West Ormond Beach reclaimed water distribution project, the Utilities Inc. Wekiva-Apopka reuse transmission main project, the city of Winter Garden’s southwest service area transmission system, and the city of Oviedo’s Little Creek reclaimed water connection project and its Big Rivers and Twin Oaks reuse retrofit project.
Minimum flows and levels (MFLs) meetings scheduled
The District has scheduled two public meetings in February and March to discuss MFLs prevention and recovery strategies for water bodies in northeast Florida.
The Clay-Putnam technical work group will meet at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9 and March 15 at Trinity Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 3716 S.E. State Road 21, Keystone Heights 32656. Parking for meeting attendees is available on the south end of the complex, near the playground. The Clay-Putnam work group was formed to develop a list of prevention and recovery strategies for lakes Geneva, Brooklyn, Cowpen and Grandin.
Stakeholder meetings are being held in areas where MFLs are currently not being met or are projected not to be met within 20 years. The District’s goal is to work collaboratively with stakeholders to develop long-term comprehensive strategies to achieve the MFLs.
