Water: A Precious And Scarce Resource
September 1, 2007 It is something we all need to survive — water. This year’s drought is reminding us just how precious water is in our day-to-day existence. In its scarcity, water has become a contentious issue in Florida. But water has been a hot button topic here for years, as you’ll read in our Anniversary flashback. Florida Ag Commissioner Charles Bronson tells us water remains front and center, as he warns of severe economic losses due to the drought.
In late July, the South Florida Water Management District hosted a water summit, which illustrated how heated the water debate can become as different sides square off. The Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the meeting was marked by finger pointing about who’s to blame for the current state of water affairs and the low levels of Lake Okeechobee. I think we all can agree no one is to blame for the drought, but we must look for ways to be better prepared for future droughts and the simple fact that demand for fresh water is only going to increase in Florida.
Seeing Red
I was at a recent industry gathering where two maps of Florida where shown — one showing the current urbanization in the state and another showing future urban areas in about 25 years. Urban areas were highlighted by red dots and the current map showed the urban centers of today. When I saw the future map, my heart skipped a beat. The coast lines where blood red well into the interior and Daytona, Orlando, and Tampa had virtually grown together into one big metropolis.
What does the future map tell us? We’d better be getting our ducks in a row when it comes to water management and conservation in Florida. Finger pointing won’t get it done. These issues will only be resolved by working together. The good news is there are a number of initiatives underway to address water availability and water quality issues in the state. The challenge will be to move these activities from words to actions. Our cover story features such action in the work of orange grower Stan Carter, who pulled together with various interest groups to develop Best Management Practices to help address water quality issues in the St. Lucie watershed.
One thing is clear; urban folks, agriculture, and the environment must have water to survive. And another fact is clear that urban citizens, agriculture, and the environment all depend on one another to survive, so it is in all of our best interest to work for fair and sound solutions to Florida’s water problems.
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