Friends of the River News: Mayor Pam Gags City Council;
SWFWMD Board Hears River Needs More Water
The photograph of dolphins
swimming comfortably in the Lower Hillsborough's unnaturally salty water
was taken by Mike & Jim's RIVERCAM, posted near their famous pontoon
boat Priscilla on the Sulphur Springs shore. Mike tells us: "A pod
of dolphin were feeding in our bend of the river this morning. I saw one
that had a large snook in its mouth being followed by two others. Beautiful
sight!"
Wow, what a week! As dolphins
swam in our salty river, Mayor Pam's lawyers gagged City Council; Friends
of the River told SWFWMD's Board we'd support EPC & the scientists
on minimum flows. Details + links to news below:
Mayor's Attorneys Gag Tampa City Council
In a stunt that looked more like George W. Bush's Attorney General, Mayor
Iorio's city attorneys stopped Tampa City Council Thursday from hearing
from experts on the Lower River's minimum flow. Tampa Bay Estuary Program
Director Dick Eckenrod, SWFWMD's Dr. Marty Kelly & EPC's Tony D'Aquila
had been scheduled for 5 months to present their views on the new scientific
data.
But before they could speak, up leapt City Attorney David Smith, telling Council that, as the City was going to challenge the River's right in court to a minimum flow, the City must "speak with one voice". He strongly advised Council not to speak on the subject. Actually, he said, it'd be best they didn't hear from the experts at all, so they wouldn't be tempted to utter a different opinion from the Mayor's.
Friends of the River (FOR) was not gagged, however. Joined by FCAN & long-time voice for the river Sidney Potter, FOR told Council that our River and Bay have been abused and neglected for too long; now it’s time to give our River the care it deserves by giving its minimum daily requirement of clean fresh water
But Council only heard citizens' voices, not scientists'. It is now clear that the Mayor's minions have dug in their heels and intend to fight against the River getting the water that all data proves it needs, water that FL State Law requires that it receive.
At the start of her 2nd term, you wonder who we re- elected: a progressive open leader, or an isolated, fearful autocrat? If Council doesn't have a voice on issues like this, why not replace them with a volunteer zoning board and save taxpayers the $?
The St. Petersburg Times ran a great story. If you missed it, click on the link below:
Click
here for Times story: "City attorney shushes council on river
flow"
Scientists Tell SWFWMD Board Our River Needs More Water.
Tuesday SWFWMD’s (Southwest FL Water Management District) Governing Board heard the report from the scientific peer review panel on how much water the Lower Hillsborough needs every day. Friends of the River (FOR) was there to spell out our position, along with the Sierra Club, FCAN, and the Hillsborough Environmental Protection Commission (EPC).
The scientific peer review panel is a group of 3 experts hired by SWFWMD to review their 5 year study. Unfortunately, they weren’t asked their opinion on a major flaw of the study, the goal of the minimum flow. SWFWMD staff only wants to establish a low salinity zone downriver from the dam towards Sulphur Springs, not the freshwater zone that most scientists & FOR have called for. Even so, the panel said the river needs more water to get a low salinity zone than SWFWMD staff said: 24, not 20 cfs. They said the river needs 24 cfs (15.6 million gallons a day) in the spring when fish spawn.
EPC, FOR, FCAN & Sierra all agreed, but said give the river that much water now year round, then let’s see how that works for 5 years; maybe the river will shows us it needs even more. FOR made it very clear that supporting only 24 cfs is a major compromise on our part, to let Tampa do what it can now (not years later), then do more later on.
For example, 45 million gallons a day of treated sewage water pours into the Bay every day. While not safe for the River, it is OK for watering lawns. If Tampa could use only a third of that 45 mgd to keep our thirsty lawns green instead of wasting clean fresh water, that would save enough water for the river’s fish & wildlife. If Tampa makes such changes a priority, we’ll soon have enough water for both the river and our lawns. That's just one way Tampa can meet its legal requirement to give the River the water that science has proven it needs every day.
SWFWMD staff will reply to the peer review panel’s report at its next meeting, April 24 in Brooksville, and the Board will set the new rule May 22. We believe SWFWMD staff will recommend a compromise that we can support. We also believe that the City of Tampa will fight it in court. FOR will try to persuade Mayor Iorio to, for once, listen to the scientists, instead of her attorneys who only want to fight against the river.
Thanks, guys!
Send us your unusual shot, or just every day beautiful
photos of wildlife on our river, and we'll share it with all of the Friends
of the River.
Can't Attend a Meeting? Write a Letter & Speak Out for the River
We’ve been speaking out for 7 years and now they’re really
listening as we come to the climax of this saga. Your voice is now more
powerful than ever before – the politicians all know the river issue
is hot. So please take a few minutes and add your voice to ours:
Write to the SWFWMD Governing Board. They will soon make the decision on minimum flows that determines forever whether we bring back the life of the river, or just pretend we are. Most aren't from Tampa Bay, so they need you to educate them. Write the Governing Board at 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, FL 34604. You can also fax your letter to the Governing Board at 1-352-754- 6874, and confirm it's receipt by dialing 1-800- 423-1476, ext. 14606.
Call Mayor Pam Iorio: (813) 274-8251 Tell her to listen to the scientists, not the attorneys who only know how to fight against the river. Ask her to tell her staff to find a way to give the river the water it needs along with the water city residents need for their homes and businesses. Tell her we can restore our river if we want to; make bringing back the beauty and life of the Heart of Tampa, the Lower Hillsborough, a priority in her 2nd term.
Write an email to Mayor Pam Iorio
We need more friends like you!
Help spread the word by forwarding this e- newsletter to a friend. You
can use the "forward email" link below.
We're Friends of the River (FOR), and we're FOR the river! We're FOR restoring
the health and beauty of our abused and neglected Lower Hillsborough River,
the Heart of Tampa, the nursery for Tampa Bay's fish and wildlife.
Mayor Iorio Now Against Sewage Water in River
Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio completely changed her position recently on Tampa
Bay Water’s proposal to put reclaimed water (i.e. treated sewage
water) into the Lower Hillsborough River.
Formerly a supporter of “augmentation”, Mayor Pam told her fellow members of the Tampa Bay Water Board (mayors & commissioners from Pasco, Pinellas & Hillsborough) that this was not something that would ever fly in her town, this issue was too hot politically and Tampa would never accept it.
She changed her position because she's heard from thousands of voters who oppose this, more than on any other issue in her 1st 4 years! Let’s hope she’s just as responsive to these voters who also asked her to support giving the river its minimum daily requirement of clean fresh water needed to restore health.
Thanks to Dr. Rich Brown for laying it on the line for the Tampa Bay Water Board before our Mayor made her confession. Thanks also to the hard working door to door canvassers of Clean Water Action and equally hard working phone canvassers of Florida Consumer Action Network for helping get so many people to speak out.
Minimum Flow Update
The 5 year minimum flow study is now under review by SWFWMD’s scientific
peer review panel. Unlike last time, the panel will not meet with the
public to hear our concerns directly. The panel’s scope of work
given to them by the SWFWMD staff who wrote the report is expected to
limit their ability to critique the report’s findings, i.e. it may
well amount to a rubber stamp. We expect the panel to report back to the
SWFWMD Governing Board at its Jan. 30 meeting in, yes, Brooksville. The
Board is anticipated to set a new minimum flow either in March or April.
SWFWMD staff did respond to Friends of the River’s letter of concerns.
The SWFWMD letter completely evaded the points we made, saying, in effect,
that giving the river only some of the water it needs will just have to
do.
Sorry, SWFWMD, but you’re still breaking
the law if you set the flow at only 20 cfs. Giving the river only 20 cfs
would continue the “significant harm” forbidden by Florida
State Statute. It'll take a little more, 30-40 cfs, to do the job.
We need more friends like you!
Thanks to all our good friends added their names to the letter we sent
to Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) on minimum flow.
Every name helps! If you haven't acted yet, it's not too late. Go to www.friendsofhillsboroughriver.org
to add your name.
Look on our website for new updates on the minimum flow issue.
Liz Taylor
Friends of the River
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
email:
friendsofriver@tampabay.rr.com
phone: 813-237-8497