Commentary: Caloosahatchee River in firing line of area water wars

August 2, 2011

Unfortunately this piece lacked the detail it needed. What was not disclosed is that the District reissued 20 year permits just last year without having a water budget from which to evaluate:

1. How much water is available to divide between users and

2. What the natural system water needs are.

For the past two years west coast stakeholders worked to ascertain the water budget or "ledger" as the District calls it. During the permitting process we were continually told that the District did not have the "numbers" but would be able to supply them AFTER the permits were renewed. Remember too that this past renewal period the District instituted the "No Farmer Left Behind" program to issue permits to users who have never had permits and never applied for the water they are using. The numbers were astounding and only add to the over allocation of the available water. And there are still folks out there using water without permits.

Keep in mind that the cut backs the District instituted this year were not only too little too late but cut back supply based on the permitted "over" allocation, not based on available water. Several times this season there was 40% more water going out of the lake to ag than coming into the lake! That's unsustainable and not responsible management of water. Further, as Paul Gray points out during droughts ag actually gets more water than during normal years so the whole process is rigged.

What we really need to do is go to supply side management where water is cut back based on the amount of water available, not based on a percentage of permitted allocation.

Too bad none of this detail made it into the reporting. John Cassani has written an editorial to address these lapses so watch for that.

Rae Ann Wessel

Natural Resource Policy Director

Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation

Tel: 239.731.7559

Email: rawessel@sccf.org

Web: www.sccf.org