The District has recently reevaluated and revised minimum flows for the Lower Peace River and developed new minimum flows for Lower Shell Creek. The minimum flows for the Lower Peace River became effective April 2021 and minimum flows for Lower Shell Creek will be implemented in early 2022.
Overview
Minimum flows are limits for flowing water bodies established by the District Governing Board to help prevent significant harm to the water resources or ecology of an area that may be caused by water withdrawals.
Minimum flows were established for the Lower Peace River in DeSoto and Charlotte counties in 2010. An initial reevaluation of the minimum flows was completed in 2015 and it identified ongoing and proposed data collection efforts intended to support a more comprehensive reevaluation.
Revised, recommended minimum flows were developed for the Lower Peace River as part of the comprehensive reevaluation. The recommended minimum flows for the Lower Peace River are summarized in a draft report that also includes new, recommended minimum flows for Lower Shell Creek in Charlotte County.
The original 2010 minimum flows report, 2015 reevaluation report for the Lower Peace River, and the current draft report on the recommended minimum flows for the Lower Peace River and Lower Shell Creek are available on the District’s Minimum Flows and Levels Documents and Reports page.
Stakeholder Outreach, Peer Review Panel Meetings and Public Workshop
Staff has met with stakeholders to discuss and solicit feedback on the recommended minimum flows for the Lower Peace River and Lower Shell Creek.
In addition, the draft minimum flows report and all scientific data and technical methods used to support the development of minimum flows were subjected to scientific peer review. A panel of three independent, recognized experts in the fields of hydrology, hydrogeology, limnology, biology and other scientific disciplines reviewed the recommended minimum flows and prepared a summary report of their findings for consideration by the District Governing Board.
Meetings conducted by the peer review panel were facilitated by the District as web-based teleconferences. The web-based teleconferences included opportunities for public comment on the review process. Details about the peer review panel’s work is accessible through a web forum.
A public workshop was held in October 2020 to solicit additional stakeholder input on the recommended minimum flows for the Lower Peace River. A similar public workshop on the recommended minimum flows for Lower Shell Creek was held in November 2021. Information about MFL public meetings is available at the District’s MFLs Public Meetings page.
All public comments were summarized and shared with the District Governing Board for their consideration when reviewing the recommended minimum flows.
Schedule
- Stakeholder outreach and meetings – Ongoing into 2022
- District Governing Board meeting – March 24, 2020; draft minimum flows report for the Lower Peace River and Lower Shell Creek provided to the Board prior to peer review
- Peer review – March 25, 2020, through June 26, 2020
- Public workshop (Lower Peace River minimum flows) – October 29, 2020
- District Governing Board meeting – December 15, 2020; recommended minimum flows for the Lower Peace River and initiation of rulemaking to establish the minimum flows into District rules approved by the Board
- Minimum flows establishment (Lower Peace River) – recommended minimum flows adopted March 23, 2021, and became effective April 12, 2021
- Public workshop (Lower Shell Creek minimum flows) – November 3, 2021
- District Governing Board meeting – December 14, 2021; recommended minimum flows for Lower Shell Creek and initiation of rulemaking to establish the minimum flows into District rules approved by the Board
- Minimum flows establishment (Lower Shell Creek) – Anticipated in early 2022