5 years of scientific study proved Friends of the River was right in 2000: the river needs more than just some (10 cfs, or 6.5 mgd) Sulphur Springs water.
Scientific peer review panel said
River needs 20 cfs of fresh water every day; even more, 24 cubic feet
per second, in spring when fish spawn.
• This compromise solution was supported by EPC, Sierra Club &
Friends of the River.
• Scientific data shows the River needs more water, 30-40 cfs/day
for enough dissolved oxygen & freshwater zone that all fish need.
We recognize Tampa can’t provide this much water yet.
• We supported giving the river 20 cfs now, 24 cfs in the spring.
This major compromise gives Tampa time to provide more water. We support
studying the river for 5 years to re-assess the 20/24 cfs minimum flow
rule. See if the river does needs more water, then give it more as additional
resources are developed through conservation, additional storage and wise
use of reclaimed water.
• This position developed by Hillsborough County Environmental Protection
Commission and supported by Friends of the River.
More water will come from other
sources in the next few years
• 10/1/09: cost/benefit analysis of Blue Sink
• 10/1/10: cost/benefit analysis of Tampa Bypass Canal (TBC) pipeline
• 10/1/11: Blue Sink water (3-6 cfs?) added to the river’s
flow.
• 10/1/12: TBC pipeline’s remaining 25% (1.9 mgd / 2.9 cfs)
& Morris Bridge Sink (3.9 mgd / 6 cfs) added.
• 2012 – 2017: more storage projects to provide remaining
fraction
• 10/1/17: all water for mfl is provided, regardless.
• How much more could then be added? Total estimated available:
(Sulphur Springs 15 cfs) + (Tampa Bypass Canal 11.1 cfs) + (Blue Sink
4.5 cfs) + (Morris Bridge Sink 6 cfs) = 36.6 cfs?
• 5 year re-evaluation of hydrology, dissolved oxygen, salinity,
temperature in 2013.
• Also, 7.1 mgd of reclaimed water will be given to McKay Bay for
wetlands restoration.
Does this fix all the River’s problems? Hardly.
As this picture demonstrates our River still has problems of stormwater flowing into it unfiltered from 1/3 of City.
Another major problem is the largely hardened shoreline devoid of plants to support fish, manatees & other wildlife.
