Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 1 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

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1 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Carol Hinton President Gainesville Michael DelCharco, P.E. Vice President Jacksonville Kristin K. Bennett, Esq. Secretary Stuart Gary Howalt, P.W.S. Treasurer Jacksonville Annette Carter Past President 2012 Stuart Ronald M. Edenfield, P.E. Past-President 2011 Ft. Myers BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ed Call Brooksville Joanne Chamberlain, P.E. Jacksonville Mark C. Diblin, P.G. Gainesville L. Donald Duke, Ph.D., P.E. Ft. Myers Gregg Jones Tampa Jeremy McBryan, P.E., CFM West Palm Beach Donald W. McEwen Havana Paul W. O Neil, Jr., P.E. Tampa Walt Reigner, P.E., CPESC Lakeland Krista D. Sabin Ft. Myers Catherine A. Walker, P.E. Palatka Garrett Wallace West Palm Beach Shayne Wood, P.E. Jacksonville Photo by Gary Borland Our next Technical Meeting: Homosassa Springs State Park November 15, 2013, 4150 S. Suncoast Boulevard, Homosassa, Florida On-line registration AWRA, Florida Section will host our next technical meeting at Homosassa Springs State Park on Friday, November 15. The theme of the meeting will be the Protection and Restoration of Florida Springs. The agenda includes a kick-off presentation by Jim Stevenson, the acknowledged leader of springs protection in Florida. Jim will be followed by Gregg Jones of Cardno ENTRIX, speaking on his 20 years of water quality and quantity research on springs. Next up will be Doug Leeper of the Southwest Florida Water Management District to discuss the recent and highly controversial process of setting minimum flows for Chassahowitzka and Homosassa Springs in Citrus County. Doug will be followed by Veronica Craw, Manager of the Springs and Environmental Flows Section, who will showcase the District s springs restoration efforts. The technical program will conclude with an open forum between the speakers and the audience to discuss the tension between the state s five water management districts springs protection efforts and springs advocacy by the environmental community. Following the technical session the group will board a tram for a ride through the forest from the meeting facilities to the Homosassa Head Spring Area where we will have a walking tour of the main spring, the world famous fish bowl, and the wildlife park. The day will finish up with an outdoor reception at the Bella Oasis hotel which is directly adjacent to the state park. For those wanting to spend more time exploring the wonders of the springs coast, we are offering a kayak tour of the beautiful Chassahowitzka Springs on Saturday morning. The trip will depart at 10:00 am and will include a leisurely paddle to several springs in the head springs area led by Gregg Jones. Kayaks and canoes are available for rent or you can bring your own. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Bella Oasis Hotel for Thursday and Friday nights, November 14 and 15, at a rate of $55.00/night Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 1

2 Additional Conference Information Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is located in Homosassa Springs, 75 miles north of Tampa on U.S. 19 and 90 miles northwest of Orlando The Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park Visitors can see West Indian manatees every day of the year from the park s underwater observatory in the main spring. The park showcases native Florida wildlife, including manatees, black bears, bobcats, white-tailed deer, American alligators, American crocodiles, and river otters. Manatee programs are offered three times daily. At the Wildlife Encounter programs, snakes and other native animals are featured. Recreational opportunities include picnicking, nature study, and birdwatching. The park features a children s education center, providing hands-on experiences about Florida s environment. Transportation from the visitor center on U.S. 19 to the West Entrance is available by tram or boat. The park has two concessionaire-operated gift shops and a concessionaire-operated café with a selection of beverages and snacks. Plan 3 1/2 to 4 hours to tour the park. Check the Ranger Programs for a list of interactive events throughout the park each day. Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park Field Trip Saturday November 16 Chassahowitzka River Campground, 8600 W Miss Maggie Drive Chassahowitzka, Fl Phone The Chassahowitzka River ( Hanging Pumpkin Place in Seminole language), is a gateway to spectacular scenery, wildlife and some of the best paddling in Florida.. Purchased in the early 1990s, this property is part of a large greenway of public lands that protects the Chassahowitzka Swamp ecosystem and wildlife resources. The Chassahowitzka River s headwaters, several tributaries and springs are within this tract and are known locally for their great sportfishing and crabbing. The vast expanse of salt marsh, hardwood swamps, crystal-clear springs and river are a canoeist s paradise. The river has been designated an Outstanding Florida Water by the state of Florida. Additional Recreational Opportunities at the Chassahowitzka River Campground and Recreation Area (operated by Citrus County Parks and Recreation Department) Bicycling: Trails on unpaved roads. Florida law requires bicyclists under 16 to wear helmets. Bird Watching: Chassahowitzka River Trail is Site 51 on western section of Great Florida Birding Trail. Contact Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for more information. Boating and Paddling: Single-lane boat ramp located at campground. Canoe and jon boat rentals. River is shallow use shallow draft boats and keep track of tides. Watch for manatees. Camping: Chassahowitzka Campground has 80 full-service campsites with various levels of amenities, including electricity, sewer, water, tables, grills and fire rings. Group campsite also available. Call campground office for reservations; fee for camping. Bathhouse with showers, laundry facilities, shuffleboard court and picnic pavilion available. Fishing: Saltwater fishing near gulf; freshwater fishing in springs. Contact FWC for license requirements. Hiking: Access to dense, forested wetland provided by two-mile network of old logging roads built above grade. Roads not maintained or marked be prepared for wet crossings at several narrow washouts. Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 2

3 AWRA Florida Section Meeting November 14-16, 2013 Homosassa Springs State Park, Florida TECHNICAL AGENDA Thursday, November 14, :00 p.m. AWRA Florida Section Board of Directors Meeting Homosassa Springs State Park members welcome Friday, November 15, :00 am Welcome - Carol Hinton, AWRA President 10:10 am Review of Agenda - Gregg Jones, Cardno ENTRIX 10:15 am Overview and History of Springs Degradation - Jim Stevenson, former Chair, Florida Springs Taskforce 11:00 am Twenty Years of Springs Research In Southwest Florida - Gregg Jones, Cardno ENTRIX 11:45 am Catered Lunch 1:00 pm Setting Minimum Flows for Homosassa And Chassahowizka Springs - Doug Leeper, SWFWMD 1:45 pm Springs Restoration in the SWFWMD - Veronica Craw, Manager of the Springs and Environmental Flows Section 2:30 pm Open Forum: Tension between the Environmental Community and Springs Protection Efforts of the Agencies 3:15 pm Closing Remarks/Adjourn Technical Session 3:30 pm Board Trams for Tour of State Park 5:30 pm Networking Reception at Bella Oasis Hotel Saturday, November 16, :00 am Kayak Tour of Chassahowitzka Springs Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 4

4 Meeting Sponsors as of 10/14/13 Board of Directors Summary The Florida Section AWRA Board of Directors (BOD) met September 20, 2013, 10:00 a.m. -11:30 a.m. prior to the membership meeting. The detailed agenda and minutes will be included on the Section website following BOD approval of the minutes at the November BOD meeting. Highlights of the meeting include: Education Program: The Board voted to award Drew Liddick, FGCU, the 2013 Sanford N. Young scholarship. The Board also accepted the Education Committee s recommendation to reimburse eight students for certain costs associated with attending and presenting at the AWRA National Conference in Portland, OR in November. Membership: The Board discussed reaching out to lapsed members to encourage them to renew. Nominating Committee: Ballots for the 2014 Board will be sent in early October. National: Congratulations to Don Duke who was elected to the National Board of Directors. Donation to Herbert Scholarship: The Board voted to donate $500 to the AWRA National Herbert Scholarship. The AWRA Florida Section is the largest single donor to date to the scholarship. Upcoming Meetings: November 15 Homosassa Springs; January 31 Ft. Myers; March -Tampa Area; May Wakulla Springs; June/July Keys; September Central or South Florida area; November Jacksonville/St. Augustine area. Educational trip to Cuba: information is being gathered to determine the feasibility of arranging an educational trip to Cuba. This would occur around the time of the March meeting. Board members: The Board acknowledged the contributions and long term efforts of Board member Don McEwen who is resigning after serving many years as a board member. Don expressed gratitude for the experience on the Board and the wide variety of discussions held, knowledge learning and interesting locations and field trips offered. Next BOD meeting: November 14, 2013, 6:00 p.m. at Homosassa Springs. Board meetings are open to all members of the Florida Section AWRA and their guests. Members and guests are encouraged to get involved and increase the value of their AWRA membership. Along Banana River, Cocoa Beach Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 5

5 Technical Program Summary September 20, 2013 The Florida Section met on September 20 and had outstanding technical presentations on a variety of water resource related topics. Highlights of the presentations follow. Metazoan Diversity: Taking a look around. Mark Martindale, Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience Dr. Martindale s work focuses on cellular biology and how to use it to measure biodiversity. Biodiversity is really a complex network but it means the robustness of the system. So, a system is healthiest when it has robustness built into the system. That helps the network respond, react and recover from any kind of stimulus or action. Oceans and lakes are the greatest harbinger of biodiversity. Life evolved in the seas. Most animals are so small we very rarely see them! We are familiar with the larger animals but, number-wise, they are a small population. Ctenophore a jelly like organism. Very sophisticated organisms with many different varieties. Dr. Martindale specializes in these animals and spends most of his time researching them. He presented a large variety and beautiful plethora of sea creatures. Dr. Martingale used DNA to reveal history he is using a molecular perspective to categorize organisms. How else could you know a squid is more similar in taxonomy to an oyster than a fish? Metagenomics you go into different material (mud, water) and sequence them in the DNA. There are mathematical models will let you cull out the DNA sequences to organize them. The next generation of DNA taxonomy is: Viruses! Sea Level Rise and the Matanzas River Basin: Impending challenges to management of water resources and aquatic ecosystems Todd Osborne, Ph.D., UF, Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory, University of FL Todd started out with stating that seal level rise is happening we may not know why, but it is happening. Predictions are tricky, as we all know. IPCC, Rahmstorf (2007), Pfeffer et al,(2008) have ranges from 0.6 to 6.6 ft in for If we use a guess of 2m, we have some idea of what it could be more or less. What are Sea Level Rise (SLR) impacts on coastal systems? Increased coastal flooding and erosion Saline water intrusion into water resources Land use and development planning Increased tropical cyclone activity, temperatures, and rainfall patterns Alteration of ecosystem serviced Potential loss of coastal wetlands Dr. Osborne discussed vegetative community forcing functions including water management, hydrology, vegetation, fire, etc Changes in these functions change vegetation zonation. These vegetation are coastal wetlands that provide ecosystem services such as improving water quality, habitat for wildlife viewing, recreational and commercial fisheries, and a natural buffer to storm surge and erosion. We need to make sure the wetlands are maintained and allowed to expand to keep the coastal resilience. Water as a medium for locomotion: the role of turbulence in fish swimming James Liao, Ph.D., Whitney Lab Dr. Liao is interested in the shape of water flow behind moving animals it interests him because fish move in 3-D. The fish create a vortex ring he calls them fish doughnuts. These vortices called Karman Vortex Street are common all through nature. So, Dr. Liao got interested in how fish exploit that energy to swim. So, are fish surfing or just swimming? Since he discovered it, he got to name it! He named it the Karman Gait and the fish is actually surfing between the fish doughnuts and using that energy to just go with the flow. Dr. Liao s father pointed out that this is a Taoist Wu Wei principle. Dr. Liao used electrodes mounted on a rainbow fish in a flume to actually measure the muscle use in a fish. By comparing the with and without cylinder muscle records, it is obvious that the fish is not using Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 6

6 much energy. But, when he took this out in the field, he saw that migrating fish didn t just hang out and surf behind the cylinder. He wasn t sure why, but thinks it may be because the fish were going upstream to spawn, so they may have been preoccupied with what was waiting for them. Dr. Liao is at the Whitney lab exploring fish swimming patterns and continues his research. Currently he is looking at plastic fish and how sensitivity to flexibility matters. City of Palm Coast Storm Water Utility Fee Charlie Faulkner, Faulkner and Associates The city was trying to enact a utility fee but had questions. Such as, how much fee should an acre of pine trees pay? Stormwater utilities are driven by NPDES requirements. Utilities are a great revenue sources, and they are politically palpable because it is not a tax increase, everyone pays based on use. In 1986 the Florida legislature passed laws that encourage utility development. The utilities use an ERU or equivalent residential unit that creates an apples to apples comparison for many kinds of land use types. Then, using the total budget required, you simply divide by the total number of ERUs in the basin. Most of the cities in Florida do not charge for undeveloped areas. Mr. Faulkner reviewed the City of Palm Coasts information and researched utilities throughout the state. One of the best example of State Supreme Court interpretation of a stormwater utility was for the City of Gainesville. This helped the City of Palm Coast define a new ordinance. It was established in April 2011 and requires all land uses to pay the utility. The cost per ERU was reasonable and the City sent out the invoices. Largely undeveloped lands get a 95% reduction. Unless it is along a city road and this caused problems. The city had to amend that ordinance so that largely undeveloped land along a city road still gets that 95% reduction. Water Purification Systems for Disaster Relief Dr. Marc Compere and Students, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Special Thanks to our Meeting Sponsors: RMEC, AMEC, Taylor Engineering, Cardno ENTRIX, The Carol Group, Environmental Services, Inc. and Alico Inc. The students designed and built the purification systems. Global water statistics 1 in 9 people lack access to clean water. 3.4 million people die every year due to water related diseases. Half of the world s hospitalization are due to unclean water. Embry Riddle students have gone to Haiti for the last 3 years with these projects. There were camps with 20 40,000 people that need freshwater. The students developed a water filter membrane system. A large part of the problem is education of safe water use. Companies deliver purified water, but it is not maintained correctly, so it has high bacterial content. The team tested water from several supplies, and found it was not fit to drink. The group went to a children s home to install a purification system. Because of limited electricity the team wanted to use solar power. They had 30 panels that they mounted on the facility roof. They used a variable power supply submersible pump because it could handle the power surges. The filtering system started with a 50 micron filter, followed that with a 0.1 micron filter. The third filtering system used a UV filter to kill viruses and exceeds EPA and NSF standards for clean water. The results of the system they installed showed that the bacterial count was very low. The students put their money where their mouth is by drinking the supply themselves. The team had great interaction with the locals and taught them how to maintain the filtering system. They also conducted training for the kids to teach them good water hygiene. The final component was to create a micro-business to help the children s home use the system to make money. They were able to use the system to create three jobs. The home can sell water to the local communities. Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 7

7 The AWRA Florida Section has a new website with new features Recently the AWRA Florida Section updated its webpage. You will notice an updated format and new user friendly features. From the website you can do the following: Get your password to log in. Log in with your address. Anyone can view the website, but you are required to log in to register for meetings, renew your membership, upload photos, etc. If you do not know or do not remember your password, click Forgot password to reset or change it and an will be sent to you with instructions. If you have problems logging in with your address or cannot reset your password, contact Krista Sabin. (Krista.Sabin@gmail.com). Update your member profile to ensure we have your correct contact information. The data in your member profile is used by the AWRA Florida Section ONLY for AWRA Florida Section purposes. Register for meetings directly from the website. Once you create a member profile, registering for meetings is quick and easy - since much of the required information is obtained from your member profile. The AWRA Florida Section does NOT release meeting registration information to anyone for any purpose. Join AWRA Florida or renew your membership directly from the website. View and Upload pictures. Click on the Meetings link on the left side of the home page, then click Photos. Select the album for the meeting to view or upload pictures. Pay for meeting sponsorships and donate to the education program. Access applications for the J.B. Butler Science Grant, William V. Storch Award, Sanford N. Young Scholarship and the high school scholarship. You can also see a list of previous recipients. Access The Watershed Newsletter that contains information about the upcoming meeting, summaries of the previous meeting s technical session, information about National AWRA and more. Access The Florida Watershed Journal, a joint publication of the Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA) and the Florida Section of AWRA. The FWJ has become one of Florida s preeminent peer reviewed technical journals that focuses on Water Resources. Access Board of Directors meeting minutes and other information about the AWRA. View Meeting Sponsors those generous individuals and companies that make it possible to offer low priced, high quality meetings and that help support the education programs of the AWRA Florida Section. We are now using PayPal for online payments. However, a PayPal account is not required - you can pay with a credit card or debit card. After being directed to the PayPal website, just click on Don t have a PayPal account? to pay with a credit or debit card. You will receive a receipt via once your payment is processed. Questions about the new website and its functions? Contact either Krista Sabin (Krista.Sabin@gmail.com), Jeremy McBryan (JMcBryan@sfwmd.gov) or Kristin Bennett (Kristin.Bennett@tetratech.com). Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 8

8 Photos From Last Meeting Embry Riddle students The AWRA Board thanks Don McEwen for his many years as a member of the Board of Directors A beautiful end to a beautiful day Board Meeting Sept Charlie Faulkner Mike Cullum Networking at Bings Landing Dr. Liao explains the physics of fish donuts with an air-bazooka Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 6

9 In The News (National) Upcoming Conferences 2013 AWRA Annual Conference November 4-7, 2013 Portland, OR Red Lion Hotel, River Jantzen Beach Preliminary Program 2014 Spring Specialty Conference GIS and Water Resources VIII May 12-14, 2014 Snowbird Resort, Salt Lake City, UT Call for Abstracts - Deadline: November 18, 2013 Call for Special Sessions/Workshops - Deadline: October 21, 2013 Register - Supersaver Deadline: - March 10, 2014 Remember to check the AWRA website for all things water resources, including blogs, career center, non-awra conferences and a virtual exhibit hall. For more information, to renew your membership, or become a member of the National AWRA, go to or contact David Watt at or dwatt@sjrwmd.com Summer Specialty Conference: Integrated Water Resources Management: From Theory to Application June 30- July 2, 2014 John Ascuaga s Nugget Casino Resort, Reno, NV 2014 Annual Water Resources Conference Nov. 3-6, 2014 Sheraton Premier Hotel, Tysons Corner, VA Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 7

10 Dear Water Professionals, Fall is here and in Florida that means temperatures below 90º, football games and pumpkin flavored drinks. It s also a great time for a fall meeting at one of our award winning state parks, Homosassa Springs State Park. We have a great agenda lined up on Florida springs and I hope you can take time to join us. Springs are a hot topic in Florida and we Floridians are very passionate about our springs. Florida Section AWRA doesn t shy away from controversial topics, but we try to show all sides of the issues and provide meaningful dialogue. We have mixed things up a bit for November with the board meeting on Thursday evening at 6:00 pm. Remember all members are invited to attend the board meetings. This is a good way to see how the organization is run so you can start thinking about getting involved in the future. We start at 10:00 on Friday morning with technical sessions, lunch and conclude with a tour of the state park. Stay over on Saturday and go on a kayak tour of Chassahowitzka Springs. I can t wait. The September meeting at the Whitney Lab at Marineland was great. I must admit to being proud of this UF facility. Knowledgeable scientist/researchers with the ability entertain the audience with interesting presentations at a state of the art location overlooking the water. A highlight was the presentation by the Embry Riddle students on the solar water purifier they make and install in Haiti each year. This water purifier allowed the orphanage where it was installed to become micro business selling water to the locals.. Thanks to Cathy Vogel and Charlie Faulkner for a dynamic technical meeting and to Kristin Bennett and Garrett Wallace for their assistance. If you haven t visited our web page lately, please do so at awraflorida.org. You can set up your own account, go in and pay dues, make a donation or register for a meeting at any time. The new page is sharper looking and very user friendly. When you see Jeremy McBryan or Krista Sabin, give them a big thank you for their assistance in setting this up. In an effort to go green, we are not using paper registrations just going with online registration. If this is a problem for you, contact the meeting host so they can add you to the meeting count, then pay at the door. Thanks to all of our member organizations that support our meetings. We had a banner year giving away scholarships and there is no way we could do it without you. Sincerely, Carol Hinton 2013 President chinton@treeo.ufl.edu Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 8

11 Membership August News Our annual membership renewal cycle has begun and we are happy to announce that starting with 2014 this process in completely online! Please log in from our new website www. awraflorida.org using your address. If it is your first time logging in or you do not remember your password, click Forgot password and an will be sent with a temporary password. This is also a great time to consider first-time membership or a return to AWRA. The AWRA Florida Section continues to be one of the most cost effective organizations in the water and natural resources arena. In addition to the economical annual fee of only $20.00 and only $4.00 for our student members, we offer superior technical sessions, many of which provide PDH credits, and opportunities to network with your professional peers. Amanda Adams Daytona State College student Angela Boney Daytona State College student Robert Compton University of Florida - student Carol Jones Veolia Water Alicia Mata University of Florida - student Ed Montgomery Natalie Nelson University of Florida - student Jennifer Sikes Taylor Engineering Inc. Tamara Smith Scott Wuitschick AMEC If you have any questions, please contact me and look forward to seeing you at an upcoming meeting. Joanne Chamberlain Membership Services Coordinator jchamber@sjrwmd.com Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 9

12 A Message from the Education Committee The Rosanne Clementi Education Program Education Committee: Rosanne Clementi, Clementi Environmental Consulting; Kristin Bennett, Tetra Tech, Inc.; Mike Copeland, WRS Compass; Mark Diblin, AMEC, Jeremy McBryan, SFWMD AWRA Florida Section supports students attending the AWRA National Conference in Portland, OR. One of the primary goals of the AWRA Florida Section is to support the future water resources leaders through grants, scholarships and awards and by encouraging the students to present at the state meetings and national conference. In order to facilitate participation, the AWRA Florida Section provides financial assistance to the students. Preference is given to students presenting at the meetings but, budget allowing, the AWRA Florida Section supports students attending the meetings as we recognize the value of connections made and information learned at the conference. The AWRA Florida Section is providing financial assistance to eight students to attend AWRA National in Portland, six of whom are presenting, and includes two high school students who are presenting at the National conference. We are able to fund the students, and the Rosanne Clementi Education Program, through the generosity of our meeting sponsors, contributors at the annual silent auction, directed donations and through the AWRA Florida Section membership. For this, we thank you! 2013 Sanford N. Young Scholarship Recipient Drew Liddick, FGCU The AWRA Florida Section Board of Directors award Mr. Drew Liddick of FGCU the 2013 Sanford N. Young Scholarship. Mr. Liddick has been very active in the AWRA FGCU Student Chapter. Mr. Liddick is in the process of writing his graduate thesis on the issue of non-point source pollution regarding residential storm water pollution. He is evaluating the effectiveness of residential storm water wet detention ponds in Lee County, Florida. Mr. Liddick has participated as a lab and field intern for the Coastal Watershed Institute monitoring, restoring and researching oyster reefs and has use this information to work with the public to explain how such species are biological indicators of the water quality conditions throughout southwest Florida. Mr. Liddick s focus has been on Environmental Studies. As a result of his studies, he has gained a valuable understanding about ecosystems and the importance of managing surface and ground waters while enrolled in numerous ecological, biological and environmental policy and regulatory courses. Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 10

13 the Watershed Editor: Gregg Jones, Technical Director/V.P. Cardno ENTRIX 3905 Crescent Park Dr. Riverview, FL Phone (813) Fax (813) the Watershed is assembled and published by Cardno ENTRIX, a proud sponsor of the Florida Section of AWRA. VISIT THE FLORIDA SECTION WEBSITE AT: Contact Upcoming Meeting Chairs Regarding Sponsorship or Assistance Page Layout and Design by Michael B. Tyson Homosassa Springs November 15, 2013 Ed Call and Gregg Jones ed.call@swfwmd.state.fl.us gregg.jones@cardno.com Ft. Myers - Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference January 31, :30 AM - 4:30 PM Ron Edenfield and Don Duke ron@rmec-llc.com ldduke@fgcu.edu Tampa Bay Area March Wakulla Springs May Keys June/July TBD September Jacksonville November Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 16