District to Hold Public Workshop on Ranking Water Bodies

News Release

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is seeking public input about the order in which minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District will be determined. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise the schedule each year.

A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as part of achieving the balance between meeting human water needs and those of Florida's natural systems.

A public workshop will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. September 30 at the District's Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301.

The meeting will provide an important opportunity for local governments, residents and others to be part of the scheduling of minimum flows and levels for priority water bodies. The revised schedule will be considered for adoption at the Governing Board's regularly scheduled meeting in October.

The adopted Minimum Flows and Levels Priority List and Schedule for 2013 is available on the District's website at "http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/projects/mfl/FY2013-MFL-Priority-List-Boa…":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/projects/mfl/FY2013-MFL-Priority-List-Boa…. The draft 2014 list will be made available on the site as soon as possible following the Governing Board's September 24 meeting.

Written comments on the draft Priority List and Schedule may be submitted to Doug Leeper, chief environmental scientist, at doug.leeper@watermatters.org or to 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, Florida, 34604-6899 no later than October 16.

For more information, please contact Doug Leeper at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4272.