2012 Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board Meeting Dates:

Monday, December 3

at Temple Terrace City Hall at 

11250 N 56th St, Temple Terrace, FL 33617

The Hillsborough River has played a major role in the life of our region from prehistoric times to today. Rising in the Green Swamp, near the intersection of Pasco, Polk, and Hillsborough Counties, it flows 56 miles to Tampa Bay. Once a source of water, food, and transport for Native Americans, it is now enjoying a rebirth as an urban recreational and living site, as well as a key source of water for the region.  

The Hillsborough River is a natural resource, but its fate has been intertwined with that of human beings since people first set foot on what is now Florida. People have used, misused, polluted, and tried to control it. But from early times until today, people have been drawn to the river as a place to live, work, and play. It serves as inspiration for creative thinking, writing, and art. We invite you to join the Humanities Institute, as we celebrate the human connection to the Hillsborough; and contemplate its unique role in our region's history and culture.

At the heart of the project is a  series of events in October and November at which the cultural importance of the river through an interdisciplinary conversation that locates it in time, space, and memory is showcased. Speakers and activities representing history, archaeology, ecology, art photography, and literary studies will offer public talks and interactive experiences addressing the history of human interaction with the Hillsborough River. Emphasis on the importance of the river, not only as a unique natural environment, but also as a key component of the cultural heritage of our region, will be the focus. By understanding the long human history of the river, we are more likely to be informed stewards of this special environment.

Through this website, a wealth of resources - historic and contemporary photos, videos, and information gathered especially for the project - are available. You are encouraged to contribute your own memories, photos, or opinions, further strengthening the Human Connections to this irreplaceable natural resource. For more information visit:

http://hillsborough-river-connection.org/  

Fertilizer bill among those expected to return in 2013

Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, said other bills also are expected to be back after they died in the Senate. They include HB 7045 to extend the length of some water use permits to 30 years and another HB 157 to encourage cooperation among neighboring water management districts. Both bills died in the Senate without being heard in committees. Last session, SB 604, exempting certified landscaping professionals from local ordinances, was killed by the Senate Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation by a 4-3 vote. Crisafulli says a conversation on the legislation still is needed to find "common ground," acknowledging support from the landscaping industry and opposition from counties.

"This is an issue that is starting to take legs nationwide," he said. "I believe there are 26 states now around the country that have gone in this direction, including as of recently Virginia and New Jersey."   

Other legislation from last session that could be back, Crisafulli said, includes HB 115, which would repeal a ban starting in 2016 on spreading septic tank waste on land. He also said there should be legislation encouraging public-private partnerships in the development of wastewater projects and legislation establishing a statewide water quality credit trading system.

Rep. Dana Young, a Tampa Republican who introduced HB 639 that passed this year encouraging the use of treated wastewater known as "reclaimed water," said she had met after the legislative session with representatives of agriculture and utility groups in Tampa to talk about other problems and solutions. She said there was no understanding or proposed legislation to come out of the meeting. "To the extent as policymakers we can facilitate that type of conversation that is what we need to be doing," she said.

Other legislators who spoke were Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City and sponsor of HB 157, and Rep. Steve Perman, D-Boca Raton. Sen. Chris Smith, D-West Palm Beach, provided a recorded video address because he was in North Carolina for the Democratic National Convention.  Vinyard outlined initiatives being undertaken by DEP to ensure that the state's five water management districts are working together. They include statewide environmental resource permit rulemaking, consumptive use permitting consistency, and regional water supply planning, including an effort under way with the Suwannee and St. Johns districts to help protect springs in North Central Florida. "Obviously the springs in our state are an iconic part of our ecosystem," Vinyard said. "It is one of the things that attracts visitors to our state. And it is so, so important that we protect springs."

Sinkhole Pumping Plan Raises Concerns

City officials want to make sure a Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) plan to take water from Morris Bridge Sink will not affect the portion of the Hillsborough River that flows through Temple Terrace. The City of Temple Terrace is in the process of drafting a letter to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection after learning more about a plan to pump water from a sinkhole near Morris Bridge Road. SWFWMD is preparing to take water from the Morris Bridge Sink in the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve to provide water to the Hillsborough River below the City of Tampa Dam at Rowlett Park. Water would be pumped from the sink and transferred by the Tampa Bypass Canal and the Hillsborough River Reservoir to the river below the dam.

A sink is a sinkhole filled with water that isn't connected to other groundwater flows. Morris Bridge Sink is located east of the Hillsborough River. The section of the river that flows through Temple Terrace is considered the middle river.

At a recent City Council meeting, Sid Flannery, the district's scientist in charge of the Lower Hillsborough River Recovery, explained that the district has established four water sources to provide a minimum flow of water to the lower Hillsborough River (in priority order): Sulphur Springs; Blue Sink; Morris Bridge Sink; and the Tampa Bypass Canal. The district expects to have all of these sources operational by 2017. "Any water that is released from the Hillsborough River Reservoir to the lower river to meet the minimum flow would be made up by water from Morris Bridge Sink or the Tampa Bypass Canal," Flannery said. "I know there's great concern in Temple Terrace because of the beauty of the river in this section of the city, but the establishment of minimum flows will have no net effect on water levels in the middle portion of the river in the City of Temple Terrace."

The district has simulated pulling water out of Morris Bridge Sink, and the groundwater drawdowns did not significantly reach the Hillsborough River. The district is in the process of analyzing the rate of pumping that is safe, and then it will apply for a water use permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. "The river is going to fluctuate under natural climatic conditions, and the simulations that we're doing, we're looking at: Is there a groundwater impact towards the river? And it's very slight," Flannery said. "The groundwater drawdowns tend to go more towards the southeast than to the northwest. ...So, we're doing very extensive modeling analysis to see: Will there be any effect on the river? And, at this point, it doesn't appear to be the case."

Six residents, including members of the city's River Watch Task Force, urged city officials to consider what effect the plan could have on the middle river that perhaps the district isn't considering. Ron Smith, chairman of River Watch Task Force, said the district has performed studies on minimum water flows in the upper and lower rivers, yet it has not studied minimum water flows or levels in the middle river. "I'm not a hydrologist... As a layperson here, I simply can't believe (the plan) won't have some effect on the river," Smith said. "What 'some' is, I really couldn't tell you."

Mayor Joe Affronti asked Code Compliance Director Joe Gross what the city's options are. Gross said the city could track the analysis that the district is performing, as well as the permit request the district will submit to the DEP. "Working closely with the district right now is where we are," Gross said. "We'll see ... the DEP permitting process. There may be opportunities at that point to weigh in as a city as to our concerns."

Councilman Ron Govin suggested the city contact the DEP to define its concerns. Councilman David Pogorilich clarified that city officials are concerned about the minimum levels of the middle river as opposed to the minimum flow. "That's what their 'do-no-harm' is based on is minimum flows, so as long as the water's flowing, they don't care how high it is in our section of the river," Pogorilich said. City Manager Kim Leinbach will work with the River Watch Task Force to draft a letter the city can send to the DEP after final approval from the council, as well as look into the possibility of finding an independent hydrology expert who would review the district's permit request to the DEP.