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 Central Florida plans to take millions of gallons of water a day out of the rivers, angering north Florida residents and officials who say that could cause grave environmental damage, particularly to the north-flowing St. Johns.
"It is madness. We do not believe there is surplus water in the river," said Neil Armingeon, a St. Johns riverkeeper. The position is a privately funded advocate for the river. "We are not going to stand by and let the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers be degraded."
North Florida cities such as Jacksonville, St. Johns County and a river advocacy group all say the plan would destroy the delicate balance of saltwater and freshwater needed to preserve critical biological habitat and submerged vegetation.
The St. Johns River Water Management District, which developed the proposal, said it will consider a new two-year, $1.8 million plan to study its possible effects.
But John Cirello, director of environmental services for Seminole County near Orlando in central Florida, said he does not understand north Florida's opposition.
"I think they are misled," he said.
The district developed the proposal after determining that areas of central Florida could reach their groundwater limits within five years, and that by 2025 it will need 200 million gallons of water a day from alternative sources.
Partly because of the fast growth of central Florida, half a billion gallons of water are being pumped out of the deep underground Floridan aquifer each day.
The seven counties of central Florida had a population of about 3 million in 2000; it's about 3.6 million today. It is expected to hit 5 million in 2030 and 7 million by 2050, according to figures from the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida.
The district says about 155 million gallons a day can safely be taken from the St. Johns River, a meandering 310-mile-long river that begins in Indian River County and then travels north until it runs into the Atlantic Ocean near Mayport. It also says the Ocklawaha River can be tapped for an additional 90 million to 108 million gallons a day.
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 Withdrawing water from the rivers and treating it is less expensive than desalinating sea water, which could cost five times as much as getting water from wells, said Hal Wilkening, director of the water management district's resource management department. The district also wants to reuse treated sewage water for irrigation.
Central Florida utilities are already designing plants to capture the river water, treat it, and sell it to customers.
Seminole County is planning to build an 80 million gallon per day regional facility for drinking water on behalf of 17 utilities that serve parts of Orange, Lake and Volusia counties. The estimated cost is $400 million to $500 million. An earlier phase to treat water for use in irrigation and use 5 million gallons per day is about $50 million.
But taking of millions of gallons a day from the river could affect the salinity at the mouth of the river near Jacksonville, Armingeon argues.
Tides from the Atlantic Ocean blend fresh and salt waters in the area, creating an estuary for shrimp, oysters and crabs.
"We've got enough problems with foreign imports and high fuel costs," said Janie Thomas, executive director of the Shrimp Producers Association. "We don't need any other problems that could decimate our industry."
The district said there would not be enough added salinity to harm plants and animals.
Cynthia Barnett, author of a book on Florida's water, "Mirage," said the region should conserve. "There is a great deal of efficiency to be made up before you begin tapping the river," she said.
[Associated Press; By RON WORD]
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